Treatment of Wounds

Here are some tips I hope none of us never need:

-Take precautions: Most experts recommend muzzling a dog or cat before trying to treat injuries. If you don’t have one, you can improvise one from a roll of gauze or a length of rope. Just wrap it firmly several times around the animal’s muzzle, then pull the ends back and tie them behind her ears. Be sure to keep a pair of scissors handy. If your pet starts to vomit, you’ll need to remove the muzzle promptly to prevent her from choking.

-Try wrapping her up: If your pet is too small to wear a muzzle, you can wrap her head in a pillowcase, towel or blanket before beginning treatment. To avoid making it difficult for her to breath, don’t wrap her too tightly or for too long.

-First Aid comes first: Stopping the bleeding is number one. As soon as is possible, apply firm pressure to the wound with your hand or a clean piece of gauze or cloth. Maintain the pressure until the bleeding has stopped, usually within a few minutes. If the bleeding isn’t stopped, get your pet to the vet immediately.

-Make the fur fly: Once bleeding is under control, the next step is to clean the wound thoroughly. Start by trimming away the fur surrounding the area. It can help to coat the area with water soluble K-Y Jelly. It keeps the hair from falling in the wound as it is cut and can easily be washed away.

-Do some deep cleaning: It’s especially important to flush deep cuts or punctures with water to expel germ-covered hair or debris.

-Bubbles mean trouble: Although doing a thorough cleaning is critical, veterinarians generally don’t recommend applying hydrogen peroxide or alcohol because they can further irritate injured tissue.

-Let ‘em Lick: When dogs or cats become injured, their tongues go to work. Don’t interfere with Nature’s plan. Licking does no damage and may actually help the healing process
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-Heads up: Although some licking may be good for a wound, pets that have gotten stitches often will try to chew them loose. To prevent this, your pet may be given a collar to wear.

-Let the Sunshine in: Although a firmly tied bandage can help slow bleeding soon after an injury occurs, in most cases it isn’t necessary and can actually be harmful.

-Watch out for abscesses: While most minor wounds will heal on their own, at times they may form an abscess. You need to have a veterinarian treat this.

*These tips are home remedies only and should not ever be used as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your veterinarian. If your pet has a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical care.

Alice England
Makingstuffwithlove.etsy.com