COMMON SENSE CARE OF WOUNDS IN HOMESTEAD ANIMALS
R.J. Holliday, D.V.M. talks about giving wound care to injured animals.
by R. J. HOLLIDAY D.V.M.
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Whether you live in a city apartment or a wilderness cabin,
if you own pets or livestock someday you will probably have
to care for an injured animal. And, strangely enough, a
pampered Persian cat, a backwoods pack horse or a suburban
family cow all heal in basically the same fashion and all
respond to similar treatment.
Most people when suddenly confronted by a wounded animal
feel that they MUST DO SOMETHING! More often than not what
they do is wrong because, in their haste, they forget that
Nature has been healing creatures for eons with rather good
results. Sometimes, a little benign neglect on the part of
the owner (and many veterinarians) will do much to aid the
ultimate well-being of an injured animal. The most sacred
precept of Medical Practice is: If you cannot help your
patient; at least, DO HIM NO HARM! So keep this in mind;
Nature heals, we can only help.
If one of your animals is injured, the first thing to do is
to control any severe hemorrhage. A stream of blood that
pulsates in rhythm with the heart-beat indicates a severed
artery. No such rhythmic pulsations are seen if only a vein
is damaged. In either case, if bleeding is profuse, apply a
tight compress of some sort to the area. The pressure
applied to the wound helps to stem the flow of blood and
favors the formation of a firm clot.
If the wound is in a position where it can be easily
bandaged, a bandage can be combined with the compress.
However, don't make it so tight that it cuts off
circulation. Tourniquets should not be used except as a
last resort, as they frequently do more harm than good.
Another warning! Just because Good Old Uncle Ned used to do
it, don't subject the wound to flour, ashes or other "gunk"
that is reputed to stop bleeding. Most of these substances
have no effect on hemorrhage and they can be a major source
of contamination and irritation.
The question that logically arises then is: "Well, what
should I put on a wound?" It would be more
appropriate to ask, "Should I put anything on it at all?"
More people do more harm to their animals by "putting
something on it" than you can imagine; and you wouldn't
believe the variety of substances that have been used in a
vain attempt to speed healing.
Irritating, caustic materials such as turpentine, coal oil,
or salt are never indicated for use on wounds, even if they
would kill germs . . . which they won't. It is better to
have a mildly infected wound than one in which the ability
to heal itself has been destroyed by the use of strong
chemicals. Powders should be avoided because they tend to
combine with fluids from the wound and may form a crust,
thus sealing in the offending bacteria and providing an
ideal environment for bacterial growth.
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