ER: Lesson 2- Wounds Management

Wounds in animals come in different types and severity. They happen for a 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:

Clean wound, a wound made under sterile conditions where there
are no organisms present in the wound and the wound is likely to
heal without complications.

Contaminated wound, where the wound is as a result of accidental
injury where there are pathogenic organisms and foreign bodies in
the wound.

Infected wound, where the wound has pathogenic organisms
present and multiplying showing clinical signs of infection, where it
looks yellow, oozing pus, having pain and redness.

Colonized wound, where the wound is a chronic one and there are
a number of organisms present and very difficult to heal.

Types of Wounds

Abrasions- Abrasions occur when the superficial layers of skin are
scraped, causing a minor area of inflammation, surface bleeding, and
bruising.

Lacerations- Lacerations occur when the skin is cut or torn open.

Bite Wounds/Puncture Wounds- Objects that pierce the skin, leaving a
small hole on the surface, are considered a puncture wound.