What can i use to cleanse a cut on a dog?

[PunkinPeep]

My puppy, Punkin, (3-4 months old) seems to be bleeding from inside her mouth.

I want to clean it out so i can get in there and take a look.

Is peroxide ok the first time? Saline?

For those of you who are going to say, "go to the vet," please know that i will probably not take your advice unless i find something dastardly in there. It's just like if your kid falls and gets hurt, you don't rush him to the emergency room just because you see blood; you assess the damage first. That's what i want to do. I want to assess the damage.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[NewToFarming]

I probably would just use plain cool water until you can see what is going on in her mouth. The cool water will also help stop the bleeding. Then after I seen what it is, I would probably stick with the saline.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Thanks very much for your reply. That's what i'll do.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Might start with the saline because water will generally have some kind of bacteria in it. But if you have already washed it with plain water, just make sure you flush it well with saline and then but some kind of antibiotic ointment or wound dressing on it.

 

[NewToFarming]

I was thinking the same thing about sterility but a mouth is not sterile and has already been exposed to any germs in the mouth. The only way to have the sterile saline solution is to purchase it already prepared or boil water to make it sterile and then let it cool. Unless there is unopened saline solution on hand, the boiling and letting cool is too long to wait. I wouldn't worry about the germs in the water because you need to see what is happening now.

 

[NewToFarming]

Also forgot to add. Do not put antibiotic oinment inside the mouth. That is for external use only not for any mucous membranes.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

I would not use hydrogen peroxide inside the mouth. If he ingests any of it, it can cause vomiting.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

At your puppy's age, I would bet she has lost a baby tooth. Probably no cause for concern. If the bleeding does not stop in a reasonable time, see your vet.

 

[SillyChicken]

Quote:
X2! on the teething

Unless she's really bleeding from a cut that you cannot get to stop, (put pressure on it with a rag or gauze pad) or it gets infected, I wouldn't sweat it. (and a minor one will bleed pretty good in the mouth sometimes). I'd just use a clean wet rag and wipe the blood away so you can take a look and send her on her way. If it's in her mouth where her toung will get to it, putting anything on it will be eaten off anyway.

My dogs have bitten through their toungs, fanged themselves... all sorts of things, injuries in the mouth tend to heal pretty quickly.

 

[DianeS]

I agree that it's probably teething, given her age. That's no big deal, a little blood for a couple hours is typical. (Especially if you're seeing the blood on a toy or in the water bowl, instead of dripping from her lips). A loose tooth can also be responsible for a cut to the cheek, lip, or tongue as it starts to wiggle out of place, or to other places in the mouth if it comes loose while the dog is chewing something soft like a toy (dog bites down hard expecting soft toy, finds out the tooth came out and it cuts the roof of her mouth, that sort of thing)

Peroxide is safe to use on dogs, but it does induce vomiting - so I would avoid the mouth area with it unless you're using just a tiny bit (like on a Q-tip). Some dogs will start vomiting from as little as a teaspoon of peroxide, although others take more.
Neosporin is also safe to use on dogs, but it's not supposed to be ingested, so I save it for places like ears where they can't really lick.
But that said, it's fairly pointless to use anything inside the mouth, because no matter what it is, it'll get licked off right away.

Hope that's all it is! Update us when you get a chance, please.