Dogs and cats can become good friends if the adaptation and environmental enrichment of the cat is good and is done patiently and slowly. But sometimes our beloved feline can be the victim of an attack by a dog, especially when he goes outside. Normally, it is more common for it to be bitten or scratched by another cat, we all know that cats live intensely the mating season. However, it is not ruled out that a dog can bite it, especially if you live in the country, live with dogs, or have gotten into the neighbor's yard. How to act in these cases?
If your furry has been attacked by a dog, come in and we will tell you how to cure a dog bite to a cat so that it heals as soon as possible.
Observe your cat and act quickly
It is the first thing you have to do. If you have bleeding wounds, stop the bleeding by pressing with sterile gauze. In the event that you are unconscious, that the bleeding does not stop within 5 minutes, and / or that limped you have to take him immediately to the vet otherwise your life could be in serious danger. Only if you have superficial wounds can we treat you at home.
Clean his wounds
With a sterile gauze or, even better, with a syringe clean the wounds with hydrogen peroxide. Do it carefully so that the furry does not feel excess pain. In addition, you have to try to stay calm as much as possible, as it is the only way that the furry does not become more tense than it already is.
How do I clean his wounds?
The protocol to clean your cat's wounds is the same in the case that a dog has bitten him as if it has been for any other reason.
- Trim the hair around the wound until you find healthy skin. The hair cannot be inside the wound, because the hair can stick to the wound and create an abscess. Keep this in mind especially if your cat has long hair, if so, you should trim it a little more. It is better to prevent and ultimately the hair will end up growing.
- Clean the area with plenty of saline or warm water. Normally the physiological saline that we have at home is a single dose, but if it is not, you can help yourself with a syringe. Do not rub the wound or use cotton for cures since cotton threads tend to remain in the wound. Never use hydrogen peroxide directly on the wound.
- You can use an antiseptic such as 2% chlorhexidine or diluted betadine. ¿You don't know how to dilute the betadine? Do not worry. 1 part of betadine is used for 9 of water. At home you can take a teaspoon as a measure, in a glass or container add a teaspoon of betadine and nine of water and mix it.
- Apply some healing ointment. For example, you can use Blastoestimulin®. It is sold in any pharmacy, its price is affordable and it is quite effective. Because of the components it helps healing, moisturizes the skin, which comes in handy so that it has elasticity in the wound area and recovery is faster. In addition, it has an antibiotic that comes in handy to prevent infection or in the event that it already is to deal with the infection.
- Wear sterile gauze and gloves. I recommend that you wear gloves in part for your health, whether the kitten is yours or if it is a stray. As adorable as they are, we do not know if the cat has any disease, or the dog or cat that has bitten or scratched it. Use gauze pads because they don't leave cotton threads on the wound.
How often do I have to carry out the cures?
Follow the same steps in the previous section every twelve hours. If it is a minor wound, it should have healed in about two days. But if you notice that it has not healed it has not even improved go to your vet.
Anyway, my recommendation is that if you know for sure that it is a bite from a dog or a cat, go to your veterinary center, because many times these types of wounds need to be sutured. In addition, they sometimes need a reinforcement antibiotic treatment.
And remember to do the cures carefully so that the furry feels the least pain. Try to stay calm as much as possible, pet him and speak softly to him. You can ask someone else for help, while one person performs the cures the other keeps it in a more or less comfortable position for the animal and safe for the person who cures it. We have to understand that right now the little dog is in pain, it may even be in shock, so it can bite or scratch us. So it comes in handy to have someone who is in charge of holding it and caressing it so that it relaxes and calms down. If this person is the one who has more affinity with the kitten, much better because he will feel more secure and possibly relax earlier.
Prevents licking dog bites
If you go to a vet, the clinic will tell you to put an Elizabethan collar on him. But Although the cures are done at home, it is also recommended that you wear an Elizabethan collar.
If it has significant wounds, or if it has needed veterinary help, it is important that the cat wears an Elizabethan collar so that it does not lick them. We can ask the vet for one, or make it ourselves at home by following the steps explained in this article. Also there are other options If your cat is not very fond of the Elizabethan collar, but it is clear that you always have to avoid touching the wound.
Get it to not happen again
Dog bites can be deadly for a cat. If it has been the neighbor's dog that has bitten our feline, we have to talk to him, with politeness and respect. We may ask you to keep it more in check, or to sign it up for a canine obedience course. If, on the contrary, it has been our dog who has bitten him, we have to keep them separate and be the ones who take the furry to the course.
I hope these tips are useful to you.