Two year old Lily the Spoodle had a pretty bad day a few weeks ago when she was suddenly attacked by the next door neighbour’s dog. She received multiple wounds to her left flank and left leg. Her owners (including the neighbour) rushed her down to our Narre Warren clinic and she was assessed immediately by Dr. Joe. Lily wasn’t the only one who needed care as unfortunately one of the owners was also caught up in the argument and received bite wounds to her hand. She quickly proceeded to a human hospital while the team concentrated on looking after Lily.
If a dog has been involved in a fight, it can sometimes be challenging to determine the extent of the injuries, especially when it comes to a very fluffy lady like Lily with a thick coat. Small puncture wounds from canine teeth can close over rapidly and can easily go unseen. In Lily’s case, it was hard to miss her multiple lacerations, however until she was clipped up completely, the true extent of her injuries were still unknown. Dr. Joe quickly ascertained the critical nature of her wounds, surgery was recommended immediately and Lily was kept for the day.
Since a dog’s mouth is full of bacteria, any bite that does puncture the skin will introduce bacteria or other infectious organisms below the skin’s surface, where the bacteria can multiply and spread throughout the underlying tissues. Therefore, all bite wounds are to be considered contaminated and/or infected. Left untreated, the bacteria in Lily’s bite wounds would have caused a localized abscess or more generalized cellulitis (a tissue infection) that would have spread through the surrounding area. This is all still possible post operatively however, and therefore continuing antibiotics and anti-inflammatories at home after surgery is critical for successful wound healing.
Dog bites can cause significant injury to the skin and soft tissues. A dog’s teeth and jaws are very powerful and the wounds they inflict can crush or tear muscles and skin, penetrate through the chest wall causing lung collapse, or cause serious or fatal damage to intestinal organs. Even a bite that does not break the skin can cause crushing or bruising injuries to the underlying soft tissues. Monitoring your pet’s condition at home after a dog attack incident and after surgery is so important to ensure a successful outcome for not only wound healing, but the overall health of your furry friend.
If your dog has been in a fight with another animal, you should take him to your veterinarian for an examination as soon as possible, just as Lily’s parents did. They will determine what sort of treatment is necessary, based on the extent of the injuries, your animal’s general health, and the location of the wounds.
Lily was incredibly lucky that her owners knew the importance of getting her wounds investigated straight away. She has revisited recently for a check-up and we are happy to report that she is healing well!