3 Ways To Take Care Of An Injured Dog

While you’ll hopefully never have to worry about dealing with an injured dog, you may find yourself in this situation at some point in your life. If you’re not a qualified veterinarian, it’s only natural not to have the foggiest idea about what to do in the case of such an emergency!

If you find yourself wanting to learn more and asking things like can you use or is there bactine for dogs?’ or ‘how do I assess a dog’s injury?’ then you’ve come to the right place!

Here are some simple ways to take care of an injured dog.

 

1.   Thoroughly Assess The Injury

The first thing you must do is work out the signs of an injury. Sometimes a dog will show their injury straight away by limping or an abrupt change in their movement, or by unexplained warmth in a specific area. Other times an injury will be much harder to detect. 

A dog will become far more defensive if they are injured, increasing the risk of them lashing out at you in hostility. When assessing their injuries, try to avoid their face and mouth if possible and make sure to approach them slowly and cautiously to ensure they are not frightened by your presence.

In some cases, you may need to muzzle a dog to care for their injuries but this isn’t the same for all dogs. Never use a muzzle if the dog is vomiting as this could cause it to choke.

The final step in assessing the injury is to contact a veterinarian immediately. Minor injuries can wait to be treated but life-threatening injuries require immediate care by your vet or an emergency clinic.

Signs to be wary of include:

 

  • Paralysis
  • Inability to stand up
  • Heavy bleeding
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing

 

2.   Administer Relevant First Aid

There’s a chance you will need to move the dog to a safer location. As you move them, try to stabilize wounded areas so that the risk of further harm is lessened.

 

CPR

If the dog you are trying to take care of stops breathing then you will need to administer CPR with a CPR Certification. Close their mouth and put your lips over their nose, giving a couple of strong breaths. If the dog cannot breathe on their own then continue to provide 10 to 12 breaths a minute. 

Begin compressions if a heartbeat isn’t detected by laying the dog on its side and compressing its chest with your hands, giving five compressions per breath. Once a dog begins to breathe by itself then you should stop CPR.

Remember that a dog can be unconscious but still breathing. If this is the case, CPR is not necessary.

 

Bleeding

If the dog is bleeding heavily from an injury, press firmly on the area with your hand and apply some sort of bandage, whether that’s a towel or some gauze. Continue to pack it with material if the blood seeps through. If this doesn’t work. You may need to apply a tourniquet in the form of a strip of cloth to ensure no blood passes through.

For these injuries, it’s best to consult a veterinarian to ensure the dog has the best fighting chance of survival.

  

3.   Give Them Medication

Some injuries sustained by a dog will last a long time. As a result, these may require a lot of consistent medication to help them cope with the injury and also maintain some sort of quality of life.

If a vet prescribes a specific medication you must see to it that they receive it according to the specific dosage. And, if they suggest lifestyle changes to go along with the medication such as a balanced diet or moderate exercise, you must also be sure to implement this.

If your vet hasn’t prescribed specific medication but you would still like to do something more to help take care of the dog’s injuries, you could also consider trying out some herbal remedies. This includes applying a cool compress to badly affected areas to help alleviate the overall level of pain and discomfort that they might be feeling.

 

Summary

Whether a dog has sustained a leg sprain or is bleeding from a head wound, taking immediate action to assess and treat an injury is paramount. If you follow the above steps and then call a veterinarian for expert advice and guidance, you will likely be far more successful in treating an injured dog and getting them back to life as usual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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