First off, Facebook can be a wonderful thing! Yes, I said it can be wonderful. In fact, if you have a following of a wide range of people, you can post a question and get wonderful answers back to your quandaries.
Today's question: How do you care for a torn dew claw on a dog? You see, Sampson, my wonderful dachshund-springer spaniel mix some how turned up in my bathroom while I was in there with a lovely trail of blood following him. I never once heard him yelp or cry, so I was curious as to where the blood came from. Needless to say, handling his paw was a chore.
First, I quickly grabbed a damp washcloth and cleaned up his paw (as much as he would let me), then grabbed some gauze tape. Wrapping his paw to where there was pressure on the torn claw helped to stop the bleeding, and help me get to a point I could think clearly.
Second, I posted my question on Facebook and here are some of the wonderful responses I received:
- From Tractor Supply Company, buy some Wonder Dust and pet gauze tape (note...this is found in the horse section, not the dog section). Powder the wound to where it starts to clot the wound and create an instant scab on the wound.
- Use baking powder on the wound to help clot the wound, wrap in gauze.
- Smear a little antibacterial ointment on the wound and wrap it.
- Oh, and do NOT give dog aspirin! This thins the blood and keeps it from clotting (my bad).
Those were just a couple of well thought out answers to my question. I give dibs to my sister-in-law, Robyn, for her Wonder Dust and my ultimate selection for healing his poor paw.
So, why does this warrant a post on a blog about decluttering and minimizing? Well, for one, keeping a well thought out first aid kit on hand, not only for you and your family, but for your pets, too. Some things to consider are:
- Various sizes of band-aids (for humans, of course)
- Antibacterial (for both human and pet)
- Gauze wraps (these are SO handy in a quick pinch when just a band-aid doesn't work)
- Hydrogen Peroxide (also works at removing blood stains)
- Tweezers
- Anti-itch/bite ointment
- Sterile pads
- Alcohol wipes
- Small pair of scissors
- Cold packs
- Benedryl
- Ibuprofen
- Aspirin
Please note that you cannot give full doses of aspirin or Benedryl to both children and to pets. Please, check with your pediatrician and vet (respectively) to know how much is safe to give them.
Finally, for pets, never ever give your pet acetaminophen as this could be fatal to them.
And most of all...give them love!
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