While many dogs like to play rough with other canines, there is always a risk that your pup may have encounters that are more aggressive in nature. If your pet is bitten by another dog, it’s important to properly clean and treat the wound. Without this pet care, your four-legged friend could end up developing a painful infection or catching transmittable diseases. To help you navigate this scenario, here are a few wound care steps to follow if another dog bites your companion.

How to Care for Your Dog if They Are Bit

1. Separate & Observe Your Dog

Immediately after the attack, you should remove your dog from the other animal. Let your pet walk around if they can so that you can observe their behavior and allow them to regain composure.

2. Look For Signs of an Emergency

Since some wounds can cause hidden, internal injuries, it’s best to have a veterinarian assess any bite. However, if there are signs of an emergency, you may need more immediate pet care. You should visit an emergency vet as soon as possible if your dog is bleeding excessively, crying, limping, having breathing problems, or presenting any other unusual behaviors.

3. Clean & Compress

To prevent further complications, try to provide preliminary wound care if possible. Start by rinsing the wound with clean water, applying disinfectant or antibiotic ointment, compressing with gauze, and wrapping the area with a bandage.

Once you arrive at the veterinarian, more advanced pet care may be provided. For example, the wound may be sterilized to prevent infection and sutured together to prevent bleeding. Your provider will give you specific instructions for aftercare, such as by giving your dog a full course of antibiotics.

4. Ask About Vaccinations

If the other dog’s owner is present, exchange information and find out if their canine is up to date on pet vaccines. Specifically, the dog should be current on the rabies vaccination. If they are not, this is something to tell your veterinarian about—even if your pet is fully immunized.

5. Ease Back Into Exercise

Depending on the severity of the injury, your dog may not be ready to jump back into their regular fitness routine. If approved by your veterinarian, you should ease back into the process and engage in gentle activities while your pet heals. For instance, you might take short walks instead of visiting the dog park.

Whether your dog has experienced a bite, broken bone, or another type of injury, Animal Care Center of Fairfield can provide prompt pet care. Serving the Fairfield County, OH, area, this clinic offers comprehensive emergency vet services, including wound care. You can also turn to this provider for preventive care, such as pet vaccines, spaying, and neutering. To learn more about these services, visit this local animal hospital online, or call (513) 829-6621 to schedule an appointment.