Wounds occur when there is a break in the outermost layer of tissue. These can be caused by anything and vary in type. The different types are: abrasions, lacerations, punctures, and crushing wounds
A crushing wound can occur when an object falls on to the pet causing an injury. This can occur simply by an object in the habitat falling on to the pet or the pet being stepped on. Depending on the size of the pet, this can be fatal.
Wounds should be rinsed off with clean, sterile water to help remove any debris that may be present. Once this is done, you can apply a clean gauze to help stop any bleeding and to keep the wound clean until you can have you pet evaluated by a veterinarian.
Wounds in animals come in different types and severity. They happen for variety reasons and can be considered minor to severe in nature.
Most pet wounds are general and can be considered a basic first-aid situation, while other wounds are considered traumatic, and are considered an emergency situation. In order for a pet owner to understand what to do with a wound, they must first understand what kind of wound their animal has sustained. It is important to also understand the healing process of wounds, and what the treatment options are.
Something to keep in mind is that some injuries can cause internal bleeding. Look out for the signs of internal bleeding, which include: blood in urine, bleeding from the nose, mouth or rectum, and pale gums.
Classifications of wounds:
Fractured bones
Bone injuries occur when too much stress is applied to the skeleton. Fractures are described not only based on the name of the bone broken, the location, and on the characteristics of the break itself. There are four types of common fractures: closed, compound, green-stick, and epiphyseal.
Bleeding
Bleeding can occur from any type of wound. Since most of our exotic pets tend to be small, it is of the utmost importance that the bleeding is stopped as soon as possible. To stop bleeding you want to apply gentle, but firm pressure to the wound with clean dry gauze. If the blood continues to seep through the gauze, you want to apply more dry gauze on top of the original gauze. If the bleeding has not stopped in five minutes, you will want to have your pet evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. You can also use a styptic powder or stick to stop minor bleeding. If styptic powder is not available, household flour or corn starch can be used.