My Dog has an Injury… what do I do? Could it have been prevented?

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Not many dogs go through life without an injury.  The world is full of things that can harm your dog, on purpose or by accident.  Practice prevention and preparation.

Any injury should be assessed by a veterinarian as soon as possible but all injuries need First Aid.  This is the part important for dog owners, and for others tending to unowned dogs.

COMMON INJURIES

Trauma.  One of the most common medical emergencies that affects dogs.  Major trauma, such as being hit by a car, or even being in the car during an accident, can cause multiple injuries to the body.  These can be injury to internal organs or externally apparent such as broken bones and cuts.

External injury is seen as skin wounds and visible bleeding. Road Rash is the term for superficial skin injury such as the ‘skinned knees’ suffered by kids learning to ride a bike. However, it is not a minor injury if this covers an extensive part of the body. 

Internal bleeding, and internal organ damage are often difficult to assess immediately – the degree of injury is wildly unpredictable as results can be sudden death, to complete recovery to everything in between.  This is why we keep our injured dogs quiet and restrict their movement until we get a green light from the vet.

Falling from a height, purposeful or accidental cane knife wounds, grass cutter accidents, and having objects fall on an animal can all cause traumatic injury.

Broken bones of the spine or crushing injury to the spinal cord are common with severe trauma.  Spinal trauma can be excruciatingly painful and frequently results in paralysis – most often non-reversible.

If your dog is in a fight with another dog, both dogs may sustain serious injuries.  Generally, dog attacks cause wounds to the skin and to structures underneath such as muscle and nerve, and even bone.  Infection is a major concern.   Puppies and small dogs tend to have especially serious injuries after being attacked by a larger dog.  If they have been picked up and shaken by another dog there may be damage you do not see such as to nerves.

Dog bites are not the only source of wounds.  Wounds on the body might occur after a dog runs past a sharp object, such as a nail or tin, stepping on broken glass, sharp rocks, or other such hazards.  Some cases the material becomes embedded in the paw pads or between the toes.

Eye injuries can happen when running through bushes, with a swat of a cat paw, or in a dog fight.  A dog hanging its head out of a moving vehicle can get eye injury from debris off the road.   Signs to notice are squinting, excess tears on the skin, other eye discharge, redness in and around the eye, bulging of the eye or swelling around the eye.  Eye injuries can quickly turn severe – so get your veterinary appointment as soon as possible.   Untreated eye injury can lead to blindness or loss of an eye.

When dogs have oral (inside the mouth) injuries, it is often because of something they were eating or chewing on.  Bones, rawhide and other hard body parts can cause injury to teeth, tongue and gums.  Commonly, bones get stuck in the teeth causing signs such as not eating or drinking properly, constant chewing motion or foul odor to the breath.  This needs a veterinary visit and often sedation is required to remove the bone, and check the mouth for damage.

FIRST AID

Prevent injury to puppies and small dogs by close supervision when they are allowed to interact with older, bigger dogs; always separate puppies and older, bigger dogs at meal-time and quickly remove a puppy or small dog at a hint of danger.

A thorough cleaning is essential for any wound.  Lots of water – clean water from the tap, bottled water or sterile saline if you have it.  Using lots to flush grass, sand and other debris from the wound.  Cover with a clean bandage and have further veterinary treatment as soon as possible.  Minor wounds might just need the generous rinsing, followed by some skin cleansing with antiseptic hand soap (Not hand sanitizer which is mostly alcohol), pat dry and apply antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin. 

The only time a thorough cleaning would not be recommended is when there might be entry into a body cavity (in this case a clean dry dressing with a snug wrap is what to do with a vet visit as soon as possible). 

Some deep wounds require stitches.  Many of these wounds require a course of antibiotic.  And sometimes medication for pain and swelling is recommended.  These happen at the vet office.

Have something handy which can function like a stretcher such as a sturdy tarpaulin.   A big towel or blanket placed over the dogs head will keep a painful dog from biting or further injuring itself. 

Place injured animals in a clean, dry, comfortable place until you can arrange for veterinary assistance. 

Offer water only.  Not food until a veterinary visit – unless this a very young weeks old puppy which can be offered small feedings – older dogs can skip a meal while waiting for veterinary attention.

Mild pressure on a bleeding wound or a clean bandage if it can be applied safely.

Have a First Aid kit for your animals.  Know what is in it, and how and when to use these supplies.

PREVENTION

Keep your dogs at home – they do not belong on the street or any public spaces.  If you do take your dog off your property then use a leash (after you have trained your dog to walk nicely on a leash) or in your vehicle.

Use pens, gates, barricades and other ways to create a safe, confined space for your dogs when you are not with them directly supervising play and exercise.

Get your dogs neutered to limit their desire to wander.  The reproductively active group are the number one group to suffer trauma, second only by the puppies they produce.  Get your dogs neutered. 

Work in your community to develop safe ways for dogs and people to get along.

The street and sidewalk should be a safe space for kids on bikes, for people walking and jogging – it should not be a war zone with canine ambushes lurking at all the corners.

American Samoa!  You can have dogs to protect your property and family, you can have dogs for companions, you can have Good Neighbor dogs…and you can prevent many injuries to your dogs.