Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all. Does anyone have advice about how to care for a wound infection? My sweet pup had his amputation about three weeks ago and the wound is oozing today after weeks of being fine. I sent the vet photos and he said it's infected and prescribed an antibiotic. I gave my dog the antibiotic, but I forgot to ask the vet if I should do anything else for it. Bandage it? (He was sent home without bandages so we haven't used them yet.) Warm compress?
Right now he's oozing a blood-like goo through his t-shirts. I keep changing the shirt but feels like there must be something I can do. Would love any advice.
-Lilly (and Eli)
PS: My dog was diagnosed a month ago. I've been living on this website since then. It's been an incredibly hard few weeks and I'm so so grateful for this site. I called the Tripawd Help Line in a tearful panic a few weeks ago about pain management . Sally was a lifeline and helped me figure out what was going on with my pup, and how to talk to my vet about changing his medication. He's now doing fine. This site saved my sweet boy from so much distress and I'm so grateful for the community.
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Please consult with your vet again.
Do not apply anything directly yo the incision area. A warm compress will increase circulation to the area, which may make matters worse. But we are not vets! A cold compress can reduce swelling. Regardless you don't want to apply anything moist.
Here is an old post about wound care for Tripawds, but every dog and every condition is different. Please only take medical advice from your veterinary team.
While you wait for comments from others, use the Advanced Search above to refine your forum search results with specific phrases, and you're sure to find lots of helpful feedback. Many others have shared similar experiences over the years...You can also search all blogs here . Or, consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns and feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!
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I second the recommendation to talk to your vet for further guidance.
I have a chronic infection condition. This is what I would do for myself and it should be an OK starting point for your pet. However, your vet is going to have more specific knowledge for animals that you should follow. Compresses should not be used on an open, oozing infection. At this stage, you want to keep the area cool and dry. Exposure to air is OK (good for drying), but I would probably apply clean gauze to cover the area and keep it clean. Change 3-4 times per day, depending on how much discharge there is. If the discharge dries and adheres the gauze to the skin, wet a clean piece of gauze and daub to gently remove. Then allow to dry fully before applying a new bandage.
Thank you so much, everyone. I talked to my vet again. He didn't recommend much! Warm compress, keep dry, and the antibiotics. It's much better today, thank goodness. Really appreciate everyone's thoughts.
Hi Lily!!! So glad you reached out a bit ago on the Helpline. It was really nice speaking with you and hearing all about Eli. So glad the "tips" helped!👍
FWIW, IF it continues , I would go on and set up an appointment with the Vet and ask that a culture be done. One reason would be to rule out MRSA . The other reason would be to pinpoint the exact anti to resolve that particular jnfection.
Is the area warm/hot and swollen? Is the discharge stinky? Apu ds like maybe the a antibiotic he gave you is helping??
Keep us posted. Extra smooches and treats to Eli🥰
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
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