Why are some wounds left open?
Sometimes, the location or the amount of skin loss prevents surgical closure or bandaging (wounds on the face or high up on the leg). Puncture wounds or other trauma can force bacteria deep into the tissues. A contaminated wound that is more than a few hours old should never be closed without surgical debridement (removal of all contaminated or dead tissue), and in some cases, this may result in more permanent damage than treating the wound medically and leaving it open to heal.
What is a wound?
A wound is an injury causing damage to the skin and/or the underlying tissues. It can be an open wound, such as a cut, or a closed wound, such as a contusion or bruise.
If the wound is not small or easy to clean…
But sometimes things just donât go as easily as we want them to. In the scenario above, your dog gets a small cut that easy to see and clean. It should heal quickly and there is a low risk of infection. However, sometimes dogs get wounds that are a little trickier to treat, and come with a higher risk of possible infection.
Knowing the difference between the types wounds your dog might receive is very important for pet parents. There are low level risk cuts that are small and clean– but there are also large, irregular ones that may or may not also include bites– these pose a much higher risk of infection.
If your dog sustained a high risk for infection injury, every owner should be aware of some symptoms that the wound has started to become infected. If you think your dog has an abscess wound be prepared to look for these signs: