Can I treat my pet’s wound at home?
WHEN considering treating a pet’s wound at home it is always important to assess the severity, and the treatment with your vet first. Human wound remedies may often not be suitable for your pet. Determining factors of wound treatment at home includes the severity, age and location of the wound, and most importantly, if your pet is leaving the wound alone. The safest and most effective way of determining this decision is to take the injured pet to your nearest vet for initial treatment and advice on the continued care at home.
Severity of the wound
Minor scratches, bruises and nicks can generally be taken care of at home. Ask your vet for a suitable disinfectant to use to to clean the wound with. Have this as part of an emergency kit for your pet at home. Deep cuts, puncture wounds, severe bruising or multiple wounds caused by dog or catfights should be examined by your vet. Deep wounds, such as those obtained by fighting or being bitten can lead to infection and should this wound not be treated correctly it can lead to formation of an abscess. Improper bandaging of a wound could lead to serious consequences, but can be done to prevent further bleeding while transporting your pet to the vet.
The age of a wound – the golden period
The golden period determines whether a severe wound is in need of stitches, allowing it to heal by first intention. This essentially means that the wound would heal faster, require less wound management and would have less scar formation. Should a wound heal by second intention, essentially as an open wound, it becomes a slower healing process, as the body has to rebuild tissues in order to heal itself and would require intense wound care and would form larger scar formation.
The golden period is generally within six hours of the wound’s initial occurrence, this is a window of time in which a wound can successfully be cleaned and stitched without further consequences such as infection. Once this window has closed, treatment, and the consequences of closing infected wounds becomes more challenging. A wound that is a few days old begins forming tissue granulation as second intention healing begins; in this instance it is very unlikely that the wound should be stitched.
The cause of the wound
As mentioned above, a vet should examine any injury caused by a dog or catfight. Should the injury be caused by something else, the cleanliness of the object and the depth of the wound would come into consideration. Should it be a sharp object that caused a deep wound there is no doubt that you should get your pet to a vet as soon as possible.
The location of the wound
Certain areas of the body heal faster than others; of course, this is also determined whether your pet can leave the area alone, in order for it to heal. Wounds in areas of the body that undergo constant motion, heal slower than wounds located in more stable areas of the body. Constant motion prevents the healing of damaged tissues and thus the area becomes at risk for unwanted fluid to accumulate in and around the wound. Wounds on the body and neck often have large pockets of space where fluid can easily collect as a result of large amounts of skin that has been torn away from the underlying tissue, especially after a fight.
Disturbing the process of healing
It is a natural response for an animal to lick their wound. While it can help to initially clean the wound, their mouths contain high numbers of bacteria that can aid in the contamination of an already infected wound. Constant licking of a wound can also hamper the healing process and cause further damage, and even result in a chronic non-healing wound. An Elizabethan collar (the cone of shame) generally works well in keeping your pet from licking a wound.
What is the general course of action my vet will take?
Your vet will begin by examining the severity of the wound. Based on the assessment of the wound one or more of the following courses of action will be taken:
• Shaving and cleaning around the wound, this will expose the wound and remove dirt and infected material around the wound.
• Disinfection of the wound.
• Debriding the wound in order to remove dead tissue and debris.
• Stitching the wound, with or without the placement of a drain. If a wound is in need of stitching your pet will be admitted into the hospital and placed under sedation with local anaesthetic or full general anaesthetic, depending on the severity of the wound. It is also vital to mention here the importance of keeping your pet’s vaccinations up to date, as pets whose vaccinations are not up to date can be a risk to other pets in a hospital environment, and may not be admitted. This means that your pet will receive a local anaesthetic and the trauma that your pet will undergo will be far greater.
• Drainage: should large pockets of open space be found under the skin near the wound, a drain will be placed to allow drainage of the fluid produced in response to the trauma. Generally a drain will be left in place for a period of three days to allow the body enough time to close off the open spaces and start the healing process.
• Lastly your vet will dispense medication, such as topic treatments, antibiotics, painkillers and anti-inflammatories – as the situation requires.
Managing your pets wound at home
If a drain is placed you will need to clean around the area at least twice a day, until the drain is removed. Again, it is of paramount importance to keep your pet from disturbing the healing of the wound. You may have to keep your pet indoors for some time, and as mentioned before, fit them with an Elizabethan collar. If the wound is stitched without the placement of a drain there will be less wound care required at home. You will have to monitor the healing of the wound and take your pet back to the vet for the stitches to be removed. You may also need to administer medication prescribed by your vet.
Most wounds will require an initial examination by your vet, and it is always best to be safe, rather than sorry. Speak to your vet about home remedies and the best line of care in ensuring the best path to healing for your pet. Keep your pet out of harm’s way; make sure that your pet’s surroundings are safe in order to keep unnecessary accidents from happening.
That’s it for this week, from me, Vinkel and Koljander. Paw five! Woof!
