What To Do When Your Puppy Is Bitten

You'll find few points much more terrifying to a puppy owner than when their puppy gets into a fight with a different dog. Your greatest fear, obviously, is that your puppy is going to be injured in a no-holds-barred face-off of claws and teeth. It really is a fear which is well founded. Ten to fifteen percent of all visits to the veterinarian for traumatic injuries are the result of bite wounds.

The very finest way to avoid having your puppy turn into part of that statistic would be to stay away from scenarios that could result in fights inside the first place. Don't let your puppy wander freely around the neighborhood (which is very good guidance for all sorts of factors, including the truth that it really is illegal in quite a few parts of the country). When you are out on the street with your puppy or at a park or other location he may well encounter other pets, maintain him on a leash. And bear in mind that a well-trained dog is less likely to obtain into fights at all. If your puppy gets into many hostile confrontations, you must accept that it may be his fault and for that reason ultimately your fault for not putting an end to that behavior.

But your really greatest efforts will from time to time not be enough. You can be doing everything appropriate as you take your leashed puppy outdoors, when a wandering dog without an owner as conscientious as you might be crosses paths together with your pet and a fight breaks out. Then too, overly aggressive play between your puppy and an additional dog could result in an unintentional injury.

Whatever the reason, if your puppy is bitten you completely must take him to the veterinarian. Don't assume your puppy is okay because the bite does not look "serious." There can be damage to the tissue beneath the skin's surface that you can't see that could be life threatening. Then, too, all bites carry germs plus the risk of bacterial infections. Fortunately, it isn't difficult to tell if your puppy has been bitten - even in the event you didn't see the fight, bites leave a distinctive pattern. Other signs to watch for are bleeding, swelling, limping, weakness, as well as collapse.

The vet will probably give your puppy a pain killer. The wound will be cleaned and disinfected and if needed sutured closed. Your puppy will also be given antibiotics. The very good news is that wounds have a superb chance of healing if they are treated within 12 hours of the injury. The even much better news is which you now know what to do if your puppy is bitten, and to do it as promptly as doable.

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