Treating Your Pet’s Bites

All dogs bite, large or small. Cats fight back and scratch. And other animals like raccoons or squirrels will lash out if feel threatened. That’s the way the animal kingdom operates. Any bite can be dangerous, especially if from an animal that is possibly rabid. If your pet has a bite make sure you take them directly to the vet. However, there are a few things you can do to help treat your pet’s bite wounds. The first thing to do when you begin treating your pet’s bite is to be very careful. Animals are not very friendly when they have been injured and may lash out at you when you try to treat the bite. Before you begin treating put a muzzle around your pet’s mouth to prevent them from biting you. You can make a makeshift muzzle if you don’t have one by wrapping your pet’s mouth with gauze, panty hose, a rope, or a towel if you have a small pet. Wrap around several times and pull the ends behind the ears and tie. Don’t wrap around the nostrils and don’t make it too tight allow some breathing room.

The next step to treat your pet’s bite is to trim some hair from around the bite to make it easier to clean. This will also help the bite heal faster but also allows your pet to lick the area, which is how they treat their own wounds or bites. Make sure none of the hair being trimmed gets on the wound you may want to use Vaseline to easily remove fallen hairs. To prevent infection make sure you clean the bite with warm water for at least five minutes. This needs to be done right after your pet is bitten, bacteria may have already been set in on bites one day old and older. If this is the case, use an antibacterial soap and wash with warm water. After washing and letting the bite dry, apply an antibiotic ointment and then bandage the area with a clean cloth or gauze. Don’t wrap the bite tightly with gauze, keep it loose enough to prevent problems with your pet’s circulation.

Your pet will naturally lick their bites and wounds and that quickens the healing process. However, if they are gnawing at it or licking excessively you may have to take some steps to prevent your pet from getting access to the wound. Keep the bite covered taking off the bandage less frequently. You can also get an Elizabeth collar, which is a plastic shell that slips over the pet’s head preventing them from reaching the bite. Make sure the collar isn’t too tight. One of the best things you can do to treat your pet’s bite wound is to make sure they have their rabies shots.