Saturday, August 6, 2011

Dressing a paw wound

Our newest addition to the family (a wonderfully sweet pit/lab mix), Juno, hurt her paw quite severely yesterday. At first, she wasn't limping or showing signs it hurt. The only way we knew was from our other dog, "Medic Mu", attempting to help her out by constantly licking it. Looking closer, I saw a very deep gash across the entire paw pad. After talking to our vet and some well seasoned animal loving friends, we collected supplies and went straight to work tending to her hurt paw. Of course, I am not a vet and this is simply a recommendation, but it seems to be working well for her. First, I cleaned the wound with hydrogen peroxide (just a little on a cotton ball). Next, I went to the local CVS pharmacy and purchased Lanolin cream. It is no longer sold over the counter, but if you ask for  it REALLY nicely they will put it into a small container and charge you $1 for it. :) (Thanks, CVS!) This cream helps keep the paw from drying out. After applying the cream, place a small, non-stick piece of gauze over the area. Wrap it with VetRap (available at Tractor Supply) and use cloth tape to keep everything in place. We have been changing her bandages twice a day. If you don't have a booty, you can tape a sandwich bag around the bandage if it is wet outdoors. Also, if your dog is biting at the bandage, try place a baby sock over it. If she is not showing progress in a few days, she may need stitches. If anyone else is in the same boat then best of luck and thanks for stopping by to chitchat!

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