How to Treat Pet Scrapes at Home

Many animals at one time or another come home with a small scrape or wound. If the scrape is topical and your pet does not appear to be in pain or acting out of character, you can fix the scrape yourself instead. However, before you decide to fix the scrape yourself, look for signs of a larger problem such as heavy bleeding or broken bones, which require the help of your veterinarian.

Things You'll Need

  • Petroleum jelly
  • Blunt-nosed scissors
  • Antiseptic cleanser
  • Bowl
  • Water
  • Sterile cotton gauze
  • Anti-bacterial ointment
  • Povidone-iodine
  • First-aid tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Calm your animal down and have the animal sit close to you. Settling the animal down prevents further injury and also gives you the chance to carefully look at the wound without your animal running around or trying to nip at you.

    • 2

      Cover the scrape with petroleum jelly. The petroleum jelly prevents hair clippings and dirt from falling into the scrape while you cut away the fur.

    • 3

      Gently clip away any fur up to one inch around the scrape. Use a pair of blunt nosed scissors or a pair of electric clippers for animals. If you use clippers, exercise caution if the scrape is large so you don't injure your animal further.

    • 4

      Wipe away the petroleum jelly with a sterile gauze cloth and clean the scrape with a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide cleanser. Fill a small bowl halfway with lukewarm water. Add two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide to the water. Fill a syringe with the solution and flush out the scrape.

    • 5

      Soak a sterile cotton gauze in the solution. Gently apply the cloth to the scrape, lightly dabbing the area. This helps remove any dirt and debris from the scrape while also killing any bacteria.

    • 6

      Pat the fur around the wound dry if wet. If the animal can't reach the scrape with its tongue, apply anti-bacterial ointment. Cover large scrapes with sterile gauze and tape. Place the gauze over the scrape and secure with first-aid tape. If your animal can reach the wound, leave it uncovered and do not use anti-bacterial ointment. Instead, check the wound daily for signs of healing. Flush out the wound as needed with a solution of one part povidone-iodine to 10 parts water.