Skin Care
Dogs, active and adventurous, are prone to injuries like cuts or scrapes. Identifying the type of wound, cleaning and disinfecting it properly helps prevent complications, but a veterinary consultation is essential for deep, extensive, or suspicious injuries.
Our dogs sometimes face a life full of challenges! Outdoors, whether on a walk or a big adventure—with or without you—these energetic, bold, and sometimes dangerously distracted animals (so absorbed by exploration or chasing a scent!) run many risks: injuries, wounds, scrapes, cuts, and more. Fortunately, dogs have remarkable physical abilities, are incredibly agile, and manage to avoid many accidents and serious injuries.
You’ll find some helpful tips in these pages for dealing with those little aches and pains:
- How to Identify the Type of Wound: cuts, burns, abscesses (a complication), or even lick sores and other excoriations.
- What to Do When You Discover a Wound on Your Dog: Before taking action, it’s important to examine the wound to assess its size and depth for proper treatment. This is especially crucial if blood has matted the fur around the injury, as it can lead to misjudgment. Similarly, some wounds may appear superficial but conceal deeper damage.
- How to Clean a Wound: Once the examination is complete, remove any debris or foreign objects from the wound, then clean it. This step will help promote healing.
- How to Disinfect an Injury: It’s essential to choose the right disinfectant for the job.
- When and How to Apply a Bandage: In some cases, covering the wound is helpful to protect it, prevent painful contact, and limit excessive licking.
In some cases—particularly if the wound is deep, extensive, or severely damaged, if your dog seems in pain, if their general condition changes, or if over time the wound takes on an unusual appearance (color, odor, excessive discharge)—it’s essential to consult your veterinarian. While most wounds are minor and may heal more or less on their own, it’s always wise to monitor their progress and act early to prevent any complications.
