Showing posts with label treatment of wounds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label treatment of wounds. Show all posts
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Help Control Bleeding from Wounds
I talked week before last about treatment of wounds. To follow up with that topic, here are tips on how to stop your pet from bleeding and to keep small wounds from getting serious:
-Press on the wound: With any wound the first thing to do is stop the bleeding. Using a handkerchief, towel or a piece of a clean cloth, apply firm pressure directly over a wound. In a pinch, press down with your thumb or the palm of your hand.
-Turn down the pressure: When bleeding is serious, applying pressure directly to the artery (not the wound) can help slow it. Dogs and cats have three major pressure points:
1) The upper inside of the front legs: pressing here will help control bleeding from the lower forelegs.
2) The upper inside of the rear legs: pressing here will help control bleeding from the lower hind legs.
3) The underside of the tail: pressing here helps control bleeding from the tail.
-Forget the tourniquet: A lot of limbs are lost because the blood supply was cut off for too long a time.
-Layer up: If bleeding doesn’t stop right away, you may want to tie a bandage loosely around the wound to help slow the flow. If the bandage quickly soaks through, however, just leave it there. You don’t want to destroy a clot that’s trying to form. If the bleeding continues, it’s a sign you need to see your vet.
Some of the worst injuries are internal. Your pet could be losing pints of blood and you might never know it. Symptoms of internal bleeding include blood in vomit, pale pink or white gums and listlessness. Don’t take chances. If you think an injury is serious, it probably is -- and you should see your vet right away.
*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
Thursday, January 6, 2011
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
.
-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
-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
.
-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
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