How to Treat Injuries from Dog Fights
Nothing can ruin a lovely walk with your canine friend like a dog fight. Unfortunately, even with careful attention, it can happen. It’s important to know how to avoid these accidents and also when to take your dog in for veterinary care.
Prevention is best
First, know your dog and how she interacts with others. If she is fear aggressive, then a leash should be used at all times. If your dog is friendly, she should be well-trained with a strong recall. This way, when off-leash in dog parks and while hiking, your dog will come when called. If your dog does play with other dogs, intervene if too much roughhousing or harassment occurs. This can prevent a fight before it starts.
Sometimes, despite knowing our dogs, a fight breaks out. If this is the case, never get between two fighting dogs. Sharp, sudden noises (like an airhorn), hosing the dogs down or throwing a blanket over the fighting dogs are the best, safest approaches.
Treatment for bites
Any time your dog is in a fight, a thorough examination is necessary. Many bite wounds are small and difficult to see, especially on breeds with long, thick hair. Wounds are often the “tip of the iceberg.” It isn’t uncommon for a small puncture wound to hide a significant amount of damage to the subcutaneous tissues and muscles. This is especially true if any shaking and tearing occurred during the injury.
If puncture wounds are found, wash them gently with soap and water if your dog will tolerate it. Even the most docile dog may bite when in pain, so proceed with caution.
Gently pat the wounds dry with a towel and cover lightly until you can see your vet. In the event that any wounds are bleeding profusely, wrap in a clean towel and apply pressure until you can reach a veterinary office ASAP.
Dog bites are always at risk for infection, so if there are any puncture wounds, antibiotics may be warranted. In some cases, this can be done topically with medications such as triple antibiotic ointment; in other cases, oral antibiotics and pain medications are needed. Any time a puncture wound is found, consult with your veterinarian before attempting home treatment.
Wounds can look small but be very painful. Localized swelling and infection can lead to discomfort and the need for pain relief. Do not use over-the-counter medications.
While it may be easy to reach for acetaminophen or aspirin, these medications are not buffered for a dog’s GI tract and can be toxic. Never administer or apply medications without speaking to your veterinarian first.
Get to the vet stat
In some situations, immediate care is required. Do not wait to seek help if your dog:
- has extensive wounds
- has heavy bleeding
- has dirt contamination of wounds
- appears to be in shock (labored breathing, pale gums, weakness)
In some cases, wounds are bad enough to require IV fluids to stabilize shock, IV antibiotics and surgical repair. This is particularly the case when bigger dogs have attacked smaller dogs.
When in doubt, keep your dog on a leash, avoid interacting with unknown dogs and make sure your beloved pet is up to date on all vaccines.
Featured Image: alexei_tm | Getty Images
Read Next: How to Train a Dog to Walk on a Leash
Hi there all, here every person is sharing these experience, therefore it’s pleasant to read this website,
and I used to pay a visit this blog every day.
We stumbled over here by a different website and thought I might as well check things out.
I like what I see so now i’m following you.
Look forward to checking out your web page yet again.
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up!
I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back later.
All the best
Hi there, I enjoy reading all of your article. I wanted to write a little comment to
support you.
Awesome! Its actually amazing piece of writing, I have got much
clear idea concerning from this paragraph.
I like the helpful info you supply on your articles.
I will bookmark your blog and check once more here regularly.
I am fairly certain I’ll be told plenty of new stuff right here!
Best of luck for the next!
Hi it’s me, I am also visiting this web site daily, this site is
truly fastidious and the visitors are genuinely sharing pleasant
thoughts.
Piece of writing writing is also a excitement, if you know after that you can write otherwise it is complex to write.
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article.
I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more
of your useful info. Thanks for the post.
I’ll certainly return.
Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this site.
It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s difficult to get that
“perfect balance” between superb usability and visual appeal.
I must say that you’ve done a excellent job with this.
Additionally, the blog loads extremely quick for me on Internet explorer.
Exceptional Blog!
The best rated online casinos in India involve Spin Casino, Royal Vegas and LeoVegas.
Currently it sounds like Movable Type is the top blogging platform
out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is
that what you’re using on your blog?
When some one searches for his essential thing, therefore he/she desires
to be available that in detail, so that thing is maintained over
here.