Caring for a Superficial Laceration on a Dog

A superficial laceration on your dog is the canine equivalent of a skinned knee or a paper cut: It is not the type of injury that requires a trip to the veterinarian. Nevertheless, you may need to provide your pet with some basic first aid treatment in order to ensure quick healing and reduce the risk of the wound becoming infected. Superficial lacerations are generally not long-term problems for pets; they should heal more or less on their own when given adequate time.

  1. Diagnosing a Superficial Laceration

    • A superficial laceration typically consists of a scrape, a small cut in the skin or another minor injury. The hair in the area may be missing, along with several layers of skin. A superficial laceration does not bleed heavily. Blood does not spurt from the wound or flow for long periods of time. A superficial laceration will not need stitches or staples and does not go much deeper than the skin. If a laceration is severe or becomes infected, take the dog to a veterinarian.

    Clean the Wound

    • The first thing to do for any superficial laceration is clean the area where your dog is injured. Use rubbing alcohol or another antiseptic wash to clean dirt, hair and other debris from the site of the wound. Rinse the wound thoroughly with a sterile saline solution and allow the area to air-dry.

    Ointments

    • If the wound is shallow and dry, apply a basic antibacterial ointment to the injury. The ointment will keep the laceration from becoming infected and will keep insects and other debris out of the skin. Ointments should be thick enough to stay in place on the skin, and nontoxic in case the dog licks or attempts to chew on the wound. If your dog is inclined to chew on the wound, you will need to use a cone-style veterinary collar, called an Elizabethan collar or an E-collar, to prevent the dog from making the wound more severe.

    Bandaging

    • In some cases, you may decide to bandage a superficial cut. Bandaging is good for covering wounds that are wet, bleeding slightly or inclined to ooze. The area you bandage needs to be cleaned as completely as possible and dried thoroughly before you apply a clean bandage. Coat the laceration in antibiotic ointment, cover it with gauze and apply a veterinary bandage over the top of the gauze. Make sure not to wrap the bandage too tightly. It should be snug but not tight enough to cut off the animal's circulation.