my dog cut her pad, i have showered it, put sudocreme on it and a gauze and bandage

[NoahVale]

what else would a vet do?
is this worthy of a vet's visit?

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Suck cream nasty gunky stuff that will inhibit wound healing nice dry gauze will give you the best healing.

[NoahVale]

oh thanks, the internet did say anti septic -
thanks

[NoahVale]

well she managed to get the dressing off

[BertieBotts]

In future it's a good idea to do a quick google, if not consulting a vet directly, before putting human medicines onto animals. Sudocrem looks to be okay but savlon for example can be really dangerous.

Remember you can always phone the vet for advice if you're not sure whether to go in or not.

[villainousbroodmare]

It probably merits a vet visit. Is it a partial thickness slit or a proper bleeding cut? Sometimes we stitch or glue these, generally we clean them very well, maybe better than you can, and apply a fairly hardcore bandage that will last a few days to give healing a start. If you want to try and stop her licking it tonight, try putting on a sock, a baby's sock if you have one, and stick it firmly onto her leg with broad Elastoplast, half on the sock and half on the fur. That might last.

[villainousbroodmare]

How exactly is Savlon really dangerous, Bertie? Sudocrem is mildly toxic in lavish quantities.

[MehsMum]

We had this with our large over-exuberant loon. The first time he cut a pad we went to the vet. Right palaver.

Second time, we let him lick the wound free of grit. Then we packed it with antibiotic cream, put a gauze pad over it and a lint bandage, and then that amazing stuff you can buy in Boots... can't remember what it's called, it's not sticky, it's like a kind of velcro bandage that sticks to itself and comes in various colours. We walked him on the lead for a week or so (can't remember how long exactly) and checked the wound just about every day (I think we also used a lampshade collar - how he loved that).

Anyway, it healed perfectly, no scar. Good luck with yours.

[NoahVale]

thank you

[BertieBotts]

I said can be, not is, but a five second google told me it was. Apparently it's too strong for dogs because it's designed for humans who are bigger, and pets can be poisoned by it. I remember I used to have a book from one of the Animal Hospital vets where he warned about the dangers of using human medicines on pets, too.

[villainousbroodmare]

Oh, definitely human medicines are generally pretty unsuitable for pets, but Savlon's active ingredient is chlorhexidene which is the same stuff we use (very diluted) to clean wounds and scrub our hands. It's a much more effective antiseptic than Dettol if you are choosing between them, because it has a residual action. Don't be a bit afraid of it. Don't drink it though!
Sudocrem is zinc oxide and if ingested (which most creams applied to animal skin will be) in whacking quantities is associated with red blood cell destruction.
This is a pretty good veterinary website www.marvistavet.com/
There is an awful amount of rubbish animal-related advice online.

[NoahVale]

she keeps licking it, does it matter?

[villainousbroodmare]

Yes, well, it's to be expected and isn't a reason to rush to an out of hours vet tonight, but it won't heal if she keeps lathering it. That's why we bandage. I'd say try get to a vet tomorrow unless it seems very minor and she leaves it alone.

[basildonbond]

Ddog did this last week, however it was obvious he needed to go to the vet immediately as he was losing a lot of blood. He had to have a general anaesthetic to enable the vet to get all the little bits of glass out and stitch it up, plus antibiotics

He doesn't have a dressing on as the vet said it would heal quicker without but he wears a sock held on with vet wrap when he's outside

He needed the cone of shame on the first couple of days to stop him licking it which he hated but has been pretty easy to distract since then

The worst thing is the restricted exercise- short lead walks only - we're both v fed up with that. Back to the vet tomorrow for his ten day check up and am hoping to get the go-ahead for more exercise

[Stinkersmum]

Go to the vet. Antibiotics should be administered for an open wound.

[NoahVale]

thank you, DH thinks just let her lick it better but she can barely walk so am off to vets when the open

[NoahVale]

or whenever I can get an appointment