First Aid Treatment For The Dog’s Serious Cut

A dog’s eyesight is not at par with its scenting and hearing abilities. What would you do if the pet had crashed into a glassed off window and shattered the glass? This is one of the situations where a dog can get hurt and sustain serious cuts. Serious cuts can be sustained by a dog hit by a speeding car. Lacerations and serious cuts can be caused by sharp metals, jagged tins and broken glass the dog encounters while roaming.

A dog owner has to be ready to deal with unexpected emergency situations involving the pet. The ability to render first aid would be a useful asset that would not only save the pet from a lot of pain but also save the pet’s life in some instances given the fact that an emergency veterinary facility may not be near or that a vet may not be available.

The abrasions and the simple cuts of a dog are often ignored and not treated. The dog owner may not even be aware of the pet’s injuries. First aid must be given to dogs with serious cuts as severe bleeding and blood loss can make a dog go into shock that may result to the death of the pet. A dog with serious wounds needs professional medical care as in most cases the dog has to be anesthetized for the suturing of the wound.

How can a dog owner know that the pet has incurred serious wounds? A gaping gash, a deep puncture and badly torn skin that cannot be held together are signs that the dog’s injuries are serious. The wound is as well serious if fat and muscle can be seen on the opened skin. These serious cuts are expected to be heavy bleeders. A cut is serious indeed if the bleeding cannot be controlled even if the first aid measure of applying pressure directly to the wound is administered.

Before any first aid can be done, the extent of the dog’s injury has to be assessed. Remove dirt and foreign objects by flushing the cut. Cover the cleaned wound with a clean cloth and apply direct pressure to control bleeding.

A cut spurting bright red blood is an indication of arterial bleeding which is a life threatening situation. For this kind of injury, it would not be wise to flush the cut to remove dirt and foreign objects. With towels or cloth, apply pressure directly to the cut. Add another towel on top of the blood soaked towel. Continue applying pressure while the pet is being transported to the hospital.

At Sarah’s Dogs you can find out more about dog first aid as well as serious cuts.