Guest SweetFinish Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 We had a bit of a situation this evening with Neffie. She was running in the back yard and some how shaved the skin off the top of her knuckle on her back foot. She never made a sound. We didn't even know there was a problem until we saw the blood. I had first thought it was a compound fracture but her toe is not broken. You can see the knuckle clearly. I have washed the wound with wound wash (the same stuff I use on my patients for pressure ulcers). I mean I washed and washed and washed. I gently cut the hair from around the wound. Washed again. I even soaked her foot in a soapy (anti-bacterial) foot bath. Her foot was a dirty mess. I have applied some Neosporin and covered with gaze and wrapped with vet wrap. I just wanted to know if this was ok til the morning? She holds her foot up and wont walk on it. She will be seen first thing in the morning. I called my vets emergency number and by law I guess in the state of Florida they can not give me advice over the phone. They assured me she would be fine until morning. I am just worried. I don't like seeing her in pain. I tell ya I've been a nurse for almost 8 years and can treat any number of wounds on people, but I freak out when it comes to my dogs. I tried to think of it as cleaning a human wound so I'm hoping it will be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KennelMom Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Doesn't sound like something we'd take in...is there anything the vet can even do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cwholsin Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 We had a bit of a situation this evening with Neffie. She was running in the back yard and some how shaved the skin off the top of her knuckle on her back foot. She never made a sound. We didn't even know there was a problem until we saw the blood. I had first thought it was a compound fracture but her toe is not broken. You can see the knuckle clearly. I have washed the wound with wound wash (the same stuff I use on my patients for pressure ulcers). I mean I washed and washed and washed. I gently cut the hair from around the wound. Washed again. I even soaked her foot in a soapy (anti-bacterial) foot bath. Her foot was a dirty mess. I have applied some Neosporin and covered with gaze and wrapped with vet wrap. I just wanted to know if this was ok til the morning? She holds her foot up and wont walk on it. She will be seen first thing in the morning. I called my vets emergency number and by law I guess in the state of Florida they can not give me advice over the phone. They assured me she would be fine until morning. I am just worried. I don't like seeing her in pain. I tell ya I've been a nurse for almost 8 years and can treat any number of wounds on people, but I freak out when it comes to my dogs. I tried to think of it as cleaning a human wound so I'm hoping it will be ok. It sounds like she will probably be fine to wait on the vet, but you can give her some pain killer that would probably make her more comfortable. Asprin, I think, is safe for dogs--I'm sure others will chime in here with some other suggestions or options to help manage her discomfort. Good luck! Sounds like you've already done most of what can be done for wound care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SweetFinish Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Doesn't sound like something we'd take in...is there anything the vet can even do? I have no clue. I thought that myself. there clearly is not enough skin on the knuckle for stitches. Im sure they will send me home with antibiotics. It just scares me. I've never had a dog bust it knuckle more or less. there is no skin on the top of her knuckle. Its a little swollen or was before I covered it. I will change the dressing in the morning before we go. Just to see what it looks like and clean it again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFullHouse Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Unless it has enough skin left to stitch the vet will wrap it and give you some antibiotics. I wouldn't give any aspirin, especially if it's bleeding. It sounds like she'll be fine until tomorrow. Quote Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FullMetalFrank Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Some vets don't routinely give antibiotics for minor wounds anymore, unless infection is evident. If you got it well-cleansed and wrapped, perhaps with a little triple antibiotic ointment, you've probably already done most if not all of what the vet will do. Hope she heals quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissy Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 The only thing I would say is not to put gauze directly on the wound. It'll stick and have to be ripped off and reopen the wound. If you have any non-adhesive first aid pads I'd put that directly against the wound, then gauze and then the vet wrap. I hope she has an uneventful trip tomorrow and a speedy recovery! Quote Kristie and the Apex Agility Greyhounds: Kili (ATChC AgMCh Lakilanni Where Eagles Fly RN IP MSCDC MTRDC ExS Bronze ExJ Bronze ) and Kenna (Lakilanni Kiss The Sky RN MADC MJDC AGDC AGEx AGExJ). Waiting at the Bridge: Retired racer Summit (Bbf Dropout) May 5, 2005-Jan 30, 2019 Like us on Facebook! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Some vets don't routinely give antibiotics for minor wounds anymore, unless infection is evident. Depends on how bad it is. I'd agree with no oral antibiotics for minor superficial wounds and just use a topical like Neosporin. But if underlying tendons/ligaments are clearly exposed, I tend to give oral antibiotics until it is granulated over. Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Remember: that's a bony area. There's very little skin there. What you're describing amounts to a child falling and scraping her knee. Did your Mom race to the doctor with every boo boo? Mine sure didn't! Unless you can't control the bleeding (sounds like you have), I see no reason to go the vet. Particulary if you're adept at wound care anyway. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BauersMom Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Remember: that's a bony area. There's very little skin there. What you're describing amounts to a child falling and scraping her knee. Did your Mom race to the doctor with every boo boo? Mine sure didn't! Unless you can't control the bleeding (sounds like you have), I see no reason to go the vet. Particulary if you're adept at wound care anyway. Huh? She said she can see the knuckle bone. That doesn't sound like a skin scrape. Quote With Buster Bloof (UCME Razorback 89B-51359) and Gingersnap Ginny (92D-59450). Missing Pepper, Berkeley, Ivy, Princess and Bauer at the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatterseaBrindl Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 I am with the group who would not take her to the vet. I'd keep it clean and covered with non-stick pads for a few days. Neosporin if you really wanted to put something on it. I also like colloidal silver for wounds. My vet would not give oral antibiotics for something like that right away. We would wait for a few days to see how it's healing up. I'd probably not bother with pain meds either. Quote Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi. Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie), Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SweetFinish Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Well. They found a laceration that needed stitches so she was given some morphine and local anesthesia. We were given some antibiotics and some anti-inflammatory meds to give her at home. At first they thought it was just a really bad de-gloving of the skin. But once they really got in there and looked it was a little more serious than originally thought. Thank you everyone for all the advice. It was really very much appreciated and it helped me feel much better. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery, for Neffie. Poor baby has had one hell of a day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Ouch-- glad you went to the vet. Hoping for a speedy recovery!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mountain4greys Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Glad you got her to the vet! I hope she'll be better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KennelMom Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Vets usually find something that needs to be stitched up.... Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Vets usually find something that needs to be stitched up.... Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery! Small animal vets, at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SweetFinish Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 (edited) Deramaxx and Antirobe is what I was sent home with. The vet said there was necrotic tissue that needed to be removed. Which I'm having a little of a hard time understanding. I find it a little hard to believe that she would have dead tissue only 14 hrs after it happened. I mean I could understand perhaps if I had a bio-wasteland for a backyard and I cleaned the hell out of her whole entire foot. The antibiotic he gave me is a decent antibiotic. But I still can't wrap my head around that part. I wasn't allowed to go back with her when she was being looked at (something that has never happened before). So they could possible say anything. She has never seen this Vet..he works in the same office/practice as her normal Vet. At first glance you wouldn't think that there would even be any skin to be stitched. But he explained it as someone taking a sausage in casing and splitting it right down the middle. Whatever cut her missed her tendons/ligaments. Which is a great thing. I don't know if dog tissue is the same as human. But in doing wound care it would take days for dead tissue to form if it ever did in a human (depending on the seriousness). Anyways its over now. 300 dollars later at least she is resting peacefully and isn't pacing in pain. The Morphine they gave her still hasn't worn completely off and she wont eat, which I expected though. I should be glad it wasn't any worse. I just can't shake the feeling something wasn't quite right. Maybe he just does things different than her regular vet? Edited September 19, 2011 by SweetFinish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesiRayMom Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Is he younger or older than regular vet? I've found that sometimes there is a world of difference in the opinions & practices of a vet that's been practicing less than 10 yrs vs once who has been practicinv 20 yrs or more. Quote Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SweetFinish Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 He is younger. Very pompous if I am to be completely honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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