My dog had ants eating at his infected open wound. is this bad or maybe did some good?

Question

Before you freak out with the question and think my dog is poorly treated, let me explain. He had a raw looking spot show up on Friday evening and was taken to the vet Monday morning when they were open. He is being treated for a severe hot spot, the problem is that over the weekend he kept licking at it and it is infected. I let him out of the house this morning to go potty and to play. He was out there about an hour and when I went out to get him I noticed ants all around him where he was laying on the patio. I freaked and washed off the ants that were all over the wound, he could not lick them off with the cone thing around his head that was to keep him from licking the wound. When I examined the wound after cleaning it, it looked better, less infected looking. I wasn't sure if the ants on it was reason enough to take him back to the vet; would it cause the infection to be worse or will be fine?

Lizardmama- thank you for your input! Yes, I do live in Texas and fortunately they were not fire ants. I looked them up on the internet and based on the description of the erratic movements they make I think they are crazy ants. My dog was just laying there acting like he didn't notice the ants on him. I just thought it amazing how much better it looked but also fearful that it could do harm that was not showing up yet.

Answer 1

I get your question. (And I see that you DID have your dog treated by a vet, and did NOT break any laws!) There has been some research done for wound care using sterilized maggots raised by the medical profession. Gross, and I wouldn't want them on me, but the philosophy behind the treatment is that the maggots eat the decayed and infected tissue and control the infection. It has been done primarily in Europe with much success. One Dr. on a Discovery Health documentary said that she has a patient come into the ER with a large open festering maggot-filled cyst . The man had lived this way for some time. Her first reaction as a Dr. was to clean out the wound and remove all the maggots. She did, and he died of sepsis within 24 hours. So, using this logic, the ants theoretically could have done some good. You're in TX too, right? I do feel sorry for your poor dog subjected to our nasty fireants, but it could have been a contribution... as long as the toxins from the ants don't cause a secondary problem. Please don't go out and use this as a treatment, but stick to the antibiotics from the vet and be grateful for any assistance from those pesky ants!

Answer 2

Ants are a source of proteins and minerals, some human beings interior the international eat ants, so there should not be a important subject with ants. The worms come from eggs the canines has eaten. that's in all probability your canines had eaten some eggs while licking the floor to eat the ants, yet no longer inevitably at that factor. The eggs must be in yet another place the canines has licked or issues it had eaten (palms, flora, balls, grooming itself, and so on.). you will never be attentive to how, so the superb is to take it many times to the vet.

Answer 3

I would take pure Betadine and literally pour it on the wound. You know Betadine is often what medics paint your own skin with directly before surgery. Don't let the dog out. Put down newspaper for potty. Shake Green Light (a white dust , that kills ants) outside so they don't get in.

Answer 4

Now I a not veterinarian, but something tugs at my brain and says that having ants eat at my dog's wound is really not good, at least not for the dog!! The days of bleeding a patient to heal him/her are long gone. Take your dog to a vet or at least clean and bandage the wound so ant critters cannot feed off you dog's blood and flesh. Have you no common sense at all??

Chow!!

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

You know there are laws that you broke by NOT having your dog treated?