Managing Dog Bite Wounds
DOG BITE WOUND CARE
If
you have a pet, you may get caught in the middle of a skirmish where another
dog/cat bites yours.
How do you tackle these bite wounds?
1. Wash that
wound
First and foremost, if it’s a
small bite wound, wash it with mild disinfectant soap and water. Savlon will
also work for pets.
2. Put pressure
on bleeding wounds
If the bite is causing a lot of
bleeding, make sure you put pressure on the wound to prevent blood loss before
you get to the vet. Do not tie tourniquets, just keep adequate pressure directly
on top of the wound.
Turmeric powder with pressure will also help arrest bleeding from smaller bite wounds.
3. Larger
wounds need immediate veterinary attention
If there is a larger surface
bitten or if there are bite wounds on the chest, or deep enough for you to
catch a glimpse of any vital organs, you
need to immediately seek veterinary help to ensure that all the vital organs
are intact.
4. Smaller
wounds also need veterinary attention
Even if its just a small
penetrating wound that has broken skin, going to the vet is a must. Every dog
or cat’s mouth contains a lot of bacteria and this wound is going to harbour
some amount of infection. You don’t want that to worsen.
Small bite wounds on the chest or neck can cause a tear in the respiratory tract and while the bite might look small, the damage under the skin can be grave.
5. What will
the vet do?
This depends on how bad the
wound is and where it is located.
You may be sent home with just
an antibiotic and painkiller. Post bite prophylactic anti rabies vaccinations
will be given depending on the vaccination status of both the dog who bit and
the one at the receiving end. Therefore if you can glean information on the
vaccination status of the dog that bit yours, it will help in better decision
making for the vet.
Larger wounds will require further investigation and your vet may choose to do x-rays or an ultrasound. Most often bite wounds are not stitched up because they are contaminated wounds but if it requires suturing, then that will be done.
6. Cat bites also need to be looked at
Though the dog has become
infamous for being associated with rabies, the fact is that all warm blooded
animals are susceptible to getting infected by and spreading this deadly
disease. So even if your pet gets bitten by a feral cat or an unvaccinated cat
or even a rat or a monkey, you need to follow these same steps.
The worst bite wound I have
encountered so far was when 2 hounds bit a tiny yorkie causing her entire
sternum and a few of her ribs to fracture.
Her chest was exposed. She required a surgery to reconstruct her entire
chest wall and she was ‘fighting fit’ after 15 days of care.
Guess what? She was the one who
had picked the fight and remained feisty even through her surgery and
recovery. So it’s always good to be
prepared.
Prevention is always better
than cure when it comes to bite wounds (coz boy they hurt!). Socialise your pet so as to prevent it from being
the one who bites. Find yourself a good behaviourist who will help you. Always
pay attention to your pet and those around to avoid situations which may lead
to a fight.
But as always, with pets
around, there will always be surprises! Some, unwanted.
For more
‘bytes’, feel free to post in comments,
Dr. N
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