My dog was attacked and is terrified? HELP

AliceRyan

My father was taking my jack russell cross for a walk on the leash when a Labrador cross ran up and attacked him.

He picked him up in his mouth and shook him for 30-45 seconds. My father was shouting for help and a car stopped and the lab ran away.

My dog walked the short distance home slowly and once home my father saw blood. My parents immediately took him to the vet.

He had a large wound especially for his size. Its approx an adults baby finger in length. The vet gave him a painkiller, antibiotics and stitched it up.

We obviously told the owner of the other dog to make sure that he closed their gate In future when they weren't home. He offered to pay the vet bill but we said no.

Anyway, I tried to take my dog for a walk twice today (2 days after the attack) and he would not move. He eventually came when my brother walked with us. He has been very down, he just lies down most of the time. Its as if he is traumatised.

Sorry for the length but I am wondering 3 things?

How long will it take for his wound to heal+ how do I make it less painful?

Is he traumatised? How do I help him get over this?

Finally we are supposed to clean his wound daily but he hates water and I don't want to hurt him. How do I do it without causing him pain?

maringo

The poor little thing. As he has stitches I would keep him fairly confined till he gets them out and for a while after. Would it not be better to let the wound dry rather than be wetting it - that's what I did with my dog who had a large cyst removed from his shoulder a while ago. Vet said to keep it dry and in all it took about 4 weeks till he was completely healed. Once he has lots of pampering I'm sure he will recover his confidence. Dogs are very resilient.

maringo

The poor little thing. As he has stitches I would keep him fairly confined till he gets them out and for a while after. Would it not be better to let the wound dry rather than be wetting it - that's what I did with my dog who had a large cyst removed from his shoulder a while ago. Maybe you could use some sterile damp cotton wool? Vet said to keep it dry and in all it took about 4 weeks till he was completely healed. Once he has lots of pampering I'm sure he will recover his confidence. Dogs are very resilient.

AlanS181824

Ah the poor little thing. Hope he's alright. Dreadful thing to happen.

bluejelly

Hi OP, he has probably had a bad fright & needs time to recover having been injured.

1. How long will it take for his wound to heal+ how do I make it less painful?

---

I'd say ring your vet to ask how long recovery time is & keep him as comfy as possible (soft blankets/bed etc)

2. Is he traumatised? How do I help him get over this?

---

Lots of sympathy & rubs will help, hopefully when the wound starts to heal he will return to his old self.

3. Finally we are supposed to clean his wound daily but he hates water and I don't want to hurt him. How do I do it without causing him pain?
---- Can someone help you by giving him a treat & rubs while you gently clean it using damp cotton wool? I wouldnt use too much water as after a few days its prob best to leave it dry out but again check with your vet.


Hope he gets better soon.

AliceRyan

maringo wrote: »

The poor little thing. As he has stitches I would keep him fairly confined till he gets them out and for a while after. Would it not be better to let the wound dry rather than be wetting it - that's what I did with my dog who had a large cyst removed from his shoulder a while ago. Vet said to keep it dry and in all it took about 4 weeks till he was completely healed. Once he has lots of pampering I'm sure he will recover his confidence. Dogs are very resilient.

The vet told us that because he was bitten by another dog she feels that they wound is likely infected. She didn't stitch it all because she said she wants the infection to drain out so I think we have to wash it off before it gets worse

borderlinemeath

AliceRyan wrote: »

The vet told us that because he was bitten by another dog she feels that they wound is likely infected. She didn't stitch it all because she said she wants the infection to drain out so I think we have to wash it off before it gets worse

I was thinking it a bit odd that the vet stitched up a bite wound, (as per your first post) as the chances of infection are high, and then stitching it would close in the infection. The antibiotic is needed to fight the infection and you need to keep the wound as clean as possible.

I wouldn't be pushing for him to go out on a walk while he's not feeling himself. Or if you do, bring him on a different route, away from the "scene of the crime". And as hard as it is OP, I would be wary of comforting him if he's cowering down and refusing to move, you'll only reinforce him into thinking that "if I behave like this I get affection". Positive rewards for the behaviour you want is the way to get his confidence back, if he goes on a little walk, give him a little treat and make a big fuss, but don't reward him with affection and pampering for not walking iykwim!

Only the vet will tell you how long the wound will take to heal, it depends on how stubborn the infection is, where exactly it is on his body (ie does it reopen if he stretches or goes to jump up), and whether he can reach it by scratching with his leg or with his mouth and lick it himself! (in which case he might need a buster cone/collar to prevent him)

It can be a huge fright to a dog to get attacked, and his next few meetings with dogs HAVE to be pleasant experiences so there's no long lasting effects when meeting dogs out and about. Have you any friends with placid affectionate dogs? You could try going out for a walk together and rewarding any good interaction between them. Watch for your dogs body language and make sure he's not too uncomfortable (ears pinned back, tail held underneath, lip licking, seeing the whites of his eyes are all subtle signs that your dog is uncomfortable)

And I would actually take the money for the vets bill from the other dog owner OP, purely on the fact that he's got away with it once, if it doesn't hurt the owner in his pocket then it's likely to happen again. If it costs him a hundred quid this time he'll be quicker to make sure the gate is closed hereafter!

AliceRyan

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I was thinking it a bit odd that the vet stitched up a bite wound, (as per your first post) as the chances of infection are high, and then stitching it would close in the infection. The antibiotic is needed to fight the infection and you need to keep the wound as clean as possible.

I wouldn't be pushing for him to go out on a walk while he's not feeling himself. Or if you do, bring him on a different route, away from the "scene of the crime". And as hard as it is OP, I would be wary of comforting him if he's cowering down and refusing to move, you'll only reinforce him into thinking that "if I behave like this I get affection". Positive rewards for the behaviour you want is the way to get his confidence back, if he goes on a little walk, give him a little treat and make a big fuss, but don't reward him with affection and pampering for not walking iykwim!

Only the vet will tell you how long the wound will take to heal, it depends on how stubborn the infection is, where exactly it is on his body (ie does it reopen if he stretches or goes to jump up), and whether he can reach it by scratching with his leg or with his mouth and lick it himself! (in which case he might need a buster cone/collar to prevent him)

It can be a huge fright to a dog to get attacked, and his next few meetings with dogs HAVE to be pleasant experiences so there's no long lasting effects when meeting dogs out and about. Have you any friends with placid affectionate dogs? You could try going out for a walk together and rewarding any good interaction between them. Watch for your dogs body language and make sure he's not too uncomfortable (ears pinned back, tail held underneath, lip licking, seeing the whites of his eyes are all subtle signs that your dog is uncomfortable)

And I would actually take the money for the vets bill from the other dog owner OP, purely on the fact that he's got away with it once, if it doesn't hurt the owner in his pocket then it's likely to happen again. If it costs him a hundred quid this time he'll be quicker to make sure the gate is closed hereafter!

Thank you very much for your answer. My dog seems much happier today and has had me busy playing fetch/ soccer all day.

I have 1 more question though. He likes to lick the cut. He doesn't try to pull the stitches or anything. He just licks it once in a while. I'm afraid that if its infected he might get sick. We thought of putting a bandage on it but I think he'd pull it off plus the air is probably good for it. Is ut bad that he licks it

aonb

Its very natural for any dog to lick a wound. Where exactly is the wound? As the wound heals it will get a little itcy/dry/tight - so he may be inclined to lick it a bit more. If he is worrying the stitches then you may need to get a cone to prevent that, but if the vet didnt suggest one initially it sounds like he cant reach them? DONT be afraid to phone your vet to ask these questions - you will probably get through to the veterinary nurse who will be more than happy to help with questions on wound care etc. Is your dog still on antibiotics?

Oh and as other said, I would avoid walking past the 'scene of the crime' again for a while if possible. Hope he gets over the trauma quickly (and your dad too!)

boodlesdoodles

OPI I've no advice for you, you've gotten great stuff so far. Just to let you know they recover and do move on from it. My Westie was attacked by a Kerry Blue a few years ago, similar wound etc. took him a couple of days to bounce back but he was soon himself. Only legacy of it is that he hates black dogs, goes bananas when he sees them. Other dogs don't bother him thankfully. Hope your little guy doing well this evening.