Dog Bite Wound Care

Have you ever rushed your dog to the vet for a puncture wound or an abscess? How about a wound which required a stitch or two, which your dog later chewed out, yet it healed anyway?

It can be frustrating to walk out of that office with a big bill and antibiotics for dogs that may not be needed.

I am not a vet and do not claim to be. What I offer here are results from my own observations and experience.

Dog Saliva

Something that always makes me laugh inside is when I hear a parent tell a child, "Don't let that dog lick you! He'll give you germs!"

In our house when my kids were growing up, we all offered our cuts, scrapes and 'boo-boos' to the dogs for licking. Why? Dog saliva kills bacteria! We always healed faster this way and the dogs seemed to instinctively know how much and how often we needed treatment. It also saved money on creams and ointments. (Remember that I'm thrifty.)

Now you know why dogs can eat raw meat and we can't. They were made for it. It also explains why my dog's chewed out their stitches on more than one occasion, only to heal perfectly.

If your dog has been in a tussle with another canine family member or the neighborhood menace, here's what you can do.

Start with closeup observation using:

• A clean rag or dish cloth and a pot of warm water. Lie your dog down and blot the wound to get a better look at what you have to deal with. If there is dirt, squeeze the wet rag over the wound to rinse off the debris. Wipe the fur around the wound while you look for any more areas of injury.
• You may want to clip the fur as short as possible with scissors near the wound for better air circulation.

To stop bleeding you can open a capsule of goldenseal and sprinkle it on the wound. Next, clean it with one of these options:

• If it's not too deep or tender, clean it with an antibacterial liquid soap and water. Since soap must be rubbed to work best you may want try one of the following instead



• A rinse made from 5 drops of liquid goldenseal in a cup or less of pure (or distilled) water.
• A rinse made from 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide in a cup of pure (or distilled) water.
• Straight witch hazel

If your dog has access to it with his mouth, he can do a bit of dog bite wound care himself. All the things listed above will not hurt your dog if he licks it.

If your canine cannot reach it, use the above rinses for a few days. You can even put them in a spray bottle for ease of use. Now let's talk about healing from the inside.

Prevention of Abscesses

The problem with dog wounds is that they heal so quickly! When the skin heals over and there is any bacteria left inside, it forms an abscess or pus pocket. Giving doses of garlic, goldenseal or an echinacea/goldenseal combination will help heal from the inside since they have antibacterial properties. These antibiotic herbs kill only the bad bacteria, unlike prescription antibiotics for dogs. I suggest using one of them for 3 to 5 days if the wound is looking good, but longer will do no harm at all.

When using garlic for dogs, 1/2 clove per 10 pounds each day, chopped or grated fresh is a dosage you can use every day. You may substitute Kyolic Aged Liquid Garlic, but NEVER use garlic powder or garlic salt from your spice cupboard.

Keep up daily observations to be sure he is healing and feeling well.

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