This article will tell you everything you need to know about dog paw injuries. These injuries can vary widely and the signs are not always clear. That’s why I am listing these for you so that you have them in the back of your mind in the future.
You can call Vet Hospital or Animal Ambulance Number
So your dog is limping or showing you in some other way that something is wrong with one of its legs / paws.
Step number one is always always always here:
1. Calm down your dog and make him feel that you are helping him now and that you are there for him.
I know it’s far from easy, especially when the injury is really severe. But panic doesn’t help anyone.
If in doubt, put a muzzle on your dog or use another, longer piece of material to tie the mouth shut. Here you can also take a gauze bandage, put it around your mouth, tie a knot there and knot it again behind your head. Even the most beloved dogs can bite desperately when they are in pain and we suddenly worsen it. And you should protect yourself from that, because now having a bite wound on you will definitely not make the situation any better.
1 b. If you are out and about or in your car, you should leash or secure your dog right now.
Because he can of course react to the sudden pain with an impulse to flee.
Just take a first aid course for dogs!
Because if you have all the prior knowledge, you are not only safer and calmer in an emergency, but you really know what to do
A few years ago I took a first aid course from a veterinarian and really learned a lot in the process. And above all, get the certainty that I would know what to do in an emergency.
And of course I could also react if I see an emergency in another dog.
But let’s move on to the FIRST AID steps for your dog.
2. Bring your dog into a stable side position
Do you still vaguely remember your first aid course before your driver’s license? Yes a? Top! Just like with humans, the stable side position is the position in which you can keep your dog’s airways free and examine him in peace. You are probably asking yourself directly: But what do I do if my dog does not want to lie down?
In this case you can – ideally with a helper – take hold of the front and rear legs, lift them up slightly and let them slide slowly into the side position. It is ideal if the helper holds the body and helps you with the “sliding movement” and supports you.
This is of course easier with small dogs and you should just practice it on your healthy dog so that you know what to do in an emergency.
Please note with the stable side position:
- the head, back and spine form a straight line
- Front and rear legs should be pulled apart
- if your dog passes out, straighten his head, open his mouth and pull out his tongue so he can breathe easily
2 B. If the dog’s paw is bleeding heavily, apply a pressure bandage
You can use the “first aid kit” in your car or you should buy the following items for your medicine cabinet:
- at least two gauze bandages, preferably three or more
- padding material such as cotton wool
- adhesive strips to fix the pressure bandage
And no matter what you find, I would always take it straight to the vet!
So, I would be happy if you could take a few things with you and feel more secure if your dog gets injured. And hope all the more that nothing ever happens because you are so well prepared.
In the second part of my series on dog paw injuries, I tell you in detail how to examine your dog if it indicates a dog paw injury. And then, of course, how you take care of them – that is, make a paw bandage.