This is not instead of veterinary care, all information on this post is in regards to how we would handle minor cuts, it is not instructional.
Mirar got a cut today ratting so I’m going to take this opportunity to talk about first aid. This is aimed at ferrets but can be used for other animals.
First aid is a must have, and although I send the ferret world e-book to buyers it’s more useful to have a quick go to like this when its needed.
Since he has been down holes etc and was a bit cold and wet I started with a shower. I always have cat shampoo for this but baby shampoo or a neutral soap/shampoo will do in a pinch. After that he gets a good rub down with a clean towel, and he and the towel are popped in a carrier to dry off a bit more. This isn't needed unless there is a chance of getting the wound dirty, in fact it can stress out some animals if they're not used to bathing.
Warning: animals in pain can bite. Even if a pet is a total sweetheart, like Mirar I'm prepared to use a muzzle or scruff or wrap in a towel. I also need to wash hand with good soap and warm water before doing any touching of the wound. Everything must be clean, the table, the hands, anything used to dress it.
To clean the wound, I use weak hibiscrub, the stuff they use at hospitals, but can use warm or cooled saline solution made with boiled water so it’s sterile. This can sting but it needs to get cleaned. Hibiscrub is too strong for general wound maintenance but I like it for initial cleaning because it kills bacteria and leaves healthy skin cells as the bottom of the wound. Cotton wool is good for cleaning as long as its not the stuff that bits flake off from, I dispose of the used swabs and clean outwards from the middle of the wound.
Next I can put a bit of pet safe antibiotic cream on it, or sudocreme, or even Vaseline on to dress the wound. Firstly, antibiotics are very useful here because I need to keep an eye out for infection and these can prevent it, but I also want to find something to form a skin over the wound. This keeps bits of litter and bedding out of it but also keeps it damp so the skin can heal faster.
We need to keep an eye out for infection. Any smell, puss or swelling and redness might be signs of something needing a bit more help. It is best to give the wound a clean with saline solution every day and a fresh dressing. This prevents infection and gives us an opportunity to inspect the wound.
We also want to watch out for any signs of lethargy, dizziness, being off their food etc. If we notice something off behaviour wise we go to the vet. As always, I cannot stress enough you know your pet best, trust yourself, so if we think there's something wrong but the vet doesn't we'd push for tests or at the very least antibiotics.
Until next time xx