How to treat a cut on a dogs face

In some cases, your veterinarian may recommend using a dilute cleansing solution of chlorhexidine, a surgical soap, or an iodine solution to help remove debris. “DO NOT use soaps, shampoos, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, herbal preparations, tea tree oil, or any other product to clean an open wound.”

What can I put on my dogs face wound?

Clean the area with mild soap and water, apply an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin®, and cover it with a sterile gauze pad to help promote healing. Your dog should not lick the affected area.

What is the best thing to put on a dog’s open wound?

You should also be able to recognize when veterinary attention is needed. This guide will help you determine when you should go to the vet, what pet first aid supplies you should keep at home, and how to handle minor wounds.

IT IS INTERESTING:  Question: What is the best dog ever?

How can I treat an open wound on my dog at home?

Treat Minor Pet Wounds at Home

  1. Stop the bleeding. If the wound is bleeding, put a clean towel or cloth over the wound and apply light pressure. …
  2. Clean the wound. …
  3. Remove any foreign objects with tweezers. …
  4. Disinfect the wound. …
  5. Cover up the wound with a bandage. …
  6. Consider an E-collar.

Should you cover a Dogs open wound?

A safe, clean, properly applied bandage is extremely crucial. This will assist you in preventing your dog’s injury from becoming infected. Properly bandaging your dog’s wound also prevents bleeding and assists with your dog’s pain level.

Can you put Neosporin on a dog wound?

When can Neosporin be used on dogs? If your pooch got into a scrape, chances are good that you can use a small amount of Neosporin to help prevent infection in the wound. Superficial injuries, such as scrapes, abrasions, and small cuts, may benefit from this trifecta of a topical antibiotic.

What ointment can you put on dogs?

Neosporin is fine to use on your dog for very minor cuts and scrapes — it can help prevent bacterial infections and can keep your dog from scratching, licking, or biting at the wound site while it heals. Make sure he or she doesn’t lick off the ointment after you’ve applied it, and your pup should be fine.

How do you disinfect a dog’s wound?

Warm tap water is recommended for cleaning most wounds. Warm saline (salt solution) may also be used. This may be made by adding approximately one level teaspoonful (5 mL) of salt (or Epsom salts) to two cups (500 mL) of water.

IT IS INTERESTING:  How much dry food should a 5 week old puppy eat?

How do you treat an infected wound on a dog?

Home Care for Dog Wound

Home care involves cleaning the wound gently with hydrogen peroxide moistened gauze three or four times a day and then applying a small amount of a triple antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin to the wound.

What is the best antiseptic cream for dogs?

10 Best Antibacterial Cream For Dogs

  • Colloidal. …
  • C&G Pets. …
  • Progroom Organix. …
  • Vetzyme. …
  • Positive Petcare. …
  • Pet-Bliss. Tea Tree Dog Skin Cream (Antiseptic) 50g – Johnsons (P)(A021) …
  • C&G Pets. Dog Paw And Nose Balm 100ml – Instantly Soothe Cracked Itchy Skin. …
  • Johnson’s Vet. Johnsons Vet Skin Eez Cream, 50g.

How long does it take for an open wound to heal on a dog?

The body typically accomplishes closure over 2 to 4 weeks via the repair (proliferative) phase of wound healing. During this phase, skin coverage of the wound is achieved through 2 simultaneous, yet independent, means—epithelialization and contraction.

A good basic choice for an antibiotic cream for dogs is a cream that contains either neomycin or bacitracin. Both of these ingredients are typically safe for dogs and are easily found over the counter in a wide variety of stores.

Can you use hydrogen peroxide on a dog?

Make sure you have a 3-percent hydrogen peroxide solution. Higher concentrations are toxic and can cause serious damage. Administer the proper amount: the suggested dosage is 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of the dog’s body weight by mouth, with a maximum dose of 3 tablespoons for dogs who weigh more than 45 pounds.

IT IS INTERESTING:  Do dogs understand death?

How can I make my dogs wound heal faster?

How To Heal a Dog Wound Quickly

  1. Step 1: Wound Management. Keep the wound clean and moisturized by utilizing a non-toxic antimicrobial cleaning spray three or four times daily. …
  2. Step 2: Antimicrobial Hydrogel. After cleaning the wound, apply a cooling, protective layer of antimicrobial hydrogel.

Can a dog heal a wound by licking it?

Licking might offer some protection against certain bacteria, but there are serious drawbacks to letting your dog lick wounds. Excessive licking can lead to irritation, paving the way for hot spots, infections, and potential self-mutilation. Licking and chewing can also slow healing by reopening wounds.

Triple Antibiotic is a great ointment. You can use it on your pets. It’s safe. It’s a great way to clean and protect the wound.

How to treat a cut on a dogs face
How to treat a cut on a dogs face
This Elizabethan-type collar (the Foreyy Recovery Pet Cone) is a more comfortable example of the many alternatives to the classic clinic-issued “cone” that are now available in pet supply stores and online.

Dogs are naturally curious, physical, and exuberant, and while we love this about them, these characteristics can also lead to unintentional injuries. These can run the gamut from very minor to severe and life-threatening. How do you know the difference? When is it time to consult a veterinarian and when can you manage a wound at home? Here are some steps for assessing wounds and treating them.

1. Keep in mind that wounds are painful!

Even though your dog may have never snapped at you or bitten before, tender injuries can make even the most docile, sweet-natured dog snap or bite. Whenever handling an injured pet, make sure that someone restrains the dog properly while you examine and investigate the injury.

2. All bite wounds should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

If your dog scuffles with another dog, cat, or a wild animal, immediate care with a vet is needed. This is true for several reasons:

First, animal teeth drive bacteria deep into wounds, even if they are only small punctures. Antibiotics are generally warranted any time that a dog is bitten by another animal.

Second, your dog might need to receive a rabies booster, particularly if he

How to treat a cut on a dogs face
This doesn’t look like a very serious injury, does it? Despite the fact that the dog is standing and the wound looks small, it IS a serious injury: it’s a gunshot wound! A dog with any puncture wound of unknown cause or origin should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

was bitten by a stray dog or cat or wild animal.

Finally, bite wounds are often referred to as “tip of the iceberg” injuries. Though the external wounds may not look severe, there can be underlying trauma to the muscles and other tissues (particularly in the case of a smaller dog being grabbed and shaken), or even internal bleeding.

3. Any punctures that have an unknown source should be treated by a veterinarian.

Puncture wounds can represent several types of injuries including gunshot wounds, bites from other animals, or foreign-body penetration. It is not uncommon for a stick or other sharp object to penetrate a wound and become lodged within it. Though the wound may look small from the outside, foreign material trapped in the wound can lead to delayed or lack of healing, localized infection, and/or tetanus.

4. A veterinarian should treat dog wounds that are over an inch long, occurs on the chest or the abdomen, is contaminated, or has jagged edges.

How to treat a cut on a dogs face
These wounds look clean along the edges, but they involve most of the cranial ear pinna, an area that is rich with muscular, nervous, and vascular contributions; the dog will benefit from veterinary attention.

It is difficult or impossible at home to deeply clean a wound without risking injury to yourself or traumatizing the wound. It is also important to note that wounds on the body (thorax or abdomen) can be more severe than they initially appear and always need to be addressed by a veterinarian, whereas wounds on the face (away from the eyes) or small, superficial wounds on the limbs may do just fine with at-home management.

5. Use hydrogen peroxide to treat a dog’s wound only once, if at all.

Hydrogen peroxide can be used initially on a wound to decontaminate it, but it should not be used repeatedly – and, truth be told, there are better ways to clean a wound. Hydrogen peroxide is extremely irritating to tissue and can impede healing if used repetitively. If you do use it on a wound, use only after the initial cleaning and do not repeat.

Avoid alcohol on wounds, as the sudden, sharp stinging may provoke an otherwise well-behaved dog to snap or bite.

6. If the wound seems relatively minor (less than an inch long with clean edges), here’s how to treat dog wounds yourself:

You can clean gently with a warm wet washcloth and apply a thin layer of triple antibiotic ointment to the wound. If your pet licks the wound, use an Elizabethan collar (aka “cone”) or cone alternative to prevent self-trauma. You can also lightly wrap the wounds.

How to treat a cut on a dogs face
The ear looks much better after debridement (removal of damaged tissue) and suture placement.

It is imperative that you are careful when wrapping. As an emergency-room veterinarian, I saw many complications related to improper bandaging.

To make a safe bandage, you should use three layers. Start with a sterile dressing square over the wound. Over that, you can place two or three layers of a cotton-gauze wrapping. The last layer should be a stretchy wrap such as PetFlex. Before placing it, unroll the stretch wrap to remove some of the tension and then rewind it. This will help prevent overly tight application. Place two to three layers over the cotton. You should be able to insert two fingers under all edges of the bandage. If you cannot, the bandage should be removed and re-wrapped.

Bandages that are too tight can lead to decreased blood flow to the limb below, as well as decreased blood flow to the wound itself. This will slow healing.

It is also imperative that wounds receive oxygen to heal. Change the bandage every 12 to 24 hours. If the wound appears to be healing well after 72 hours, you can remove the bandage.

How to treat a cut on a dogs face
These wounds are a result of improper bandage placement. As you can see, complications from incorrect bandaging can be severe. The original wound on this foot was bandaged for several days by the owner. The dog was seen at a veterinarian’s office after the bandage became wet and had an odor.

Any wound, whether being managed at home or by your veterinarian, should be monitored for sudden changes. Acute redness, swelling, or discomfort, or discharge that is thick, foul-smelling, or copious merits an immediate trip to the vet.

Is Your Dog Licking the Wounds?

Wounds go through several phases of healing, and just like with our own wounds, each phase can cause the dog to feel a variety of sensations. These can include itching, burning, pain, and a tight, pulling sensation as the skin knits back together. Dogs will frequently lick or chew healing wounds in an effort to alleviate these feelings of discomfort, but all that moisture and pressure can increase the damage to the wounds themselves (especially if there are stitches or staples present) and promote infection.

If your dog tries to lick his wound, it’s important to use an Elizabethan collar or some alternative product to prevent him from further traumatizing the area. “Cones” can be bulky and annoying to your dog, and though most dogs will adapt to wearing one relatively quickly, there are many lighter and/or more comfortable options. For a wide selection of products that might suit your dog better, see “Best Dog Cone Alternatives“.

Whatever product you use, be patient, and keep it on your dog until the wound is healed and/or your dog is no longer paying any attention to it.

Better Safe Than Sorry

It is important to remember that when in doubt, all but the most superficial wounds should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Wounds can seem misleadingly slight, belying significant tissue trauma beneath. Hopefully, your visit with the veterinarian will be a quick evaluation, wound cleaning, and some prescription medications. If not, though, the sooner a wound is evaluated, the better the chances for healing and recovery.

Catherine Ashe graduated the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008. After a small-animal intensive emergency internship, she has practiced ER medicine for nine years. She is now working as a relief veterinarian in Asheville, North Carolina, and loves the GP side of medicine. In her spare time, she spends time with her family, reads voraciously, and enjoys the mountain lifestyle.