Jan 16 2009
How Do I Clean a Dog’s Bite Wound?
Learn How to Prevent Infection in a Bite Wound on Your Dog
“My dog got in a fight. How do I prevent the wound from getting infected?”
“My dog was bitten by another dog. Will he need stitches?”
“Should I put a bandage on my dog’s bite wound?”
There’s a good chance that at some point in your dog’s life, he’ll get into a fight with another dog, a cat or another pet, leading to a dog with a bite wound injury.
Bite wounds are notoriously difficult to heal. Learn how to minimize the chances of infection in a bite wound and learn how first aid is different for a dog’s bite wound.
How Do I Treat My Dog’s Bite Wound?
Treating a bite wound is a bit different from treating most other wounds. In addition to following the directions for cleaning a pet’s wound , dog owners will want to take the following additional measures when treating an animal bite or other puncture wound.
* Allow the bite wound to bleed. Blood will flush the bacteria from the bite wound in the moments after the injury occurs. So providing that blood loss is not serious, allow the wound to bleed for about 10 minutes after the bite occurs.
* Apply ice compresses. Before cleaning the bite wound, you’ll want to apply an ice compress for 30-40 minutes to bring down the swelling. This will reduce the swelling around the bite wound, allowing water and disinfectant to flow into the wound more effectively.
* Flush and disinfect the wound three times a day. In the case of most wounds, twice daily cleanings are sufficient to prevent infection. But in a bite wound, you must clean and disinfect the wound at least three times a day.
* Rinse out the wound. Allowing water to flow over the wound will not flush away bacteria. You must direct water inside the bite wound. You can do this using a powerful shower head or a bottle of wound wash saline. You’ll want to flush the wound for three full minutes during each washing.
* Get your dog on antibiotics. In many cases, meticulous washing, flushing and disinfecting will still not prevent infection. Most dogs’ bite wounds or puncture wounds will become at least mildly infected. You’ll want to put your dog on oral antibiotics to treat this infection. Oral antibiotics are only available by prescription from a veterinarian.
More Help for a Dog With a Bite Wound
Unless the bite wound involves full-thickness tearing of the skin, your dog’s bite wound will not be sutured closed. Veterinarians will avoid using stitches on a dog’s bite wound when possible, as this will trap the bacteria beneath the skin. In cases where stitches are necessary, a drain will be inserted to promote drainage of the bacteria that accumulates in the bite wound.
In addition, bite wounds should never be bandaged. This will reduce air flow, increasing the chances for infection. Check out Why Did My Pet’s Bite Wound Get Infected? to learn about why these injuries are so prone to developing an infection.
To help a dog with a bite wound or to administer first aid in the case of another pet injury or illness, you’ll need a pet first aid kit. Check out First Aid Kits for Pets to learn what items you’ll need for your pet’s emergency kit.
Also check out How to Clean a Pet’s Wound for directions on how to clean and treat a pet’s cut, gash or scrape. And read Does My Dog’s Wound Need Stitches to learn when stitches may be required for better healing of a pet’s injury.
