[bellatosca]

Smalll cut to the paw of a precious precious dog. New to grooming and feel so guilty. Used kwik stop and hydrogen peroxide. Someone told me about a suture gel but i could not find anything. Can anyone help.

[Lara's mom]

Paws can become infected easily. You might want to consider having your vet look at it.

[bellatosca]

Thank you.

[evanhog]

It is better to check with the vet, rather than taking chances. paws may take time to heal.

[must_Love_dogs24]

Hi there its important if you are new to grooming to read alot of books and take schooling, you may have done both. A great book is " notes from the grooming table" i ordered it off of pet supply house. It shows you every possible thing u need to know about grooming. Another great one is Grooming for dummies, it has alot of good information. But for the cut on the pad. It is common for a groomer to cut a dog here and there. Its not something we want to do, but dogs move, jump around and are moving targets. As long as you are responsible about it, clean it, put kwik stop on the cut and make sure you always tell the owner. I wouldn't worry to much, keep at it!

[Todd]

Don't use anymore hydrogen peroxide. This actually kills living tissue around the cut. You don't want this. I would start by shaving off the hair on the paw about an inch or so around the cut. You don't want hair getting in there. Then clean the cut out good with soap and some antibacterial soap. Do this at least 3 times per day for the first couple of days to ward off infection. After a few days, start washing it out only 2 times for a few more days, then only once for a few days, and then not at all. You don't want to continue to wash it out all the time or it will not be able to scab and heal. Just be sure to wash it religiously for the first few days so it doesn't scab and trap any infectious bacteria which may be present for the first couple of days. Don't put neosporin on it. the dog will just lick it off. Do not wrap the cut while inside. Only wrap it or bandage it if you take the dog outside. Inside you want it to be able to breathe. The dog will also bite at the bandage and do more harm than good. As long as you keep it covered when going outside and cleaned with soap and water you should be fine. no need to rush to the vet now. wait it out and if you start seeing signs of infection then and only then do you need to go to the vet for antibiotics. Your dog's cut is not a puncture wound which is far more risky for infection because of the other dog's saliva. Here are symptoms of infection I found online;

Determine how serious the original cut is. The seriousness of the cut is usually determined by how deep the cut is. This does not mean that a shallow cut cannot become infected or a serious hazard. Sometimes the smallest of cuts can be overlooked as not serious, and these become real problems. It is, however, easier to have a cut become infected if it is very deep. In either case, disinfect the cut as soon as you are able to. This can be done with soap and water or iodine. Cover the cut once it is disinfected with a sterile bandage. If it is small, use an adhesive bandage. If it is large, use gauze and medical tape. Then watch it closely over the next several days for signs of infection.

Look for redness and swelling. The first sign of infection in a cut is puffiness in the skin surrounding the cut and a streaky redness on the cut itself and the area around it. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It means that your body's immune system is doing its job and is repairing the damaged tissue. If the swelling and puffiness continue for more than four or five days and worsens instead of getting better, it is time to seek medical attention.

Watch for discharge. Your body's white blood cells are like your circulatory system's army. They march in where there is infection, fight and die. The dead white blood cells are what make up puss that comes out of an infected cut. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing. It means that your white blood cells are doing their job. It does mean, however, that it should start looking and feeling better shortly thereafter. If it doesn't, contact your physician.

Know when to go to the hospital. There are certain kinds of cuts that require immediate attention by a doctor, even before you have a chance to look for infection. If you are cut or a metal object pierces your skin, and you have not had a shot for temporomandibular joint syndrome or lockjaw in the last five years, you must seek immediate medical treatment. Lockjaw can set in from internal exposure to dirty metal objects, and it is easy to avoid, but you must have a shot administered right away. Also, if your cut is from an animal that you do not know, especially a wild animal like a squirrel or stray dog, you must get a rabies shot. These shots are not a lot of fun, but they will prevent you from a great deal of anguish in the long run.

[Lara's mom]

Folks, check the date of the posts. This one is from August, 2009.

[Todd]

Originally Posted by Lara's mom

Folks, check the date of the posts. This one is from August, 2009.

Oh, LOL. We've been having a problem with not recognizing these ancient posts lately haven't we