Get a Pet First Aid Kit
Are you prepared for a pet injury? If you don’t have a pet first aid kit, purchase one or make your own by following the AVMA list of pet first aid supplies. In order to treat a wound, you will need to have the following:
Supplies Needed to Clean a Wound
If your dog has a wound on its skin, the first thing youll want to do is clean it. Depending on where the wound is located, how deep it is, and how old it is, you may or may not need all of the following supplies. But this list is a good starting point for your at-home wound or first aid kit. These items can be compiled prior to your dog having a wound and stored in a bag or container so that you can be ready if your dog gets wounded.
Types of Wounds
Just like people, dogs can get injuries that cause wounds when they are at home or in the yard. Punctures, scrapes, and cuts are all classified as contaminated wounds since they are not surgically made, so this means they are also at a higher risk of getting infected. If a dog has surgery, then the wound is classified as a clean or surgical wound. Whenever the skin barrier is broken, bacteria is able to get into the body and, since a contaminated wound is not made in a sterile environment, bacteria is likely to be present on whatever caused the injury in the first place. Additionally, as the wound is exposed to the environment, bacteria have more opportunities to infect it.