Dog With A Laceration - Home Care

A laceration is a wound produced by the tearing of body tissue. The edges can be smooth, jagged or irregular depending on the initiating factor.

Lacerations are one of the most common reasons dogs go to veterinary emergency rooms. They can be a minor skin problem or a very significant major problem.

Depending on the underlying cause, depth and force of the trauma, there can be damage to underlying soft tissues and structures. Muscles, tendons, nerves and blood vessels can be damaged. Penetration into the chest or abdominal cavity can even occur as a result of the trauma that produced the laceration.

Minor trauma may only produce skin damage. Deeper or more forceful trauma can cause severe damage to the underlying structures that could even be life threatening. The traumas that most commonly lead to lacerations are usually associated with contamination from debris, dirt and bacteria.


Home Treatment of a Laceration: What Can I Do for My Dog at Home?

Specific treatment of a laceration depends on the degree and depth of injury, in addition to associated or secondary injuries. It is very difficult to give advice here without knowing the full extent of the injury. The best thing to do is to take your dog to your veterinarian to help you determine the extent of the injury.

If you cannot take your dog to your veterinarian – you can do the following:

Carefully evaluate your dog's wound. He could be in pain so take special care not to be bitten when examining the wound.

If your dog's wound is bleeding, take a clean towel and gently apply pressure. Again – be careful.

If the wound is superficial – if possible, try to clip around the wound. Take care not to get hair in the wound. You can place sterile KY Jelly in the wound to protect it while clipping the hair. This allows the hair to stick to the KY Jelly instead of the wound.

Examine the extent of the injury. If the wound is deep – if it seems to go deeper than the full thickness of the skin – and it is bleeding profusely, or if the wound is longer than about 1 inch, it really is best for you to see your veterinarian. The wound should be examined and most likely sutured.

Again, this is not the ideal course of action, but for those of you that simply cannot take your dog to the veterinarian, then you should do the following:

1- Clean the wound with lukewarm water. Flush it like crazy. You can't use too much water. If you have a syringe – you can drawl up water into the syringe and squirt it into the wound. If you also have a syringe with needle – you can squirt the water into the wound through the needle. The needle and syringe should never touch your dog. Squirting water through the needle actually applies enough water pressure that can effectively remove debris from wounds. What you are trying to do is use the water and the pressure of the water to remove debris from the wound. If you don't have a syringe – you can use a kitchen baster. If your dog is small – you can use the kitchen sprayer or if he is big – a sprayer from the hose on a gentle spray. The force of the water jet should never be enough that it would hurt you or your pet.

2- While you are cleaning – you can better evaluate the wound. If the laceration appears superficial – you may be done with cleaning it. Dry the area around the wound.

If the wound is deep or draining – the best thing to do is see your veterinarian. Some deeper or draining wounds can benefit from a bandage. You need to be VERY careful. NEVER make the bandage too tight. To apply a bandage - you can use a 4 x 4 then wrap it with gauze. If the wound is open, use a bandage material called Telfa. It is a gauze-like material impregnated with a substance that keeps it from sticking to the wound (which can hurt when removing the bandage). So you would have the telfa next to the wound, then some absorbent cloth if the would is draining a lot, and a wrap to hold it in place and keep it on the pet.

3- The typical bandage consists of gauze or telfa next to the wound, cast padding or gauze type wrap followed by an outer wrap consisting of Vetwrap®. A small strip of tape can be used to help secure the outer wrap.

4- If you place the bandage on a leg, make sure it is not too tight. Check the toes every few hours for swelling. If you see swelling – remove or loosen the bandage.

5- Observe your dog. For minor injuries, your dog should be otherwise acting normal – eating and drinking okay, no vomiting or diarrhea, normal urine and bowel movements. If your dog is vomiting, having diarrhea, acting lethargic, or if your dog won't eat or appears to be having difficulty breathing – please see your veterinarian.

6- Keep your dog from bothering the wound or bandage. One way to do this is to cover it. Or, if your dog is bothering the bandage, you can prevent him from getting to it by using and e-collar. (An e-collar is a cone-shaped object that goes around the neck of a pet to prevent him from licking or chewing.)

For more information, go to: "E-collars in Dogs".

You can also cover some wounds on the chest or abdomen with a t-shirt.

Home Care For Dogs

I came across a veterinarian site with recommendations for home care for dogs if they are vomiting or have diarrhea and you cannot get them to a vet. I thought this was helpful information.

Vomiting and diarrhea are the most common symptoms seen in dogs. They can occur alone or together. It can be a very minor self-limiting problem or a very significant major problem.

Home treatment of vomiting and diarrhea:

If your pet vomits once and/or has a small amount of diarrhea then eats normally with no further vomiting, has a normal bowel movement and is acting playful, then the problem may resolve on its own.

If you discover any predisposing cause such as exposure to trash, change in diet or plants your dog may be eating, always eliminate that cause.

If your dog vomits several times, has diarrhea and you cannot take your dog to your veterinarian (which is recommended), then you may try the following:

- Do not give any medications without consulting your veterinarian. Some medications can be toxic.

- Dealing with both vomiting and diarrhea can be difficult. Often with Vomiting we hold food for 2 to 4 hours – with Diarrhea sometimes is it longer – even 24 hours. These are general guidelines trying to treat both conditions. If your dog is acting sick, lethargic or the vomiting and/or diarrhea continues – PLEASE see your veterinarian.

- Withhold food and water for four to six hours. Oftentimes, the stomach lining may be very irritated. Some dogs will want to eat and continue vomiting. Give the stomach "time to rest" for a few hours.

- If your pet has not vomited by the end of this time, offer small amounts of water (a few tablespoons at a time). Continue to offer small amounts of water ever 20 minutes or so until your pet is hydrated. Don't allow your dog to over drink as this may lead to vomiting.

- If there has been no vomiting after the small increments of water are offered, then you may gradually offer a bland diet.

- Small frequent feedings of a bland digestible diet such as Hill's Prescription Diet i/d, Iams Recovery Diet, Provision EN or Waltham Low Fat, are usually recommended. You can make a homemade diet of boiled rice or potatoes (as the carbohydrate source) and lean hamburger, skinless chicken or low-fat cottage cheese (as the protein source), Feed small amounts at a time. Don't over feed as your dog may eat the entire bowl and vomit. Feed a meatball size portion and if there is no vomiting, offer a small amount more about 1 hour later. Give small amounts frequently – every 3 to 4 hours – for the first day. You can gradually increase the amount and decrease the frequency as your dog tolerates.

- Many veterinarians recommend Pepcid AC® (generic name is Famotidine) to decrease stomach acid. This helps many pets. The dosage most commonly used is 0.25 to 0.5 mg per pound (0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg) every 12 to 24 hours. A 20-pound dog should get about 5 to 10 mg (total dose) once to twice daily. This is an oral medication, which can be found at most pharmacies in the antacid section. Pepcid (Famotidine) does not require a prescription. It is often used for 3 to 5 days.

- Some veterinarians recommend Pepto-Bismol or Kaopectate® (for dogs only!). The active ingredients are generally subsalicylate and Bismuth. Two tablespoons of Pepto-Bismol contain almost as much salicylate as one aspirin tablet (which is toxic to cats). Do NOT give cats Pepto-Bismol or Kaopectate! The subsalicylate, an aspirin-like compound, can decrease diarrhea caused by intestinal infections. The bismuth agent is a chalk-like compound designed to coat the lining of the stomach and intestines. This helps some pets with diarrhea. The typical daily dose administered to dogs amounts to approximately 2 teaspoons (10 ml total) per 10-pounds, ideally split between two to four doses. This be found at most pharmacies and does not require a prescription. It is often used for 1 to 2 days. DO NOT USE IN CATS.

- Feed a bland diet for 2 days.

- The return to regular dog food should be gradual over a period of one to two days. At first, mix in a little of your dog's food into the bland diet. Feed that for one meal. Then feed a 50/50 mix for one meal. Then feed ¾ dog food and ¼ bland diet for a meal – then feed your dog's regular food.

- Leash-walk your pet to allow observation of bowel movements, observe for normal urinations and note any additional vomiting that may otherwise occur without your knowledge.

- Administer only prescribed medications.


This is important! If the vomiting and/or diarrhea continue or worsen, if you note blood in the vomit or feces, or if other symptoms appear, call your veterinarian promptly. If your pet is not eating, if he acts lethargic, if the vomiting continues or if any other physical abnormalities mentioned above begin, it is important to see your veterinarian. Your pet needs the professional care your veterinarian can provide. If your pet is having the clinical signs mentioned above expect your veterinarian to perform some diagnostic tests and to make treatment recommendations dependent upon the severity and the nature of the clinical signs.

When are vomiting and diarrhea an emergency?

If the vomiting and/or diarrhea continue after your pet eats, if your pet doesn't want to eat or if your pet acts lethargic, medical attention is warranted. Please see your veterinarian.