how to get rid of maggots on a wounded dog?

Answer 1

Clean the area with hydrogen peroxide (it bubbles if it is fresh when applied)...then swab wound with betadine....repeat about four times daily. Hydrogen peroxide removes dried blood and pus, and leaves viable tissue unharmed. Do not use vaseline or other oil products that coat the wound. Most Vets would debride the wound (remove dead tissue) but that should be done under a local anesthetic as it can be painful. If the wound is shallow, the skin will granulate in, but if deep or wide, it needs sutured. Do not use harsh solutions such as salt water or alcohol as they are not effective or cause too much pain.

Answer 2

You need to take the dog to the vet!!!

Maggots only eat dead flesh, if there are maggots, it means the wound is in bad shape.

If for some reason you do not take it to the vet, LEAVE THE MAGGOTS ALONE!!!!!

As I said, the only eat DEAD flesh and will help to keep gangrene from setting in. Maggots have been used, and still are used by doctors as a treatment for dealing with dead flesh.

Be aware, maggots will NOT help the wound heal, only keep it from getting severly infected from the dead flesh. THIS DOES NOT PREVENT OTHER FORMS OF INFECTION!

IF you do not take the dog to the vet, there is a good chance it will not survive, as this sounds like a serious wound!

Answer 3

Contrary to what the "vet tech" said, I worked in a vet clinic for several years, and we did use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean up a dog that had maggots. The maggots will leave little holes in the skin -- use a syringe full of peroxide to flush those holes, as well as peroxide over the whole area.

You do need to shave the area, and you do need to clean the wound. And then you need to take your dog DIRECTLY TO YOUR VET. Cleaning up the wound will not be the only help this dog needs!

Answer 4

I know I know. Maggots are very gross but they are a very old way to cleaning wounds. It works too just flush the wound out and don't worry hard about the maggots now.

But does this wound need to see a vet for stiches??

Answer 5

EEEWWW! You can't take him in for the vet to do it?

Yuck! I've seen this problem at the humane society I work at but with cats. It's so gross.

First, you need to carefully shave the fur all around the area, leaving at least a couple inches of bald skin around the wound.

Then, rinse the area with sterile water, and disinfect it will surgical scrub or iodine.

Physically remove as many maggots as you can with a tweezers, flush out as many as you can with sterile saline.

Keep doing this a couple times a day, being careful not to injure the delicate healing tissue. Give antibiotics for two weeks.

Don't listen to me, I just made that all up because I'm not a vet!

Answer 6

last winter my horse got a big bite from another horse and by the time I saw it, she had maggots. They were hideous but I left them alone and merely flushed the deepest part of the wound with saline solution every night. Eventually, when it looked like there was no necrotic tissue left, I started applying lime every night. Lime protects the wound from insects and dries it out. She healed very nicely. No hair there, but healed.

Answer 7

The best thing is to go to the vet and have them removed there.


Flush real well to make sure they are all gone. Instead of Vaseline use an antibiotic ointment to smother the maggots. It is just as greasy as Vaseline.

Answer 8

They will only eat what is already dead tissue. Thus doing the dog a favor. You want to stop the infection, not the maggots. Antibiotics.

Answer 9

wipe them off and clean the wound with peroxide, then some water. and make sure you keep the wound covered to prevent future incidents.

Answer 10

Hydrogen peroxide does nothing, neither does vaseline. Take the dog to a vet and have them fix it the right way.