What should I put on my dogs wound?

Dogs are often very active and can get a cut, scrape, or puncture wound a variety of ways. Some wounds can be managed at home while others are more serious and require veterinary attention. How to care for a simple wound at home or manage a more serious wound temporarily are things dog owners can benefit from learning. If wounds are left untreated, pain and infection will result and the wound may not heal properly.

Just like people, dogs can get injuries that cause wounds when they are at home or in the yard. Punctures, scrapes, and cuts are all classified as contaminated wounds since they are not surgically made, so this means they are also at a higher risk of getting infected. If a dog has surgery, then the wound is classified as a clean or surgical wound. Whenever the skin barrier is broken, bacteria is able to get into the body and, since a contaminated wound is not made in a sterile environment, bacteria is likely to be present on whatever caused the injury in the first place. Additionally, as the wound is exposed to the environment, bacteria have more opportunities to infect it.

If your dog has a wound on its skin, the first thing you'll want to do is clean it. Depending on where the wound is located, how deep it is, and how old it is, you may or may not need all of the following supplies. But this list is a good starting point for your at-home wound or first aid kit. These items can be compiled prior to your dog having a wound and stored in a bag or container so that you can be ready if your dog gets wounded.

• Warm water or sterile saline
• Clean wash cloths or gauze
• Diluted chlorhexidine solution or iodine solution
• Non-stick gauze
• Antibiotic ointment
• Vetrap™ or other self-adherent bandage wrap material
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Disposable latex or nitrile exam gloves
• Electric hair clippers

Depending on your dog, the location of the wound, and how painful it is, you may need a second person to help your dog hold still while you inspect and clean it. First, put your disposable exam gloves on and if there is fur where your dog's wound is, use electric clippers to carefully clip the hair away from the wound. Next, use your sterile saline or warm water to gently clean the wound. You can pour it directly into the wound to flush it and then gently wipe away any debris with clean gauze or towels. After you've flushed the wound with water or saline, gently clean it with the diluted chlorhexidine or iodine solution. If there is blood around the wound you can use hydrogen peroxide to help remove it from the fur, but do not put the hydrogen peroxide directly into the wound. Finally, pat the area dry with the gauze or towels.

If the wound is located on the leg, paw, or somewhere else that is able to be easily wrapped (and the injury just happened), prepare your bandage materials. Squeeze some antibiotic ointment onto the wound and place the non-stick gauze over it. Use the self-adherent bandage wrap material to hold the gauze in place by wrapping it around the leg, paw, or other body part. Be careful not to stretch the bandage while wrapping it as this can make it too tight. If your dog tries to lick or chew on the bandage it will need to be covered with a sock or your dog will need to wear an E-collar or something else to prevent it from getting to it. Make sure the bandage stays dry at all times and change it daily to monitor the wound until it is no longer open or you can see the veterinarian.

If your dog has an open wound, you should have it examined by a veterinarian to ensure it does not require stitches, surgical debridement, or more invasive surgery. Some puncture wounds can penetrate into the abdominal or chest cavities which can be very serious. If your dog shows any signs of trouble breathing, or has pockets of air under its skin, they should be seen as soon as possible. Small punctures, scrapes, and cuts may be fine to heal on their own as long as they aren't infected, but your veterinarian may still recommend prophylactic antibiotics to prevent an infection and pain medications to help keep your dog comfortable during the healing process.

Despite our best efforts, dogs sometimes get hurt. One part of being a responsible pet parent is knowing how to answer the question, "What can I put on my dog's cut?" and how to treat a cut on a dog at home. Having a dog-specific first aid kit on hand, knowing what to use to treat a cut at home and recognizing when your dog needs veterinary attention are all important parts of pet care. If your furry friend is wounded, here is how to treat a cut on a dog.

How to Treat a Cut on a Dog

Use this step by step guide to treat your dog if they get a wound:

Step 1: Assess and Stop Any Bleeding

Before you can answer "What can I put on my dog's cut?" you need to ask yourself, "Is the wound bleeding?" If the wound is oozing blood, then you can apply gentle pressure with a small towel or gauze square, depending on the size of the wound. Ask your dog to sit or lie down, and hold the towel in place over the wound with your hand with just enough pressure to stop the bleeding. If the dog is calm, most wounds will clot and stop bleeding within a couple of minutes. If the dog is excited, then it will take longer because of high blood pressure. If the wound is pumping blood, that means a larger blood vessel has been cut, and you will need to keep pressure on the wound until you get to a veterinary clinic.

Step 2: Clean

If the wound has debris in it, like mud or leaves, flush the wound with a generous amount of lukewarm tap water to rinse dirt and bacteria off the surface of the wound.

Step 3: Disinfect the Wound

This brings us to the million dollar question: "What can I put on my dog's cut?"

Dilute betadine is an excellent disinfectant to keep in your first-aid kit. A good alternative to betadine is diluted chlorhexidine. Hydrogen peroxide should not be used to clean the wound because it is very damaging to skin cells, and can actually delay wound healing.

Start by applying disinfectant to the wound. If it is a bite wound, squirt disinfectant into the puncture hole to flush out bacteria and contact your veterinarian for advice as bite wounds are more likely to develop secondary infections. After the wound is cleaned and disinfected, apply a thin layer of triple antibiotic ointment to the surface of the wound.

What Can I Put on My Dog's Cut: Additional Precautions

Dogs that are wounded are hurt and scared, and may react aggressively out of fear. Before you ask yourself how to treat a cut on a dog, ask yourself if you should. Only attempt to take care of your dog's wound at home if you are confident that your dog won't bite anyone who tries to help. Use a muzzle (you can make one at home) and get somebody to help you. When treating a wound yourself, it is important to stay calm as your dog can pick up on your stress.

When to See a Vet

How do you know when you need to take your dog to the vet and when you can treat a cut at home? Here are the types of injuries that need veterinary attention:

• Bite wounds as they're likely to get infected
• Deep cuts that fully penetrate the skin
• Cuts longer than an inch
• Cuts that the dog won't leave alone
• Cuts that don't heal within a week
• Cuts that look infected (redness, heat, swelling, discharge that looks like pus, odor)
• Any injury that leaves your dog acting sick (excessive tiredness, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea, etc.)
• Anything wound you are unsure or worried about

If you've treated the wound adequately, it should heal in less than a week. Anything that takes longer than that or shows signs of infection should be addressed by a vet. If you follow these simply steps, you'll be ready to play nurse the next time your pup gets hurt. Your dog and your vet with thank you for practicing good hygiene and safety when it comes to treating wounds at home.

Dr. Sarah Wooten

A 2002 graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Sarah Wooten is a well-known international speaker in the veterinary and animal health care spaces. She has 10 years experience in public speaking and media work, and writes for a large number of online and print animal health publications.. Dr. Wooten has spoken in the veterinary education space for 5 years, and speaks on leadership, client communication, and personal development. Dr. Wooten is also a certified veterinary journalist, a member of the AVMA, and has 16 years experience in small animal veterinary practice. In addition to being a speaker, author, veterinarian, and co-creator of the wildly popular card game 'Vets Against Insanity', she co-owns Elevated Eateries Restaurant group in Greeley with her husband of 22 years, and together they are raising 3 slightly feral mini-humans. When it is time to play, she can be found skiing in Colorado or diving with sharks in the Caribbean.

Go big...or go home. To learn more, visit drsarahwooten.com.