Natural healing treatments for cats and dogs to help care for wounds such as cuts and scratches.

Wounds

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What are Wounds?
Help for Wounds
More Information on Wounds

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What are Wounds?

Cats and dogs, especially the more active ones, can often fall victim to a number of cuts, scrapes, bites and abrasions, and when they do it is up to pet owners to determined how serious the wound is and whether or not medical attention is necessary.

In many cases, minor cuts and abrasions can be dealt with at home, while deeper more penetrating wounds may require a trip to the vet or emergency animal hospital.

So when does your pet’s wound require medical treatment? As a general rule, you should always seek advice from your pet’s veterinarian if you have any doubt about the treatment or severity of your pet’s wound.

As a rough guide, your pet requires medical treatment if:

they are showing signs of shock
are bleeding excessively, or if the bleeding will not stop
the wound is deep enough to require stitches
if there is a deep puncture wound, especially if in the chest or abdominal regions
if there is foreign material in the wound
if the wound is the result of being hit by a car or attacked by a larger animal
if the wound does not seem to be healing after a few days or shows any sign of bacterial infection

Help for Wounds

Most superficial wounds and abrasions can be treated at home and should heal fairly quickly provided your pet has a strong immune system, however all animal bites should be treated by your vet as the risk of infection is very high.

Natural Remedies

Nature provided the perfect first aid box with a number of herbs and other natural ingredients that are excellent for soothing the skin and supporting the natural healing process. Tea Tree oil is a commonly used natural ingredient often used externally to keep wounds clean and support natural healing.

Other natural ingredients beneficial for healing wounds Althaea officinalis root which acts as a soother for the skin and Plantago lanceolata which acts as an astringents to stop bleeding. Rosemary is also a good herb when dealing with any minor wounds as it works as an overall skin tonic while also acting as an antiseptic to help guard against infection.

More Information on Wounds

Tips for the fast treatment of wounds

Keep calm when your pet is injured. Even small cuts on ears and paws can bleed excessively and often cause owners to panic. Remember that your pet is looking to you to make it better so the calmer you remain, the more at ease they will feel.
As with any wound, the first step is to stop the bleeding. This can be done by applying firm pressure to the area using a clean cotton swab. Keeping pressure on the area for about 5 min is usually enough to stop bleeding, however, if this is unsuccessful and the bleeding will not stop then veterinary assistance is necessary.
Once bleeding has been stopped then the next step is to clean the wound. Using warm water, and clean cotton swabs, clean the wound from the centre outward making sure that all foreign grit and dirt is removed.
Once wounds have been cleaned, keep an eye on it and watch out for any signs of infection. Infected wounds often swell, become red and sensitive and in some cases will produce discharge. If infection occurs, a trip to the vet may be necessary.
Keep in mind that your pet may be in pain so avoid getting bitten or scratched.