Purulent wounds

No animal is immune to injury, especially wounds that become infected and can lead to pus accumulation in the tissues. The owner's task in this case is to provide the cat or dog with proper care, correctly provide first aid and deliver it to the veterinarian in time.

What are purulent wounds, features and types. Causes of the disease in dogs, cats

Wound specialists call any mechanical damage to the integrity of tissues. Pets are quite often traumatised. Cats with free access to the street - in the risk zone.

In veterinary medicine, wounds are classified according to several signs. They are:

superficial - only the skin is traumatised;

deep - muscles, bones and internal organs are affected;

According to the method of infliction, injuries are divided into:

lacerations - caused by excessive stretching of the skin. Have uneven edges, very painful;

puncture wounds-- narrow, deep;

bruised - provoked by strong pressure, caused by a blunt object;

bitten - after them often remain characteristic traces of fangs. They are left after fights for a female or territory, are received during uncontrolled games;

incised - with smooth edges, inflicted with sharp hard objects;

chopped - similar to the previous ones, with greater depth of penetration;

gunshot - are divided into blind and through.

Cats, dogs get all types of injuries, but more often owners are faced with traces of bites and cuts in pets.

Small wounds usually heal on their own after timely treatment. If the first aid is given incorrectly, the damage begins to fester, which threatens serious complications.
Attention: even when the destruction of the skin seems insignificant, it is better to take the animal to a veterinarian for examination.

A non-specialist cannot determine the severity of trauma on his own. Often owners find on the body of the dog after a fight only external holes, heal them. However, in the deep layers of the coverings, as a result of tissue displacement, so-called "pockets" are formed. When the external wound tightens, pathogenic microflora begins to develop in them.

In the cavity accumulates exudate, consisting of:

blood proteins;

enzymes;

lipids;

white blood cells;

harmful microorganisms, products of their vital activity.

Purulent wounds are divided into:

open, in which the contents flow freely outside;

closed - with an accumulation of exudate in the cavity.

In closed traumas, an abscess is formed, which can be:

benign, representing a dense capsule with homogeneous pus, which appears as a result of the body's defence reaction. It consists mainly of leukocytes. When the substance becomes too much, the capsule bursts. With a favourable development of events, its contents flow outward. If unfavourable, it leaks into the tissue;

malignant abscess is characterised by the presence of a large number of bacteria in the pus, which can lead to systemic damage to the body.

Regardless of the composition of the contents, doctors distinguish hot (rapidly developing) and cold (chronic) abscesses. According to their location, they can be superficial or deep.

Symptoms and diagnostic methods

It is not difficult to detect suppuration in a pet. In such a development, additional symptoms are added to lameness, soreness at the site of injury, which are observed after any wound.

The main ones are:

lethargy;

decreased appetite (or refusal to eat);

oedema;

fever;

increased body temperature;

change in behaviour (the animal tends to hide, reacts aggressively to attempts to inspect the damaged part of the body or vice versa, becomes compulsive, whines).

If such signs appear, you should contact a veterinarian immediately. At the examination, the doctor will shave off the hair around the wound, send the patient to X-ray to rule out the possibility of a fracture.

If the injury is purulent, a microbiological study of the exudate will be required to determine the type of pathogens that provoked it. If the injury is open, it is taken from its deep layers. When closed, a puncture is made. After receiving all the results of the examination, the doctor prescribes the optimal therapeutic course.

Treatment of the disease in pets

Treating a pet should be under strict veterinary supervision. Before visiting the clinic, the owner can give the cat or dog first aid.

Act according to the following scheme:

Try to trim the hair in the area of the injury.

Flush the wound with plenty of clean water.

Stop the blood. In case of strong bleeding, it is acceptable to apply a tourniquet above the place of rupture. Keep it on for no longer than 2 hours in warm weather, no longer than 1.5 hours in winter. If there is a long transport, after the specified time, remove the tourniquet for 5-10 minutes, apply again. Repeat the manipulation every half hour.

Treat the wound with a solution of hydrogen peroxide (3%) or furacilin.

Attention: it is forbidden to pour iodine, "greening", alcohol-containing compositions on the place of skin rupture. This may provoke a severe burn.

Do not allow the pet to lick the wound. Cats and dogs in this way do not heal the damage, and further traumatise the tissue. It is better to put a special collar on the pet.

In the clinic, the doctor will free the cavity from pus after diagnosis. If an abscess has formed, it will be opened and a drain will be installed to drain the exudate. After initial treatment, the patient goes home (when hospitalisation is not required) to continue treatment.

It depends on the degree and nature of the destruction. The therapeutic course may include:

warming compresses - for accelerated withdrawal of the purulent substance;

anti-inflammatory agents;

antiseptic ointments;

analgesics;

antibiotics - to prevent further spread of infection.

It is important to continue to treat the wound. For this purpose, only those drugs that the doctor prescribes should be used.

Well-proven drug Ranosan from the company Apicenna. It is available in the form of ointment and powder for external use. The means has a deleterious effect on the strains of most bacteria, quickly relieves pain, stimulates regenerative processes in tissues.

If the animal is injured, it is better, without self-medication, immediately seek professional help. The owner's actions in the first few hours after the injury will determine whether the pet will be able to lead a full life in the future.