Another freakin dog fight thread....gross/graphic pics pg 3&4

[cjeanean]

Thank for the advice, although I've having a tough time picturing this vulcan grip of yours. I have a muzzle that I would be putting on the dogs to prevent biting. I used it on Sasha cause her wounds are on her face, and I didn't want to have my hand right there if she decided to snap. I just hope it all goes well, I gotta get the neosporin ASAP, and the antibiotic. I may wait to administer the penicillin, just in case it's not necessary, but then again I know there has to be more than I'm seeing. Thanks so much, everyone!

 

[ninjapoodles]

Please do NOT flush puncture wounds with hydrogen peroxide! No no no no no no no. You're on the right track with Betadine or just the soap/water for cleaning the wounds.

And yeah, you need a moist ointment on that leg-wound ASAP. Generic triple antibiotic ointment is dirt cheap, and you need a good big tube of it. What do you have around that you would use on YOURSELF if you got a cut and needed to bandage it? Keep the wound gooped up as much as possible, and well-covered. It's tricky on a leg because you want the dressing tight enough to keep out dirt and keep the medicated salve in place, but not so tight as to interfere with circulation.


Just a tip for future reference, when things calm down: My own dogs (7 of them ) never, ever get sick (now that I've said that, I'll have three disasters by sunup), BUT they each have a file at the local vet's office from their rabies shots and microchips. So if I WERE to show up with an emergency and need them to work with me on payments, I wouldn't be a "stranger" to them...does that make sense?

 

[cjeanean]

Actually, I don't even have band aids. I know, that sounds horrible, especially having an accident prone 5 yr old, but when we have owies that need attending I used saline and rubbing alcohol. Then it air dries or gets covered with some cotton pulled off the tips of the cotton swabs (which I do have) and applied with some duct tape. No joke. I know you're probably picturing an old tin can of a trailer with junk cars and rusted parts strewn about, but that's not how it is. I've got so much stuff going on I never remember. I have notes taped to the front door and a dry erase note board, doesn't help. I found out I have some hydrocortizone, though....will that work? My hubby and I are always the ones getting injuries, and it's so common now that we just wash it or put some tape on it and forget.

Yes, the vet file does make sense. We took Tuna to the vet about 2 yrs ago, that was the first and last time. Rabies and such are done by the free spay and neuter clinic. We'll have to figure something out, cause I can't stand this!

 

[vicki2x2]

I agree with Ninjapoodles, the wounds look bad, but they will heal quickly. That is not bone, but tendon etc you are seeing. Aspirin will help with the pain.

You can buy triple antibiotic ointment at the dollar store. I would have a tube for each dog so you don't cross contaminate. Squeeze some right into the puncture wounds and pick off the scabs that form over the puncture so they can drain. If you want to use antibiotics the fish stuff comes in pill form. Someone else mentioned it, fishmox (fish amoxicillin), etc. You can order online, many dog places carry it, but it must be labeled for fish to be legal, even though the place I ordered from included a small slip with the dosages for dogs.

 

[walkswithdog]

TYLENOL kills dogs. Dogs don't have the liver enzymes to break it down, it is totally toxic to dogs.



Quote:

 

[Silkie's Grandma]

Please do NOT flush puncture wounds with hydrogen peroxide! No no no no no no no. You're on the right track with Betadine or just the soap/water for cleaning the wounds.


I agree with this poster - My Vet told me NEVER use Peroxide on Dogs, cats or birds for wound cleaning. It will do more damage.

 

[walkswithdog]

As a rescue home we keep a medical kit on hand. Betadine, saline solution ( a whole IV bag of it), large syringe for flushing wounds, bag balm, triple anti-biotic, SURGICAL SCISSORS, a surgical stapler and staples, skin forceps, vet wrap and lots of cotton 4x4s.

Surgical scissors allow you to trim wound edges because they heal much more slowly and much uglier without it.

Stapling part of a wound like that leg wound helps with preventing infection but never close one entirely, they do need to drain.

That leg wound is not all that bad, the problem is how tight the skin is over that part of a dog's leg. That's actually just a muscle sheath you see and not tendon or bone. He's really limping because at one end of that wound, under the skin where you can't see it the tooth dug down into the muscle hard. It hurts, it's not all that bad.

We built up all the equipment over time, of course I had our vets show me many other things like actual SQ IVs for dehydration, giving my own shots, suturing etc.

But when you keep adding new dogs, squabbles when the vets are closed are GUARANTEED.

Right now as tight as you are you have to stick with what you know and what you have. Over time put that stuff into an old tackle box and keep it handy. If they're fighting like that now they will fight again.

ICE WATER - you store in a two gallon container in the fridge can be a huge help to breaking up a fight. So can a hose for some dogs. I've used lemonade from the fridge when I didn't happen to have water in there.

Dragging dogs apart has hazards. If they hold on anyway you can assist one dog in really ripping the ... spit, out of the other dog. A missed grab or improper hold can cause a dog to bite YOU. If you can at all break it up without touching the animals you're LOTS better off.

Full strength hydrogen peroxide kills frayed tissue that might otherwise heal. Diluted to 1/3 it still works.

Tylenol, advil and Ibuprofen are liver toxic to dogs.

The veterinary/health supply sites sell VETRIN, a liver flavored buffered aspirin safe for dogs.

They also sell the surgical scissors, bandage scissors, staples, forceps, IV solutions, vet wrap, and syringes for flushing wounds.

KVVET
Valley vet
Jeffers

All sell low cost, excellent veterinary supplies. There are others - revivalanimal.com or revivalanimalhealth, I forget which.

Fights happen either when a vet is closed, or when you don't have any money. Livestock get hurt when it's least convenient. Having a slowly built up real medical kit, really can make a huge difference in your peace of mind.

 

[freerange freaks]

For sure NO to the peroxide. Keep up with the bedadine (I only use a 10% solution mixed with saline). The furacin is the first thing I would bring home. It is way cheaper than products made for people and it works a hell of a lot better. I've seen tons of punctures and tears like those and they don't look too bad. Just keep 'em cleaned out a few times per day. Reapply your Furacin each time and reapply clean bandages. Pick up some vet wrap at your co-op along with the Furacin so it makes bandaging easier. Keep up the dressing changes for a good week or more. Believe me it will pay off. If you are not diligent about dressing those wounds, you are definately going to be looking at a vet bill. A $10 tub of Furacin, $6 for vet wrap and guaze, $15 for bedadine is far cheaper than a trip to the vet.

 

[Swamp Roo]

Hi Ninjapoodles,
Different ways to deal with things I guess. With all due respect, I still stand by my method. I've used it many, many times, and have talked to my vets (and my own docs when it was me) about it, and they all agreed with what I was doing. Usually I get this look of why did you come in, you've done everything right. For minor stuff, I hit it once or twice, but deeper and bigger, two or three days. I will also stress again, only use till the risk of infection is over, after that it can/will hinder healing. My stepfather had his gall bladder removed, nurses told him peroxide, peroxide, peroxide. After two months he was still "leaking" so he quit, closed up within the week. Walkswithdog pointed out not to use full strength, I should have said I use the 3% solution, not 100%. I see using peroxide as kind of like chemical cauterization. It kills anything in the wound, but if used too long it will kill new cells too. Bentadine is great and I use it to clean around the wound, but is not as big of a "hammer". Furthermore the bubbling action of peroxide helps push dirt out of the wound. I will continue to use bentadine after I stop with peroxide for wounds in areas that collect dirt. When it comes to my critters, I don't take chances. I expect I'm like most here, I can cough up blood and say "it's only a little blood, I'll be fine", but the cats goes to the vet if they sneeze once. When I was a kid my dog and cat used to "defend" the property from the raccoons, talk about nasty infected punctures, seemed like every other week they would be nursing something. Needless to say we kept up with the rabies boosters, and learned how to deal with it. Both animals lived to be over twenty, not bad for strays, especially the dog considering she had liver problems from day one. The important thing is that those puppies do well, I'll bet we can all agree on that!

BTW I followed the hunting dog thread, I love the pic of the poodle in the camo vest and a duck in it's mouth... priceless, especially with the longer hairdo sticking out! Makes me think of some 94# silicone type girl with painted nails bouncing a wrestler out of a bar

Way to kill the stereotype.

Cjeanean,
Something that has not been mentioned is that if there is fur hanging into the wound cut/shave it way, nasty stuff. Makes keeping things clean and bandaging easier. The muzzle looks like it has short hair to start with, I wouldn't worry too much there. The other areas, well it doesn't look really long, may not be worth fighting the dogs over it, but if it's easy to do I would. I also agree with others, the wounds are bad, but not horrible. If you can avoid complications, they should be fine. I only pushed the vet thing, because I'm so overprotective of my own critters! Puppy grip: dog laying on it's side head facing left. Put your right hand (reverse everything if dog needs to lay down on other side) with your fingers over and behind the ear, and your thumb on/under it's jawline. This lets you use the pressure points under the jaw, or add weight down as needed with out hurting the dog. Plus you can get a hold of the scruff neck/collar quick if the dog goes bonkers. I find that not a lot of pressure is required, most dogs kind of relax after a minute and kind of go "okay you got me, do your thing", again kind of a dominance thing. Some dogs just won't stop freaking, and then you have to figure something else out.

Swamp

 

[lorieMN]

I wouldnt stress out about these injuries,the reason the one dont want to walk is cause it hurts,that simple,just keep them clean and let them drain,I would still give some pen,I myself give it in the muscle,I have seen much worse then this and they were fine,I had a collie that got stepped on by a horse with shoes and it stripped her skin off her leg about 5 inches by 3 inches,just cleaned everyday,vet wrapped with a baby diaper with furazon on it and she turned out fine,not even a scar..every one thinks the vets should be at their beck and call..I am not saying anything bad about you,but I dont blame the vets for not giving out info over the phone without seeing the dog,if they do and the dog dies suddenly they end up in court because someone is blaming them,and I dont blame them for not doing it on credit,sooo many people writing bad checks and such,again not saying you would do that,but lots of people do.