seeh2o Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 (edited) I came home last night and Carl had a gash on his chest, one on his side and big one on his left flank. The cleaning lady said he was with her in the house all day. I suspect he went outside while she was working in the kitchen and scraped up against a branch outside, that's what it looks like as all the lacerations are about the same height and similar in shape. I cleaned him up last night, he ate and drank like normal, he was not in shock. I took him to the vet today, just in case, well...they put 2 staples in his side and 4 in his flank, none on his chest (too little skin and too close to the bone is my guess). I put him in a t-shirt when we got home so he wouldn't worry the front two wounds and I put a loose self-adhesive gauze pad on the flank. He got a shot of antibiotics and will start amoxicillin tomorrow, the staples come out in two weeks. My question is, can I, or should I, put EMT gel on any of the stapled wounds? Edited to add that I hacked the H*LL out of any possible branches today and thoroughly scoured the interior of the house (just in case). More yard work will be done on Sunday, none tomorrow because I have to work all day. Edited April 19, 2008 by ckruzan Quote Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onrushpam Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Don't put EMT gel over the staples.... EMT gel is "scab in a tube". You don't want to seal in the bad stuff. Dilution is the solution to pollution. Hydro therapy all around in this case. Quote Pam GPA-Tallahassee/Southeastern Greyhound Adoption "Fate is unalterable only in the sense that given a cause, a certain result must follow, but no cause is inevitable in itself, and man can shape his world if he does not resign himself to ignorance." Pearl S. Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HeatherDemps Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Dempsey had a ton of staples after his amputation and I just left them alone and kept a t-shirt on him when I wasn't around so that he'd leave them alone. It healed great all on it's own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Don't put EMT gel over the staples.... EMT gel is "scab in a tube". You don't want to seal in the bad stuff. Dilution is the solution to pollution. Hydro therapy all around in this case. :ditto When Poodle was attacked at the dog park the vet said using the shower massage twice a day would make it heal twice as fast and it did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 Carl has been wearing a t-shirt for the wound near his front leg, but the one he wants to fuss with is on his rear left flank where he can reach easily. I've been putting giant band-aids on it with coach/sports tape. He still tries to lick it, but at least for last night, he left it alone. One thing I just saw (and bought) for the first time is Neosporin Spray which has an antiseptic in it as well as an antibiotic. It really seems to help a lot, it really seems to make it less painful. I plan to always keep some it in my pet emergency kit now. It's tough for me to do hydro therapy because I have a bath tub and the location of the wounds make it hard (ok, nearly impossible) for me to get Carl in the bathtub...and it's an old tub, so it's really tall. I hate to subject him to a cold hose outside. Would it work to take him outside and pour a warm pitcher of water on the injuries? I really appreciate any insight or advice I receive here, this is a first for me! Quote Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 No advise here but hoping he feels better soon Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KennelMom Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 When Scout had some open wounds that couldn't be stapled shut, I used a squirt bottle to get at some of them. Not as easy or ideal as running water, but better than a cold hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 No advise here but hoping he feels better soon Thanks! Today he has gone all day without a band aid and has only fussed at it once (he's been next to me all day, my velcro boy). He's playing with his Kong treat dispenser right now, so I think he's on the mend. Tomorrow I think we'll be able to go for our walk in the morning, sans t-shirt (uh, on HIM!) and band aid. I'm still debating on what to do while I'm at work. He'll be muzzled for sure, I'll probably put the t shirt on him just for my piece of mind. My neighbor may be able to Carl-sit for part of the day, too. Quote Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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