You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

When a pet cuts itself what should you do until you can get the wound examined by a vet ?

The action that you need to take will depend upon the type of wound :

• A small puncture wound
• A large open wound
• A shallow wound (skin deep)
• A deep wound - through muscle, involving bone
• A wound that is not bleeding
• A wound that is bleeding slightly
• A wound that is bleeding profusely

MAJOR WOUNDS WITH HEMORRHAGE 

The most serious wound is one that is bleeding profusely - because this could represent a risk to life if an artery has been cut, or if the animal has been bleeding for any time before you see it and has already lost a lot of blood. The most important action is to STOP THE BLEEDING. This can be done in one of two ways :

1. Apply pressure. The wound should be covered with clean materials (bandages, dressings, towels, articles of clothing) and firm pressure applied by hand or using a bandage wrapped quite tightly around the area (if one can be applied). You can not easily apply pressure through bandages for wounds in some locations such as on the head, or neck. In these positions you have to push down on the wound and hold the covering materials in place.
2. Use of a tourniquet. For life-threatening hemorrhage from wounds on the legs or feet, if the bleeding cannot be stopped by applying pressure,  a piece of string, rope, ribbon or other strong material can be used as a tourniquet. DO NOT USE THIN WIRE or other similar products because these can cut through the tissues like cheese wire. Use only thick, broad materials. A pencil or piece of wood can be used to twist the tourniquet tight. Once the bleeding has stopped the tourniquet should be kept tight - but it should be released briefly every 15 minutes to allow some blood to the region below - otherwise permanent damage can occur in the tissues of the leg below the tourniquet.

If the wound appears to extend to a body cavity eg the abdomen DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN IT. Cover the wound with materials and keep them in place and the wound closed.

Get your pet to your veterinarian as soon as possible.

DEEP WOUNDS 

If your pet has a deep wound involving tissues such as muscle and bone the wound MUST BE COVERED and, if possible, IMMOBILISED.

If you have some sterile surgical jelly such as KY squirt some into the wound (without touching it), then cover the wound lightly with materials (as above). The wound can be immobilised by wrapping a bandage around the wound (if it is possible) or by bandaging a limb to a splint - which can be improvised out of a piece of wood, plastic or other rigid material. One useful technique for supporting leg injuries is to wrap a roll of cottonwool around the leg then bandage quite firmly to squash the cottonwool. This provides excellent light support. (This technique is called a Robert-Jones Dressing and is described on Provet's Bandaging Video - available from the On-line Store)

Do not attempt to manipulate a limb with a wound if it is very painful. In large dogs it may be necessary to simply support a broken leg from underneath when carrying the dog. Small dogs will usually carry a broken leg . Wrapping the whole animal in a towel or blanket is another useful technique to stop excessive movement of legs with wounds.

MINOR WOUNDS

Minor wounds with only slight hemorrhage can be cleaned using clean, fresh water. Pour the water onto the wound to wash out any debris. There is no need to rub the wound vigorously. Human antiseptic solutions should be avoided unless your veterinarian advises you, because some chemicals available for human use are not suitable for some species of pet.

After washing, cover the wound with clean materials (as above) and hold in place with elastoplast or other sticky tape, or a lightly applied bandage.

PUNCTURE WOUNDS

What appears to be a small innocuous puncture wound can be a VERY serious injury. Under the skin there could be a large amount of damage, and the wound may be very deep and penetrate other organs. If the wound has damaged an underlying major blood vessel there could be internal hemorrhage or other injuries. Veterinary attention should be sought as soon as possible.

Wounds will heal best if they are surgically treated as soon as possible, and many wounds require an anesthetic to manage, and antibiotics to stop infection - so get your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible

Updated October 2013