Help! My pet is bleeding! What should I do?
Before we get to that, there are two things we need to address.
First, it’s important to keep in mind that dogs in pain can react aggressively even when they’ve never been aggressive before, so find a friend to help restrain your pet or use a muzzle to keep everyone safe and calm. Second, it’s important to have a well-stocked first aid box that includes gauze, elastic bandage, antiseptic wash, tweezers, and bandage scissors. Now, if your pet is bleeding, here is what you should do:
Step One: Stop the Bleeding.
Locate the wound, apply pressure to stop the bleeding, and raise the wound above the dog’s heart if possible- this will help with clotting.
Step Two: Get veterinary care if possible.
Some wounds can be deeper than they look, and it would be a good idea to have a vet check it out, especially wounds that are:
- Bite wounds or puncture wounds. These wounds can go deeper in the skin and cause an infection or an abscess inside
- Wounds bleeding profusely (a lot of blood, and that don’t stop bleeding when pressure is applied)
- Big wounds: some wounds cut off supply and cause tissue death, which often needs to be removed.
A vet is equipped to manage these types of wounds. However, if veterinary care is not possible, or is unavailable…
Step Three: Clean the wound.
Gently clean the wound with mild soap and water. DO NOT use other chemicals! Try to remove all the debris and crusty edges if possible, and remove any foreign bodies (anything that doesn’t belong in the dog) with tweezers.
Step Four: Disinfect the wound.
Use betadine, chlorohexidine, or an antiseptic wash. DO NOT use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, as they can damage the tissue more and slow the healing process.
Step Five: Cover the wound.
Once the wound is clean, cover the wound to help it stay clean. You can smear a little antimicrobial ointment (such as polysporin) on the wound at this stage. Cover the wound with clean gauze or bandage material; wrap around and bandage with bandage tape to help the gauze stay in place. Bandages need to stay dry and be changed every three days (or more if they get wet or dirty).
Step Six: Protect the wound.
An E-collar (Cone of shame) is placed around the dog’s neck and stops the pet from licking or chewing the wound and gives the wound a chance to heal and prevent infection. While some pets can get creative and get around it, it’s still good to try using it. Keep in mind that some wounds will need to be protected from scratching, as well as from other pets.
And last but not least:
Get vet advice immediately if the wound smells bad, is turning yellow or green, is oozing, or is not healing!
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