Silver Nitrate Caustic Sticks (stop bleeding)

[Jeff]

Anyone use these on their dogs?

I've had them used on me, but only while numb,  I guess they sting quite a bit.

Are they dog safe, any experience with them?

P got the tip of her ear split, and after A did that last time, it took 2 weeks to heal, and a gallon on paint to cover what looked like a murder scene every time she shook her head. We have a black light, and you can even see it through the paint  

[DocsDoctor]

Aren't those used more for removing things like verrucas and skin tags? The caustic aspect would be what worries me.

Here I use culinary grade cornflour as a styptic (and also occasionally for cooking!). I find it pretty effective for things like quicked nails. The challenge as you say is keeping the dog still enough for long enough for it to work! 

[FiveRoooooers]

Poor P. I agree with Clare, and have also used cornflour when I don’t have “QwikStop” (for nails) available. Crazy glue has been very effective for managing our crime scenes lol. 

[macoduck]

I've used plain flour when it's all I had, then I bought the styptic powder for dog nail trims.

Since P's ear is split I'd also suggest using a snood to keep that ear folded over the top of head. That will help prevent a hematoma while the tear heals.

[Potomacpupsmom]

2 hours ago, DocsDoctor said:

Here I use culinary grade cornflour as a styptic (and also occasionally for cooking!). I find it pretty effective for things like quicked nails. The challenge as you say is keeping the dog still enough for long enough for it to work! 

By cornflour, do you mean cornstarch or is there something else I'm missing?

[DocsDoctor]

15 minutes ago, Potomacpupsmom said:

By cornflour, do you mean cornstarch or is there something else I'm missing?

Just checked. Yes, what we call cornflour in the UK is what you call cornstarch in the US.  Informative Link  I suspect the starch is the styptic bit!

 

Macoduck's suggestion of a snood sounds a good one. I'd try using some tubular cotton stockinette as that would hold the ear in place, and let the air in to help the wound dry. (I've just checked and that's called the same thing in the USA!) The medical grade is probably overkill as that is used for compression bandaging so has elastic in, but there are lighter, meshy, stretchy kinds used for crafting and cleaning which should work.

[MerseyGrey]

There are some human medical procedures that use silver nitrate to as chemical cauterisation but I can’t attest to how painful it is, although I think that it’s pretty effective. I’ve only used flour (when I’ve been overzealous in nail trimming), it’s messy but definitely safe

[Jeff]

have tried cornstarch, styptic, snoods, liquid skin, all manner or wrap and band-aids, etc. All proven completely ineffective for the tip of the ear.

[Potomacpupsmom]

2 hours ago, DocsDoctor said:

Just checked. Yes, what we call cornflour in the UK is what you call cornstarch in the US.  Informative Link  I suspect the starch is the styptic bit!

Thank you! 

[greysmom]

Just like with Happy Tail, you need to stop the ear from flapping around and spraying blood everywhere.  No agent is going to keep an end-of-ear split from staying an open wound as long as the dog can force the blood to the end of it and out the wound.  Use a snugger head wrap - end of a nylon (do any women wear nylons anymore?) or the leg part of a tube sock or arm of a Tshirt/Sweatshirt.  If that doesn't do the trick, try vet wrapping the ear flap to the head.  Or paper tape. 

I've had the best luck coating the wound with Neosporin, then using the larger squarish Bandaids over the end of the ear, then a piece of some kind of medical tape to hold the Bandaid(s) on, then wrapping the ear to the head.   If it's a large tear you may need two Bandaid pads to sandwich the ear.

All my dogs have tolerated the wrapping better if only one ear was secured, and the other one was still operational.  I do think they panic a little when they can't use their ears properly.  I also try and secure the ear in a "natural"-ish position.  A cone may be needed if they won't work through fussing at it and tolerating the wrap eventually.

ETA - I've done this with three of my greyhounds.  Learned from my Great Dane breeder when we had two puppies healing from cropped ears.

Edited January 29, 2023 by greysmom

[Time4ANap]

When Petunia was attacked by a foster I ended up needing to use Quick Clot Powder on a piece of skin that wouldn't stop bleeding. I would say that piece of skin was similar to what you have there with the ear. The vet didn't want me to use it except as a last resort, but after days of the thing bleeding off and on, I decided to move forward, and it didn't bleed again after using the Quick Clot. You will likely still need tto wrap it as others have said to prevent movement until the healing starts and movement no longer makes it bleed.

The newer version of Quick Clot apprently don't burn like the older vmovement doesn't make it bleed again. ersion. There is also Quick Clot impregnated Gauze if you can find it in a pharmacy. 

Edited January 29, 2023 by Time4ANap

[ahicks51]

Minerva split her ear, I forget how it happened, maybe rough play- but we had the same thing. Wouldn't stop bleeding.

What we did was slather on "EMT Gel," and then the next day MORE EMT Gel, and the next day MORE EMT Gel, and it kind of kept sticking and formed this hard crust. Eventually, the wound underneath it all granulated, and this big chunk of EMT Gel + fur dropped off, and the skin underneath was beautiful.

I have eyed those individually wrapped pear thingies, wondering absentmindedly if they'd work the same way greysmom recommends. They are pretty fragile stuff, so they might have to get replaced daily.

[Time4ANap]

57 minutes ago, ahicks51 said:

Minerva split her ear, I forget how it happened, maybe rough play- but we had the same thing. Wouldn't stop bleeding.

What we did was slather on "EMT Gel," and then the next day MORE EMT Gel, and the next day MORE EMT Gel, and it kind of kept sticking and formed this hard crust. Eventually, the wound underneath it all granulated, and this big chunk of EMT Gel + fur dropped off, and the skin underneath was beautiful.

I have eyed those individually wrapped pear thingies, wondering absentmindedly if they'd work the same way greysmom recommends. They are pretty fragile stuff, so they might have to get replaced daily.

If you can get a measurment that netting is available through Amazon in a bunch of sizes. https://www.amazon.com/McKesson-Elastic-Retainer-Dressing-18-1/dp/B08V5LYC3R/ref=psdc_8297370011_t3_B00C30QB5I?th=1