ASR- Lesson 2- Wound Management

Wound Management

 

 

Wounds in animals come in different types and severity. They happen for various reasons and can be considered minor to severe in nature. Most pet wounds are general and can be considered a basic first-aid situation, while other wounds are considered traumatic, and are considered an emergency situation. In order for a pet owner to understand what to do with a wound, they must first understand what kind of wound their animal has sustained. It is important to also understand the healing process of wounds, and what the treatment options are.

First aid supplies needed to treat wounds (much of which are included in our deluxe pet first aid kit):

 

Classifications of wounds:

 

  • Clean wound: a wound made under sterile conditions where there
    are no organisms present in the wound and the wound is likely to
    heal without complications.
  • Contaminated wound: where the wound is as a result of accidental
    injury where there are pathogenic organisms and foreign bodies in
    the wound.
  • Infected wound: where the wound has pathogenic organisms
    present and multiplying showing clinical signs of infection, where it
    looks yellow, oozing pus, having pain and redness.
  • Colonized wound: where the wound is a chronic one and there are
    a number of organisms present and very difficult to heal.

 

Types of Wounds

 

  • Abrasions- Abrasions occur when the superficial layers of skin are
    scraped, causing a minor area of inflammation, surface bleeding, and
    bruising.
  • Lacerations- Lacerations occur when the skin is cut or torn open.
  • Bite Wounds/Puncture Wounds- Objects that pierce the skin, leaving a
    small hole on the surface, are considered a puncture wound.

Trauma


Trauma can be from blunt force or penetrating objects. Depending on the degree of trauma and the location, these types of injuries can be life-threatening and you should seek veterinary care as soon as possible.

  • Head trauma – Fortunately, dogs are very resistant to head trauma due to the large amount of bone/muscle around their brain as compared to people. Signs of head trauma in the dog can include: mental dullness, abnormal behavior, seizures, or unequal pupils. Until you can get to a veterinarian, you can elevated the head about 30 degrees, avoid placing any pressure on the neck, and cool or ice pack the head.
  • Chest trauma – can result in bruising to the lungs or leakage of air from the lungs (pneumothorax). Signs can include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, rapid and shallow breathing, very pale or blue/purple gums and/or tongue. If there is an impalement injury (such as with a stick), do not remove the object if at all possible. Pack around the area for control of bleeding and place a supportive wrap. Use caution to not make chest wraps too tight as they can impede breathing.
  • Abdominal trauma – blunt trauma can result in rupture, bleeding, or damage to internal organs. Signs can be subtle and can be delayed for hours, sometimes up to several days. Signs can range from bruising, pain, abdominal distention, shock, weakness, or collapse. Penetrating trauma to the abdomen should be treated similarly to the chest. If tissue is extruding from any wounds, apply lube to keep the tissue moist and cover the area. Any impaled objects should not be removed if possible.

Severe Bleeding

Major arteries in a dog

Arterial bleeding is a serious injury that can cause a large amount of blood to be lost. Because there is such a large amount of blood pressure in an arterial a dog can lose a life threatening amount of blood in just minutes. Initially, attempt to stop the bleeding by applying direct pressure to the wound with an absorbent dressing, such as dry gauze, followed by a layer of bandage material or a clean, dry cloth. This will protect the wound during transport to the veterinary clinic and prevent any further contamination of the injury.

 

The most common arteries lacerated are those on the limbs of the dog. Arterial bleeding is characterized by spurting or pulsing blood. Bleeding from large vessels is more often pooling. The mainstay in bleeding control is to apply pressure continuously for 15-20 minutes (refrain from checking).  Application of a tourniquet is not recommended by anyone that is not a trained veterinary medical professional. Tourniquets placed incorrectly can result in significant harm to the dog and potentially cause the loss of a limb. If a bandage is placed over a site of bleeding and the wound bleeds through to the top layer of the bandage, do not remove the bandage. Simply place more padding/bandage on top of the original wrap.

Scroll to Top