How to Care for a Cut on a Dog

Dogs can get injured in many ways. Playing outside with other dogs, roaming around the neighborhood, walking in the woods or playing at the beach. Dogs can get cuts on their paw pads and legs. Dogs can get sores on their ears from scratching or biting flies. These cuts or sores can be treated at home as long as the cuts are not more than a half an inch in depth or length. When a sore is larger than half an inch, make an appointment with your veterinarian. Not treating a cut can lead to infection, which can get into the bloodstream and cause the dog to become seriously ill. It also can lead to death. Below are steps on how to treat a cut.

Step 1. Shave the dog's hair around the area of the cut. Take a warm, damp gauze and gently pat the cut, removing loose hair. Ask your groomer for help when shaving hair around the cut if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself.

Step 2. Use a sterile, clean gauze. Wet it with warm water and liquid soap. Gently clean the cut and remove any debris.

Step 3. Use a dry gauze and pat the cut, removing any moisture. Put on a sterile latex glove and apply antibiotic cream to the cut.

Step 4. Wrap the cut with a gauze bandage, and make sure when using tape that it is not stuck to the dog's hair.

Step 5. Change the bandage daily. For excessive drainage, change bandage two times a day. Spray the bandage with warm water if the gauze sticks to the cut.

Step 6. Use an Elizabethan collar if the dog chews or licks at the gauze. You can buy the collar at any pet store or from your veterinarian.

Outside dogs are prone to getting sores on the ears from biting flies. Sores on dog's ears will be harder to bandage. Keep the dog indoors to keep flies from biting the dog's ears. Repeat steps one through three, except shaving the hair. Flies bite the ears where there is no hair. You can purchase sprays that are meant to keep flies away. Apply it to your dog's ears to keep the flies from biting. You can also use Vaseline on your dog's ears. The Vaseline keeps the flies from being able to bite the dog's ears. Apply the spray or Vaseline on the inside of the ear on the skin.

http://www.houseintohome.co.za/pests-and-bugs/prevent-flies-biting-dogs-ears/ .