Summer in Munich: Cuts and Bite Wounds - First Aid for Your Dog

Since temperatures in Munich have risen again, long walks and bathing sessions with dogs have become the order of the day for many. But it's not just dogs and owners who enjoy summer time — the warm summer evenings invite you to be outside and have a barbecue and it's high season, especially on the Isar. Unfortunately, this also leaves a lot of rubbish behind and shards or crown covers in particular can be a threat to your furry nose. The increased number of dogs also leads to fights among our four-legged friends more quickly.

So what to do if your pet steps into a shard or is bitten by another dog?

This is what you need to keep in mind if you have cuts and bites in summer:

cuts On the paws, they are most common in the area of the balls. Although these are protected by a robust cornea, they are also well supplied with blood — due to the relatively high pressure on the paw when standing or running, cuts often lead to severe bleeding. Injuries can also occur in the areas between the balls: in addition to cuts, there may be broken sticks or stones in particular, but very small foreign bodies such as burdock or awns can also cause severe pain between the toes. So if your dog limps, doesn't strain one or more paws at all, or has excessively warm, swollen paws, be sure to take a closer look at the affected area. First check all toe balls, including the sole, for abnormalities and carefully run your fingers across the cornea so as not to overlook even very small objects that have entered the skin. Next, gently spread your toes and examine the skin in the intertoe area from the top and bottom, paying particular attention to redness or thickening. Here too, thoroughly scan each individual intertoe area from above and below. If you discover foreign objects that have entered, try to remove them as quickly as possible. For very small particles, it is helpful to use tweezers — you may have to carefully cut back the hair between your toes first. If bleeding occurs after removing a foreign body, or if your dog has sustained a gaping, heavily bleeding cut, first try to rinse out any rough dirt from the wound with a little water and then stop the bleeding by applying a pressure bandage. If you do not have bandages at hand, you can also temporarily treat the affected area, e.g. with handkerchiefs, socks, a fabric belt or similar clothing that you wrap relatively tight around your paw. But be careful: a pressure bandage is only used to stop bleeding and provide initial care and should not be applied for longer than about an hour, as this can lead to reduced blood flow and pressure injuries in the toe area. So only use it as an initial measure and for the time of transport to the vet.

Bite wounds: Try to stay calm and call your dog to yourself. Under no circumstances should you interfere with a fight. Don't let the dogs get away from each other, it can also help distract them, for example by splashing them with water or throwing a key or leash right next to them. Also try to identify the owner of the other dog — he should also take his dog back. The situation is stressful enough for everyone involved, making it all the more important to keep cool and keep your emotions under control.
Even if you don't see any obvious wounds at first, always check your darling closely for possible bite injuries in such situations.

In most cases, bleeding is delayed and often only occurs at home, so that any liability obligations or insurance claims may then no longer be able to be asserted. It is therefore always advisable for both parties to exchange contact details with the other dog owner. Dog bites often occur in the head and neck area, trunk and hind limbs, but are of course also possible on any other part of the body. So check your dog's entire body thoroughly for wounds. To do this, run both hands across the coat from the tip of the nose to the tail; minor bumps or wet fur may be the first signs of a bite. If you have discovered a suspicious area, crown the coat at this point and look at the skin underneath. If you can recognize punctiform, open areas, it is most likely a bite. After finding a bite (e.g. through the fangs of the upper jaw), don't forget to bite the counter bite (canines lower jaw)

Identify, it is usually on an opposite side. In the case of only very superficial injuries, it is usually sufficient to disinfect the affected areas at home and to check well over the next few days for any bleeding, (enlarging) redness or swelling. You should also keep an eye on your dog for other symptoms such as fatigue, lack of movement or elevated temperature. If your dog shows any of the above symptoms, you should present him to the vet. The same goes for perforating bite injuries, bleeding wounds or if you simply want to be safe than sorry. This is because even if there is no clear perforation or only a very small perforation, this can later lead to problems: a tear on the skin can result in cavities that cannot be recognized from the outside and must be treated medically.

In summary, it can be said that you should pay particular attention to your four-legged friend during the hot summer months, when the Isar floodplains and Munich green areas are busy. Avoid areas that become a barbecue zone or party mile, where there is often a lot of trash and broken bottles lying around. It is also certainly more relaxed for you and your dog to handle very overcrowded areas with lots of dogs in a relatively confined space.
And if your dog has had an unpleasant one with another dog or a gallows shard — cuts and bites, as well as other emergencies, always have priority with Filu and you are in good hands with us.

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