How to Keep a Bandage on My Dog's Upper Leg

Various types of injuries, wounds and other skin conditions might require that your dog have a bandage wrapped around the upper leg. However, if your dog can reach this area, it can be challenging to keep the bandage on. As the skin begins to heal, it will also start to itch, and your dog might be dead set on getting that bandage off. There are a few things that you can try to help keep the bandage on your dog's upper leg while the skin heals.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic bag
  • Elizabethan collar
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Instructions

    • 1

      Monitor the bandage on your dog's leg. Your dog should be supervised as much as possible and kept indoors while the skin heals, except to urinate or defecate. At least twice a day, examine the bandage carefully.

    • 2

      Reposition the bandage as necessary. If the bandage starts to slip down your dog's leg, it will bunch up and become more irritating. Keeping it in place will make it less irritating so there's less of a chance that your dog will try to remove it.

    • 3

      Cover the bandage on your dog's leg with a plastic bag temporarily when your dog goes outside. If the bandage gets wet, it can be more irritating, which will cause your dog to try to remove it. Remove the bag as soon as your dog is back indoors.

    • 4

      Change the bandage as recommended by your veterinarian or when it gets dirty or wet. When you change it, make sure the bandage is not too tight or too loose. If it's too loose, it will slip easily down your dog's leg. A bandage that is too tight can cause swelling, redness, chaffing or discharge. Watch out for these signs.

    • 5

      Put an Elizabethan collar on your dog if you simply cannot get your dog to stop chewing at the bandage or trying to remove it. This type of collar should be fitted by your veterinarian. It's highly effective at keeping the bandage on your dog's upper leg but should only be used as a last resort or if recommended by your vet.