Pets get up to a lot in their day-to-day. Between playing and running around in the wide outdoors, it can be easy for them to sustain a wound here and there. If your pet has injured itself, it is essential to take care of it properly so the injury can heal correctly. Bivvy’s pet health insurance can protect your pet in case of accidents and injuries. This helps you cover the medical expenses in case your dog’s wound is serious. This could include emergency care, hospitalization, and prescription medication. In this blog post, we will discuss five easy steps that you can follow to help your pet heal its wound.
Classify The Wound
The first step in pet wound management is to take a look at the wound and determine what type it is. Knowing this will give you a better idea of how to treat it.
Contaminated Wounds
These types of wounds are common with cuts from sharp objects in everyday environments. And while they might look relatively clean, these wounds are, in fact, teeming with bacteria and even other microscopic debris.
If the wound is contaminated, it will need to be flushed and cleaned with an antiseptic solution. This will help to prevent infection.
Dirty Wounds
Dirty wounds are those that have been contaminated with dirt, debris, or other foreign matter that is clearly visible in or around the affected site. Needless to say, these types of wounds are rife with bacteria and may even have an active infection in process.
Cleaning the Wound
In the lead up to actually cleaning the wound, you want to ensure that you don’t make matters worse by introducing other foriegn materials in the wound site. So, make sure your hands are clean and that the wound is covered with moist material until you can treat it.
Once the patient is stable, using a sterile saline solution or sterile water, begin flushing the wound site from the inside moving outwards. This is known as lavage and will help to remove any loose debris and other contaminants that might be around.
Next is a process known as debridement. This is the removal of any dead or damaged tissue from the wound site. This can be done with a sterile gauze pad or even a cotton swab. This helps to promote the onset of healing.
Dressing the Wound
After the wound has been cleaned, it’s time to start thinking about dressing it. This begins with selecting the correct wound dressing, lest the wound potentially be made worse. Looking at the color of the wound, its appearance and how much exudate is being produced are all important in discerning what material to use.
To know precisely what dressing to apply, whether it be an absorbent foam dressing or non-adherent contact foam, it’s best to consult reputable online guidelines.
What if the wound isn’t healing?
If you’ve followed all of the steps and the wound still isn’t healing, it might be time to consult a professional veterinarian. Wounds that are not healing can often be the result of infection, poor tissue perfusion, poor nutrition or an inappropriate wound dressing.
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