This is general first aid for cuts on dogs less than 1/2 inch in diameter. Cuts: When you have a medical situation of any kind it is important to find out what exactly you are dealing with. If the cut is 1/2 inch in diameter or less then you will probably be able to treat it at home without any kind of problems.
First, you will need to clip hair from around the wound. Be careful not to poke scissors anywhere on the dog or near the wound.
Second, the wound will need to be flushed with saline water.
You can make a batch of solution to rinse with by mixing up 2 cups of warm water and 1 tsp salt. Mix together well. Pour gently over the wound to wash out any debris, or hair or dirt.
If you use tweezers to remove any debris, rinse again with the saline solution afterward.
Cover the wound with topical antibiotic cream. Not just any antibiotic cream will be good to use on your dog. The best ones are Neosporin or Mycitracin. You should never apply these near the eyes, ears, or face of the pet dog. These areas can be made worse by the use of antibiotic creams, even the above mentioned ones.
Neosporin causes upset stomach and loose stools if licked off. Try to keep the dog from licking the wound as much as possible.
If a day or two passes and the wound is not getting better at all or looks infected, it is time to see your vet.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
This afternoon my Foxie jumped up to get a Frisbee that landed in a tree or shrub. He caught his underbelly coming down and has a cut about 2 cm long. I have cleaned it and put on Betadine.
Please advise.
Please watch this carefully and do not let your sweet baby lick the Betadine. Do you have a "cone of shame" you can use to prevent licking/scratching?
If it continues to bleed, if it doesn't start to knit together after today, and if the dog is crying or acting like he is in pain, please get him to the vet (or emergency vet since it is almost the weekend).
Most cuts heal quickly and I will send up a prayer that Foxie heals fast. Please keep an eye on this.
PS, our vet never suggests Betadine, but if yours does, then follow his/her instructions. If you can call and get feedback of what to use overnight, I would do that!
Post back with an update.
Continue to monitor the cut. A couple times throughout the day clean area and apply antiseptic/ointment until fully healed.
If the cut does not get better, contact your vet.
You will need to keep this area clean at all times and maybe need to put a bandage on it. Depending on how deep the cut is you may need to use butter fly stitches on this to close it up. If you need to do this the dog will lick at it and remove the bandage and what you have done.
Hey so my dog has a small cut right next to his butt not sure how he got it but its bleeding a little bit put some neosporin on it should I take him to vet and what else can I do to keep him healthy
i hope she geets better
I am hoping for some advice, without having to go to the vet. My dog has a cut on the end of the ear that just won't heal. It will not stay scabbed long enough. It's around an inch long, but not deep. I have tried just about everything. Help?
By sandy helms
Maybe you can try getting those cones that goes around the dogs neck get after surgery, so that your dog doesn't remove the scab. If the cut is infected then you may not have a choice about going to the vet though.
Treat him like one of the kids: wash the site, put neosprin on the site, then to keep covered apply liquid skin or liquid bandaid. He's going to be mad because it will sting but he won't be able to get it off.
My 15 year old dog had a puncture wound from another dog's bite and I did actually take her to the vet. He recommended I treat her with hydrogen peroxide. He told me to mix 1/3 parts hydrogen peroxide with 2/3 parts warm water and 2-3 times a day swab the site with a clean rag until it was clean looking with no "gunk" around the edges. I did that for about a week and it healed right up. PLEASE DON'T USE PEROXIDE on your pet without mixing it with water. Very important to cut it with water as per my vet's instructions.
What one other poster said about the cut being infected may be true though. You may have to take your pet to the vet. Also no offense to anyone or anything but it's better to keep the cut clean and open to the air rather than cover it with a cream or ointment. When I was treating my dog, my vet had already clipped the hair around the wound just a little so the hair wasn't covering up the wound and preventing healing. I had Moo for about 17 years. Here's a photo taken of her when she was probably about 15-16. She was a blue heeler.
Is your dog scratching the wound? If so, get an e-collar to prevent that. Clip the hair around the wound to promote healing - do not cover it with anything. Clean gently with mild soap and water, avoid knocking the healing scabs off - do this every other day or so - but check the wound daily for changes. If if won't heal, perhaps your dog has another problem (such as diabetes which prevents wound healing).
I understand wounds on the ears bleed more, sometimes excessively, and are more difficult to heal. Why don't you want to take him to the vet? If he was injured by another dog, there could be other injuries.
My little poodle just got groomed and now he has a small scab on the ends of his ears, both at that. I would use polysporin, in fact I'am going to try it now. keep ya posted and good luck with your
what can I use on my puppy scratch he gotten while being groomed on his lower cheek bone, he scratches it all the time?
Liquid skin unfortunately increases the chance of of infection as does not allow air through.
I was cutting around my dog's face and accidentally cut her. What do I do? I can't afford to take her to a vet.
Veterinarians devote many years, high education costs and go into debt, for training in college and medical school. They then must pay for their clinics, staff, etc., and they also have to live and pay their expenses like the rest of us. So, there are very few "low-cost" vets. If you can't afford veterinarian care for your pet, then you can't afford a pet.
If you were ill or had an accident, you would expect immediate medical care and would probably pay for some or most of it yourself. I suggest you find a way to provide medical treatment now for your pet. The longer you wait the more difficult and expensive the problem will be. Your friend is suffering and needs help now.
Were you grooming your dog because you can't afford a groomer? But I'm assuming you haven't got formal grooming training. I know you are feeling very guilty right now, and I don't want to make it worse. But do not try any grooming around a dog's ears/face if you have no grooming training. Well, you know that now.
You have a much bigger problem here: You cannot afford grooming or vet care for your dog.
Dogs require grooming. Some breeds will get painful hair mats or skin diseases if not groomed regularly. This must be done by someone who has training. You will have to pay them.
As you just discovered, dogs also sometimes require veterinary care when you least expect it. You will have to pay for that, too. They also require well-dog visits, such as heartworm preventative and yearly vaccinations.
I'm sorry about your financial situation. I know it's hard. But all your dog knows is he is not getting the care he needs, and he doesn't know why.
You are responsible for another life. It is important that you find some way to get his groomings and vet visits taken care of.
Wow that was brutal. Perhaps she lost her job lately.. Don't assume she couldn't afford the dog when she got. Heartless statement. Maybe vets shouldn't get into so much debt that they have to gauge their customers
My grandmother always said if u dont have something nice to say then dont say anything!!!
I own a Japanese Akita; it's 6 months old. It has a cut due to the tightness of the harness. I was wondering if I could get any help on treating the dog's cut.
Thanks.
By Shane
Hi Shane. I'm assuming this is not a severe cut that needs stitches and that you have readjusted the harness. That said, treat it as if you had the same cut, flush it out with hydrogen peroxide, let dry for a minute or so, and rub on an anti-bacterial cream. Do this at least three times a day and watch for any signs of infection. If it does get infected, call your vet. Hope the fur guy heals quickly! :-)
Ditto on KansasCindy's post on the severity of the cut and whether or not you have an extensive infection going on there. If there's more than a 1/4 inch of redness/pus/ooze/odor around the wound area. I'd be off to the vet for oral antibiotics.
If it's minor, agree with using the peroxide and a triple antibiotic, generic drugstore brand works fine.
In the meantime, though, think I'd keep the harness off altogether until the area is healed. Switch to a sturdy collar and a shorter leash if you're concerned about controlling the dog on a walk without the harness.
Try to be sure you rub in the ointment well so the dog can't lick it off (if he/she can reach it), which could cause even more problems. And don't use the harness as is. Readjust it or use something else. You know what it's like if our shoes don't fit right and cause a blister. We don't keep wearing them as is. Good luck!
Have you considered a Bridle type Halter for puppy this controls the head (just like a horse) with no harm to the animal. Don't wait for infection to appear consult your Veterinarian. Good luck.
My Pit Bull puppy was snapped at by another dog and got a small cut on her cheek. It was swollen last night, but not now.
What is best OTC med to use? I read that Neosporin was not good to use on the face. Is there another please?You could use miconazole ointment. I would check with the vet first.
I personally have not heard that it isnt good to use neosporin (an antibiotic ointment) on the face. I know it is not good to use it for acne but I have never heard any other warnings about using it on the face. Miconazole ointment is for fungus and I think you are more likely concerned about infection. I would go ahead and try it out. I have had my Vet recommend it for scrapes and cuts. It has always worked for me.
Double check with your vet to see what he/she recommends. Being a pet mom, I won't giving recommendations of what worked for me because my fur kid and your fur kid are totally different and what works for mine, may be really bad for yours. I would hate to suggest something and then have your baby have a reaction to it. Fur kids are just like real kids in that way!
If your vet is like mine, they often will give info over the phone or look at a photo (our vet does a lot of tele-medicine, which is cool and right now, they don't charge for it for easy things like you are asking. I hope your vet is the same!)
If the cut is red or hot to the touch or continues to swell or ooze, you will want to get him in ASAP! If there is an infection you may need an antibiotic.
Post back what the vet says! Sending up lots of healing wishes for your fur baby!!
My dog had a sonogram and they shaved her stomach to do the sonogram. When I got home I saw that she had a small cut where they shaved her. What can I put on it?
The dog is liable to lick it, so it must be animal safe. Believe it or not, vinegar water is great to clean sores with-its a natural disinfectant. And, coconut oil is good for sores. It also has healing powers to it. And, neither will harm the dog if it licks it off.
You can use Neosporin or equivalent up to three times a day. I would also call the place your dog had the sonogram to let them know.
I brought a training halter for my Labrador, to stop her pulling on the lead, it worked very well. After three days she has rubbed under her front legs and has licked it so much that it is red raw and weeping. Is there something I can put on it to make it heal?
By Rhonda
The dog harness training was for too long; like breaking in a new pair of shoes; blisters forming on heels and hurts. When dog's legs clear up; break him into the harness slowly and a little at a time.
This is what I would do: Clean up the area with peroxide or betadine; not both and then use a triple antibiotic ointment and checking/cleaning the wounds at morning, noon and evening to be sure it isn't worsening. Use a cone collar on the dog to keep it's mouth away from the areas and remove only while you are closely watching your pet. If redness disappears, leave the area open; no bandages, so it helps heal quicker; otherwise, take your pet to the vet in a day or two.
I have a 1 year old Staff and she's got a cut on her ear and on her leg. What should I do? The cut on her leg isn't bleeding, but the cut to her ear is still bleeding and I don't know what to do. Should I take her to the vet? She also has a small cut on top of her head that isn't bleeding.
By Kimberley
Yes. Take her to the vet. Now. Let us know how she is doing.
I have a female chocolate Lab that had a harness on. Because we live in the city and she liked to escape out the gate with her brother. My family and I thought that maybe if we put the harness on her she would be easier to catch. About a week ago I noticed she had a deep cut under her front leg from the harness. My parents said that the other 2 dogs that live with us would help keep the wound clean and help it heal and that the vet can't really do anything due to the location of the wound. Is this true?
By HAB
my dog has a ct on it head and i not now want to do
My dog has a bare patch on the top of her ear that she keep scratching and has made this bleed. Can I use polysporin on this? It is not big, maybe a 1/4 inch square.
By Ken C
