Feb 25, 2021 by OVRS Staff

You can treat minor pets wounds at dwelling since not every scrape or injury requires pet emergency intendance. Our pets will occasionally experience a cut, abrasion, or other small-scale wound. Dogs especially have more of these instances, since they are more than rambunctious than their feline counterparts. The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services is here to help explicate the right way to treat minor pet wounds at home with pet showtime help.

Get a Pet Beginning Aid Kit

Are y'all prepared for a pet injury? If you don't have a pet first aid kit, purchase one or make your own past post-obit the AVMA list of pet commencement assistance supplies. In gild to treat a wound, you will need to take the following:

  • Sterile bandages
  • Cleansing solution suitable for pets
  • Antibacterial ointment
  • Bandage scissors
  • Elastic wrapping
  • Tweezers
  • Spray bottle
  • Clean towels or rags

Treat Small Pet Wounds at Home

Before you lot brainstorm, make sure yous accept someone to help you restrain your pet while you treat the wound. If no one is bachelor, you tin also use a cage. Even if your pet has never been aggressive, pain can crusade a pet to react differently. Avoid scratches or bites by having a plan to proceed your pet stable and calm while yous treat the wound.

  1. Terminate the bleeding. If the wound is haemorrhage, put a clean towel or cloth over the wound and apply calorie-free pressure. If the wound is bleeding profusely, it'south best to go to the veterinary emergency hospital since this is a more serious wound than a simple cut.
  2. Clean the wound. Puncture wounds, such as a bite wound, tin appear minor, but they are not. Bite wounds contain bacteria that tin can cause infection. Even if it is small, clean and bandage the wound. To do this, use a water bottle with clean h2o in information technology and spray on the wound to make clean out any debris, dirt, etc.
  3. Remove any strange objects with tweezers. If there are things like glass, twigs, thorns, etc. in the wound, remove them with tweezers. Use a magnifying glass to remove all of the droppings.
  4. Disinfect the wound. Using a cleanser such equally diluted betadine or chlorhexidine, which are often included in a packaged first aid kit, gently clean the injured area. Practice not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide every bit these can damage the tissue and filibuster healing.
  5. Cover up the wound with a bandage. Apply a small amount of antibacterial ointment and encompass the wound with a piece of sterile gauze or other bandage. Apply the rubberband record to hold the bandage in identify.
  6. Consider an East-collar. Pets tin't sympathise non to seize with teeth or lick at a bandage. Since their mouths can spread leaner into the wound (and have y'all repeatedly disinfecting and reapplying a bandage), consider using an Eastward-collar (aka cone of shame) to protect the wound site.

When finished, advantage your pet for being a brave boy or girl with a pocket-size treat. Take care to remove the onetime bandage subsequently 24 hours and supervene upon with a new 1. Monitor how your pet'due south wound is healing. If you notice there is additional bleeding, changes to the color of the wound, swelling, or discharge, contact us. This may indicate an infection or that the cut or puncture isn't healing properly.

If you lot would like more than data on how to treat minor pet wounds at home or if you are unsure whether or not it's a pet emergency, please contact us.