Caledon Mountain Vet - OPEN WOUND CARE

Project Breathe

Project Breathe is an international initiative started by Invisible Fence Brand with the goal of equipping all first responding emergency units throughout Canada, the US and the UK with specially designed pet oxygen masks.

Caledon Mountain Veterinary Hospital would like to raise awa... Read More
Project Pet Slimdown

Project Pet Slimdown is a weight loss program designed for your cat/dog to help them lose weight. By losing weight they can lead a happier, healthier and longer life. Each pet will get their own individual program designed for them because, as we know, every pet is dif... Read More
New reception email address

Effective immediately the new email address to contact our reception desk is:

cmvhreception@gmail.com

Please make the appropriate changes to your contact lists. Thank you.
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Help Dr. Juan Elduayen

Juan Elduayen is a wonderful and well-respected veterinarian in Toronto. He emigrated with his family from Venezuela and has been working for the past couple of years at both the Woodbine Animal Clinic and Front Street Animal Hospital. A huge blow came when he was very recently diag... Read More
Blood Donor Program

Call us for more information about our blood donor program. 519-927-5775 ask for Ashley Read More
Facebook

Be sure to check us out on facebook and 'like' our facebook page.

You can enter your pet's photo for our Pet of the Month contest by emailing your pet's photo to cmvhreception@gmail.com with "pet of the month" in the subject line and watch... Read More

OPEN WOUND CARE

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What is a wound?

A wound is an injury causing damage to the skin and often the underlying tissues. It can be open (e.g. a cut) or closed (e.g. a bruise).

What should I do if a wound is bleeding?

Try to initially stop bleeding by applying pressure to the wound with an adsorbent dressing such as dry gauze, followed by a layer of bandage material or clean dry linen. This will protect the wound during transport to the veterinary hospital and prevent any further contamination of the injury.

If possible, try to raise the affected area above the level of the heart. This will help reduce the flow of blood.

Do not apply ointments or any other chemicals to the wound, as they can interfere with its eventual healing.

Why leave a wound open?

Most open wounds are contaminated with bacteria after several hours and often contain foreign material such as dirt, grit or hair. If possible, your veterinarian will try to clean this wound and repair it, either immediately or after several days, depending on its size and degree of contamination.

When the wound is old (i.e. 4-8 hours or longer) or grossly infected (e.g. a cat bite abscess), it will often be left to heal without closing using a combination of repeated flushing, bandaging and antibiotic therapy. In the cases mentioned above, this treatment is the way to promote a speedy recovery of your cat’s injury.

How should I manage an open wound at home?

As instructed by your veterinarian, clean the wound 2-3 times daily with a mild antiseptic solution or warm water to remove any crusted discharge and keep wound edges clean.

Bandaging daily, as demonstrated by your veterinarian, may also be required if there is a lot of discharge from the wound and/or to prevent your cat from excessively licking the area.

Is any other medication required?

Sometimes your cat will be given a course of antibiotics if the wound is infected. No other topical treatments should be used, unless directed by your veterinarian, as some chemicals can damage tissues and delay wound healing.

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This client information sheet is based on material written by Ernest E. Ward Jr., DVM.

© Copyright 2002 Lifelearn Inc. Used with permission under license. July 14, 2004.