The track was there plain as day, it looked like it was made the night before. This was my fourth time seeing this track and it certainly had an impressive stride and size. Having dumped on the track nearby, and before I knew there was some risk we could catch the bear in a nasty swamp, the decision was made to dump the box. Long story short the bear bayed up in the swamp and before I knew it, one dog had a nasty bite through the front leg.
Half a mile from the road my oldest hound, Tuff, has several lacerations and could place no weight on his front right leg. What now?
Start by keeping the wound as clean as possible. With little to no first aid supplies on my person, I knew that there was little to be done until we got to the truck. A simple clean rag formally known as the back of my t-shirt was used to wrap the wound. Lifting 80 pounds of Tuff over my back proved to be a considerable task yet once settled on my shoulders he got into the rhythm and let me carry him. Halfway back to the truck he had enough and I let him walk the three legged shuffle the rest of the way.
My first step was to use clippers to remove as much of the hair as possible from the surrounding area once I got back to the truck and my first aid kit was available. The hair if uncut will be more difficult to remove the longer it remains around the wound and it can impede the healing process. When I got close to the wound, I used scissors to remove the remainder of the hair, as it was caked in dried blood. There was lots of wiggling and squirming going on from both Tuff and me. To reduce the opportunity for a bite, I used the same former bandage made from my t-shirt as a muzzle. Tuff tends to bite when in pain and I tend to scream.
Once the hair was cleaned away and I could clearly see the puncture wounds and I made a plan. I filled a needle-less syringe with saline and injected it into the wound. Here is when the risk of a dog bite increases as it is quite uncomfortable. With saline in the wound I massaged it, let it drain and repeated numerous times to ensure all the debris was removed. The second wound was a two inch laceration. This wound was again cleaned with saline, but because it stayed so wide I decided to staple it. Holding the wound together flush I placed two staples dead center to hold it closed. Leaving the ends of the wound open. This is important for the wound to drain
The final step was to dress the wound with gauze and vet wrap. This keeps the wound clean and prevents licking. Once bandaging was complete, Tuff got to ride in the truck cab, while his buddies rode in the dog box and we headed to the vet for a checkup and some medicine.
Accidents happen, and having a complete first aid kit at the truck is a great way to reduce a hound’s recovery time. Clean wounds heal fast. Since that incident, I have created a small field first aid kit complete with vet wrap and gauze to reduce the need for repurposing t-shirts. Double U also has a hunting dog first aid kit to keep in the truck with you throughout all your adventures. Tuff healed up just fine within a couple weeks with rest and treats.
