My dog got into a fight with a squirrel. There are several cuts on her face. Bleeding was minimal to start with and completely stopped within a few minutes.
We have a vet appointment for tomorrow for booster on her rabies and for the vet to take a look at her cuts.
Is there anything I can do NOW to protect against infection?
Is it safe to put neosporin or other antibiotic ointment on her?
2007-02-07 06:50:05 · 10 answers · asked by nova_queen_28 7 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Her rabies is up-to-date, but the vet recommends I bring her in for a 'booster', which I am doing tomorrow.
Thank you for the complements on taking good care of her. She's my baby and I feel horrible that I have to stay at work a little longer before I can go home to her.
This happened while my mother was walking her this afternoon.
2007-02-07 07:00:20 · update #1
I have often used neosporin to prevent infection in my pets. However, just to be safe, call your vet and get his recommendations. He'll be able to tell you the best way to treat the injuries.
It's wonderful to hear that you are actually taking her in to have her checked. Many pet owners would just treat the cuts, not realizing the disease squirrels can carry.
Best of Luck to you and your pet.
2007-02-07 06:54:06 · answer #1 · answered by motomouth_1965 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This may seem like a strange question, but does she only react with growling and snapping when she's being held (especially if she's being held by someone who is standing or walking)? If so, she may just be insecure about being held that way. Happens a lot with small dogs as so many people seem to be unable to resist picking them up every 5 seconds. I'm not suggesting that you should ignore the snapping. I'm suggesting that if it only happens in a specific circumstance, the dog may truly be fearful and or greatly stressed. the dog is trapped in someone's arms and your head is moving towards it--very stressful situation for the dog. I'm not big on physical corrections even with large dogs (I don't think I've ever made a secret of that), so I'd treat the problem the same way as I would in a large dog. Strong verbal correction and an ignore. My dog was good about not nipping skin, but she had a hard time realizing that there was skin under clothing as a pup. Once she nipped me hard enough to draw blood through a sweatshirt and I pulled her miserable, rotten face up to mine and yelled at her and then I walked away. She never nipped again. I don't think I'd do that with such a young puppy in most circumstances--I did it with Jess because I was SURE she wasn't going to go for my face. But with the demon pup, you can hold her face and chew her out from a safe distance as she can't lunge that far.
2016-05-24 03:40:04 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just use an antibacterial hand soap and water to wash them out (peroxide promotes cell death, and thus does not promote healing) and then use an OTC triple antibiotic cream. Good news, there hasnt been a reported case of rabies in squirells (or most rodents in the states) in a very long time, so unlikely to be a problem (you should still get the booster to be safe)
2007-02-07 07:05:21 · answer #3 · answered by cs 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would use plain warm water to wash out the cuts - if they're deep, use peroxide to clean them out well. After letting them dry, put a little bit of Neosporin or another antibiotic ointment on them.
2007-02-07 06:56:30 · answer #4 · answered by Abby K9 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Peroxide. I pop a hole in the top of the bottle with a pin so I can squeeze the peroxide out and it streams on to the wound - works great! No neosporine - some versions have lidocaine which can make your dog sick if they ingest it.
Glad your being responsible and taking her to the Vet - She's got a good mom!
2007-02-07 06:52:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Yes, definitely use Neosporin - it will also help keep the edges of the wounds from drying out until she sees the vet and that's important.
2007-02-07 07:47:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, Neosporin is safe to put on your dog. I have used it quite a few times myself on a few different dogs. Your vet appoinment is very soon so your dog should be fine. Good luck.
2007-02-07 07:04:03 · answer #7 · answered by ® 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Be sure her rabies shot is up to date. You can use hydrogen peroxide to keep the wounds clean
2007-02-07 06:52:38 · answer #8 · answered by beez 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Sulfodene - a medication for dogs, can be purchased at Wal-mart. I used it on my dog, when he scratched up his face. It works really good.
Hope your fury baby gets better soon!
2007-02-07 06:55:13 · answer #9 · answered by Speedy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
just clean the cut and let it alone. she should be ok - if they are deep or gaping open - can you cover them with gauze so nothing gets in them? but if they are just scratches, leave them open to start healing. don't let your dog bother them.
2007-02-07 06:53:11 · answer #10 · answered by imnotachickenyoureaturkey 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋