got a nasty bite - Page 2

iodine has served a lot of people over a long time for infection control on wounds.

i want to add a disclaimer to the H2O2 post, it is nasty on the skin and dilution is necessary if used at all - better to stick to the other options mentioned.

I used to do visiting nursing, and about 50% of my caseload was wound care. Our company made every effort to ensure their nurses' knowledge and skills were up to date with the latest information and techniques. Iodine is good for cleaning the skin, but is damaging to the delicate tissue below the surface of the skin. This has been proven by many scientific studies. We used it a lot on diabetic foot ulcers that were already gangrenous, because the tissue was already dead or dying, and since it is very drying to the skin and tissue, it helped prevent dry gangrene becoming wet gangrene, which is much more dangerous.

Any doctor that is still using peroxide, iodine or [shudder] hygeol (which is actually dilute bleach!) to treat wounds below the surface of the skin SERIOUSLY needs to update his/her skills! 

The most dangerous bites are cat bites, and small dog bites, as they inject bacteria deep into the tissue, then tend to close over, trapping the bacteria, which multiply freely in the war, moist anaerobic environment. Before you know it, you have a hot, painful swelling, with red streaks extending up the limb/digit. This used to be called 'blood poisoning' and is now called 'cellulitis' and is a sign the infection has gone from local to systemic (spreading throughout the body). At this point, antibiotics are a must, and if you delay too long, you'll need IV antibiotics, and will be getting a visit from you friendly neighbourhood viisiting nurse to administer them (used to be me!)

Large dog bites tend to do more surface damage, and the skin has a much higher resistance to infection than the layers underneath it. Even if they do penetrate below the skin, generally they remain open, so infection can drain, and is therefore less likely to spread.

I had a little mixed breed nail me while I was clipping his nails. I ran upstairs and doused the bite with peroxide, then washed the hand with soap and water. I also applied polysporin and a bandage. 24 hours later, the finger was so swollen and painful I was unable to bend it, and the redness and swelling were starting to extend into my hand. We gave that particular client a discount on the dog, as he was elderly and poor (previous owners of the kennel used to do the dog for free!), so it was $5 for the nail clip and $30 for antibiotics. I haven't touched the dog since. I let the groomer take the risk (and we make sure we muzzle him, too!)

The part of the bite that got infected was the smallest of the wounds from his canines, the one that pretty much closed over immediately.
 

Sunsilver is correct about use of Peroxide or Iodine...Iodine is great for Fungi but Dr Oz even announced last year on three or more of his shows on TV that Peroxide damages the good tissue worse than the infection...Irrigate with saline solution

My son got bit by something last month and it got majorily infected  Come to find out staph had attacked it..only 2 visits to local hospital and many to drs offices may have added the nasty staph devil to his low immune system over the last 3 yrs of fighting the surgical proceedures of amputation ..They healed but this bite got major infection and the doc just irrigated it with saline and gave him an antibiotic....he was to irrigate it daily with saline solution

Salt water or swimming in it is great...Iodine did good for cleaning for surgeries and has helped some wounds before drs found out scarring was eminent

Peroxide is used now as a cleaner for house and to induce vomiting in your dogs if they swallow something dangerous or poisonous.

YR

I guess you'll learn to move your hands out of the way faster :)

Like I told you VK4,
let the dog lick it clean.......:)


Try not to pick your nose or scratch your arse with it until after it heals.

And since someone else's dog started it, next time shoot the dog.

I just watched the video, and I LOVE the look on the dog's face! It so clearly says "I'm sorry! I didn't MEAN to hurt you!"

YR is right about the salt water. I remember a story about a sailor whose boat was blown up by the enemy. He was wounded in the legs in the attack, but he and some of his buddies managed to survive by clinging to the wreckage.

When he was finally rescued and seen by a doctor, the doctor exclaimed over how good the wounds looked. "What have you been doing for them?" he asked.

"Soaking them in salt water for 3 days!" the sailor replied.

The best wound care I've found is this stuff called Vetericyn.. It's a antimicrobial, it doesn't damage tissue and can be used as irrigation and topical treatment.. The stuffs great, I use it on the horses, goats, dogs, chickens.. I started using it when I get scraped or cut.. Works really fast, have not had anything get infected when I use it.. Sure it's not labeled for human use, but... LoL

What is actually IN Vetericyn?  I have a small thing of it in my dogs' kit but am still skeptical that it's not just distilled water, lol.

Vetericyn is a strong oxidant - it disrupts the cell structure of the pathogens (germs) and adds oxygen to the wound area, speeding healing times.
Vetericyn works because it is similar to what are released by the body's own immune system to fight disease-causing organisms. Neutrophils, part of the white blood cell team, release oxychorine compounds to get rid of these invaders. Vetericyn is a similar oxychorine compound, producing a similar effect

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/veterinaryqa/a/Vetericyn.htm

I just copied a it from a vet medicine site..

One-step topical solution/spray that cleans wounds, treats infection and kills pathogens including antibiotic-resistant MRSA.

WITH REVOLUTIONARY MICROCYN^® TECHNOLOGY

One-step topical spray that cleans wounds, treats infection and kills bacteria including antibiotic-resistant MRSA. Use to treat hot spots, bites, cuts, outer ear infections, yeast infections and rashes. This steroid-free, antibiotic-free, no-rinse solution is non-toxic and speeds healing. Vetericyn^® Wound and Infection Treatment is based on FDA-cleared Microcyn^® Technology. This revolutionary antimicrobial wound treatment kills antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria as well as fungi, viruses and spores. An oxychlorine compound similar to that produced by the animal’s own immune system, Vetericyn will not harm healthy tissue. Being pH neutral, it will not sting when applied.

I'm not really sure how it works so well, ut it does..