Wound Management At Home

At some point in time in a dog or cat owner's life there is that moment where he/she suddenly notices a cut or bruise on the animal's skin.  Often times the way the wound is dealt with at home before a vet can see and treat it determines how well it may heal or how serious the wound can become.

Treating an infected cut is quite expensive.  Clients are usually taken aback at the cost associated with the proper treatment of a maggot wound or severely infected cut.  Healing time is also long in these instances and clients may not be able to devote the time and care needed for these situations.  It is therefore better if proper care is administered before veterinary care is given.

Once the skin is broken, the owner should take care to gently clean the area with cotton and a diluted solution of Savlon, Hydrogen peroxide or Dettol.  It is important for these solutions to be diluted so as not to irritate the skin.  Be sure to dry the area after with a piece of cotton. In DOGS ONLY, wound and maggot powder may be applied sparingly to the area. DO NOT APPLY the purple spray that is used to treat wounds in farm animals, as this spray is irritating to dogs' skin and also the area becomes occluded so that the vet is unable to assess the extent of the damage. DO NOT APPLY Sevin's powder or any other poisonous chemicals that you will not use on yourself.

DO NOT USE any topical medications on cats since they groom themselves and may become poisoned if these chemicals are ingested.

DO NOT administer any oral medications such as tablets or liquids for any reason unless you speak to your vet.  Many human medications are harmful to animals and even though your intentions may be good, you may be causing more harm than good.



If the wound is a sharp, neat slice and hence may be stitched to ensure proper healing, do not apply ANY medication to it, and seek medical attention as soon as possible.  Once a wound is more than 10 hours old, it is considered to be contaminated and your vet may opt to not stitch it, to avoid developing an abscess.




Do not bandage any wounds before speaking to your vet, as bandaging creates a nice, warm, humid environment that may cause bacteria to thrive and set up an unmanageable infection.  Instead, leave the wound open until your vet has treated it and given advice.

These suggestions do not replace the need for a visit from your veterinarian.  They are only meant as suggestions for immediate care at home if a wound is noticed at a time when vet care cannot be sought immediately.  Once a vet has treated the wound, be sure to ask lots of questions and follow his/her advice closely to ensure your pet has a speedy recovery.

It may be desirable to confine your pet to a kennel for a few days to minimise movement which may damage the wound more.  Consider getting an E Collar for your pet if he/she is obsessively licking or nibbling at the wound.