Treating Your Dog's Insect Stings and Dog Bites
Almost everyone can say that they have been bitten by a dog or stung by some sort of insect. But what if this happens to your dog? One thing you may notice is that dog bites usually occur around the neck, face, ears and upper chest area of the animal. The cut or injury may not look all that bad at the beginning but they can cause a substantial amount of damage if and when they break the flesh. Some bites, stings or injuries can even be hard to find and so it is difficult to administer symptomatic treatment. If your dog starts to show any signs of agitation you should contact your veterinarian right away. Here are some ways that you can help prevent and or treat dog bites as well as stings from wasps and bees.
Dog Bites
If you ever see two dogs fighting, naturally you should try and stop them. However, be very careful that when you are breaking up a dogfight you do not get bitten by the dogs. The best way to break up the fight would be to throw some cold water on them. Make sure that you let the dogs calm down before you examine them for any injuries. If you do come across a dog that has a wound, you should clip the hair around the wound so that the wound has a less chance of getting infected.
After you have removed the hair around the wound you should wash the area with warm water and a very mild disinfectant. To make sure that no hair can get into the wound, put a very small amount of petroleum jelly around the area. This will help prevent the wound from getting infected and it will help the wound heal faster.
Examine the wound to check for punctured skin. If it is punctured you should take your dog to the vet so the dog can get treatment to help the wound heal correctly. The skin may also be lacerated and, if it is, make sure to apply antiseptic cream to the wound. Some bruising may occur around the injury, but that is to be expected. If the skin is lacerated or punctured to the point where you feel stitches may be necessary, contact your veterinarian right away.
Stings from Wasps and Bees
Playing outside with your dog, your dog may occasionally get a bee or wasp sting. These two types of insects are very similar but their stings are very different. Wasp and hornet stings can cause pain and massive swelling at the location of the sting. If dogs are allergic to these types of stings they could end up having a really bad reaction to the sting. Pay close attention to swelling that happens around the mouth or throat -- if this happens then the dog needs immediate veterinary care.
If a bee happens to sting your dog the stinger may still going to be in the dog's skin. If you think that your dog has been stung by a bee, make sure to examine the area where your dog may have been stung. It is important to pin point where the stinger may be located in your dog's skin. Once you have located it, remove it with a pair of tweezers. You may need a magnifying glass to make sure that you do not pick unnecessarily at the dog's skin. Swelling may occur after you have removed the stinger--if this happens you should apply an ice pack.
By Kelly Marshall of Oh My Dog Supplies- the place to find orthopedic dog bedsonline
