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Dogs are very energetic, playful and explorative animals. Should a dog owner be surprised at the frequency of injuries sustained by the pet? A puncture wound is one of the injuries that can happen to the pet.

Puncture wound happen when any kind of sharp object pierces and penetrates the skin. Dogs have the inclination to roam and as they are curious animals, a path littered with debris will not deter a dog from reaching the interesting spot. The dog therefore can sustain puncture wounds from tacks, nail, barbed wire and from other sharp objects. Dog owners aware of the fact that dogs are accident prone animals would dog proof the house but accidents involving the dog and a knife or a pair of scissors will still happen. Dog fights always erupt when dogs congregate. A dog can get puncture wounds from the bites of other dogs and other animals.

Unlike cuts and lacerations, small puncture wounds would not bleed so much. A dog owner may think that the non-bleeding dog owner is not serious thus the injury of the dog will be ignored. However, punctured skin has the tendency to close or to heal at once so that bacteria can be trapped within the skin. This will naturally result to infection. The condition of a dog with large puncture wound can be serious as apart from the need to control the bleeding, the owner may be faced with the pet’s internal bleeding too.

Any kind of wound needs treatment but a dog owner may not be aware of the injury of the pet not only because the wound would not bleed but also because it is covered with the dog’s fur. A puncture wound on the foot or leg would make the pet limp. A change in the dog’s behavior is an indication that the pet is in pain and puncture wounds would certainly cause the dog pain.

A vet’s attention is necessary for serious and large puncture wounds. The pet has to be rushed to a veterinary facility to for proper evaluation and treatment of the dog’s injury. Minor or superficial puncture wounds can be handled at home especially if the owner is competent in administering first aid treatments. First aid treatment for this kind of injury is to see if there are foreign objects on the wound. Dirt and foreign objects must be removed with tweezers and the wound thoroughly flushed with water. Gently pressing the skin around the wound will induce bleeding. This purpose of which is to flush out any germs with the blood flow. Puncture wounds are not bandaged or closed to allow the wound to drain and to lessen the risk of infection.

Find out more about dog first aid and treatment for punctures at Sarah’s Dogs.

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