I Need Some Advice. How To Get A Stuck Bandage Off.

[Guest arlosmom]

Kingfish was roaring around Thurs. and cut his leg on something we don't know what. My husband bandaged him up ( he is the first aid guy in the house) The next morning he took off the bandage, cleaned the wound good and put some triple antibiotic on it. There were two cuts up the leg and an abrasion on a place where he had a callous due to a boney bump on his foot. This spot is often irritated and I believe originated from a splint or something used when he had a cracked hock at his racing kennel. This area was cut and abraded pretty good. He usually puts a tefla pad on the wound it self the gause to pad and then uses vet wrap. Because the leg was cut in several places and pretty far up the hock he used more than one pad and wrapped it extra well to avoid slipping of the pad and irritation. (then he went out of town) I believe the bandage was a little too tight because yesterday Kingfish would not put any weight on the leg. I considered removing the bandage and rebandaging but I am not great at it so I left it until this morning when I saw one of the tefla pads on the floor. I looked at the leg and saw blood had come through the vet wrap. I put his muzzle on and very carefully tried peeling the bandaged off and trying to cut it off. I realized all of a sudden after he tried to nail me (glad for muzzle) that the bandage is stuck. He pulled the pad out and now the wound is bound in gauze and vet wrap.

 

How should I soak this off his foot. Should I stand him in a bucket of water until it all gets saturated. Or, should I wait until my husband gets home this evening and let him deal with it since he created this mess? I will probably have to take him to the vet tomorrow for antibiotics in case all that bandage has caused an infection. Thanks for any advise.

[CaliforniaGreys]

You could soak it in warm water or you could also let him get it off himself. I guess it depends how much bandage is stuck

[GeorgeofNE]

How about just using a wash cloth moistened with warm water, hold it on the gauze (I assume you mean the gauze is stuck to the scab?) for a minutes, then gently pull it off?

 

 

[Valencia]

To get sticky bandage off fur, you can add a bit of vegetable oil, it breaks the glue down. If it's stuck on the wound itself, holy cow... maybe let him pull it off himself - he will like it to soften the wound, making it easier to get the bandage off.

[Guest arlosmom]

Yeh, gauze and the stretchy vet wrap are stuck to the scab. I tried the wash cloth deal this morning. Didn't work.

I had left the muzzle on while at church this morning so he wouldn't lick it but took it off when I got home. He has been quiet and is not licking it since I got home.

Edited October 4, 2009 by arlosmom

[Batmom]

Gotta soak it for a good long while if it's stuck in the blood. If he's lying quietly, you can put a plastic bag under his leg/foot, and wrap a sopping wet -- REALLY SOPPING -- washcloth around the spot. Give it a good half hour.

[Guest arlosmom]

Gotta soak it for a good long while if it's stuck in the blood. If he's lying quietly, you can put a plastic bag under his leg/foot, and wrap a sopping wet -- REALLY SOPPING -- washcloth around the spot. Give it a good half hour.

 

Thanks, that sounds like a good idea!

[Guest Energy11]

Vegetable oil or adhesive remover (found in the pharmacy where the band-aids are). Good Luck. I have "been there, done that," and finally remembered, in the ER, we used the adhesive remover. It comes in a bottle or in little pre-moistened pads.

[Guest SoulsMom]

I went through this with Soul . . . .I worked at it for a while with a wet washcolth then let him 'work on it'. Then I worked on it some more. Then his turn . . . three hours later we got it off! Yay for teamwork

[Valencia]

I went through this with Soul . . . .I worked at it for a while with a wet washcolth then let him 'work on it'. Then I worked on it some more. Then his turn . . . three hours later we got it off! Yay for teamwork

 

:lol

[Guest arlosmom]

I went through this with Soul . . . .I worked at it for a while with a wet washcolth then let him 'work on it'. Then I worked on it some more. Then his turn . . . three hours later we got it off! Yay for teamwork

 

 

So that is what I am doing. Although he got up a while ago so I put the wet wash cloth up for a while. I think I'll let my husband and the dog (other team members) finish it up.

[Sambuca]

I'm a big fan of baby oil and letting it soak in a bit. Good luck.

[Guest arlosmom]

Well, hubby came home and got out the wash cloth and with some sissors he got it off with out a yelp. The cut looks good. Much better than I thought. I gave him some left over antibiotic with his supper and we put some more triple antibiotiv ointment on it. I did not want to hurt my baby.

[Guest Energy11]

Glad it all worked out, and everything is okay!

[Guest longdogs]

If it is blood or something rather than adhesive, soaking with water for as long as it takes is the best method. Warm water helps and a sponge is a good tool (and a towel to catch all the runoff). There is no need to hurry. Let the water soak in and soften things up.