{"id":4651,"date":"2025-03-25T17:22:18","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T21:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?p=4651"},"modified":"2025-03-25T17:22:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T21:22:19","slug":"how-we-treat-bite-wounds-in-pets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/how-we-treat-bite-wounds-in-pets\/","title":{"rendered":"How We Treat Bite Wounds in Pets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>At Oakland Veterinary Referral Services, we see our fair share of injuries. Our expert emergency team knows how to offer animals the best care, including treating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/emergency-services\/\"><strong><em>bite wounds<\/em><\/strong><\/a> in pets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"668\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/OVRS-Bite-Wounds-shutterstock_1492077371.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4652\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/OVRS-Bite-Wounds-shutterstock_1492077371.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/OVRS-Bite-Wounds-shutterstock_1492077371-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bite Wounds: Initial Exam and Diagnosis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We start with an initial evaluation whenever an animal comes into our hospital. Even if we know the primary source of the animal\u2019s injury, we must perform these exams to ensure we provide the proper care for an animal\u2019s needs. We always use soap and water to clean the area thoroughly. If necessary, we will also apply antiseptic. Once we have a clear view, we can determine if the wound has any underlying damage that might not have been immediately visible. If the wound needs no further care, we will apply a bandage to keep the area safe as it heals. Sometimes, though, we leave the wound open and attach a drain to remove excess fluid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bite Wounds: Additional Diagnostics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If a bite wound appears deeper, we will perform additional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/specialty-services\/diagnostic-imaging.html\">diagnostics<\/a> to see the extent of the damage. This could include X-rays or ultrasounds. We want to be sure that we are properly treating your pet for their actual injury, not just the injury we suspect they have. When necessary, we use stitches to close the wound and jumpstart healing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bite Wounds: Antibiotics for Infection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With any kind of wound, we want to prevent infection. For this reason, we will almost always prescribe an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/antibiotics-in-pets\/\">antibiotic<\/a> after a bite. The antibiotics will help your pet\u2019s body fight off possible infection triggers while it works to heal the wounded area. If the bite is severe, we might prescribe a pain reliever to keep your pet comfortable while healing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prevent Licking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is very important to keep the animal from licking the affected area until it has enough time to heal. We often send you home with a collar to keep the area safe from a curious tongue. We will give you detailed instructions on how long your pet must wear the collar, and when it is safe to remove it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bite Wounds: Additional At-Home Care<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In most cases, there will be a little <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/first-aid-kit-for-your-pet\/\">aftercare<\/a> you need to do to ensure your pet is properly healed from any <strong><em>bite wounds<\/em><\/strong>. If your pet has a drain attached to the wound, you might have to periodically empty it. Sometimes, we send you home with a gentle cleanser to keep the area clean. If we need your assistance at home, we will give you specific instructions on what to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/about-us\/\">Oakland Veterinary Referral Services<\/a> is here with top-notch specialty and emergency veterinary care. Whether your pet is dealing with <strong><em>bite wounds<\/em><\/strong> or you want help with reactive behaviors, we can help. Call (248) 334-6877 to learn more about our services or to schedule an exam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Oakland Veterinary Referral Services, we see our fair share of injuries. Our expert emergency team knows how to offer animals the best care, including treating bite wounds in pets:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-for-dogs","category-pet-emergencies-first-aid"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How We Treat Bite Wounds in Pets | Oakland Veterinary Referral Services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A common pet injury in a veterinary ER is bite wounds. These can be minor or deeper lacerations. This is how a hospital would typically treat bite wounds.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/how-we-treat-bite-wounds-in-pets\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How We Treat Bite Wounds in Pets | Oakland Veterinary Referral Services\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A common pet injury in a veterinary ER is bite wounds. These can be minor or deeper lacerations. 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