# Healing a wound.



## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Hi all. I searched the forum and did not find much, I hope this is not a re-post... but here we go.

My dog 5.5 year Male Malinois was bit by a border collie on the leg 3 weeks ago.

So I took him into the vet, they cleaned the wound, shaved the area, stapled it, and gave him some meds for inflammation and antibiotics. 
All was fine until the next morning, he ripped the staples out, so I took him back, they stapled him again, and gave me a cone for his head.

That night I was away from him for 1.5 hours, he ripped the cone off, and by the time I got home, had ripped the staples out again.

So I took him to the E-vet, they gave him some Acevet to get him to chill out, put a cone on him, stitched him, and by the time the paper work was done, he had slipped the cone off and ripped the stitches out. AT THE VET!
The E-vet was angry, said he's never seen a dog do that before. I laughted and said "you've probably never stitched a Malinois before".

After talking with the E-vet, he said our best bet was to let the wound heal on it's own, at this point about a one inch circle.

So that was several weeks ago, it's healing... slowly. He just on antibiotics now.

I'm wonder if anyone has had to deal with a dog with such an issue. His neck is very thick, and his head is small, so he can easily get the cone off. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm going to try a muzzle, it seems like the only option at this point. Any ideas to keep him from licking the wound, I want it to dry up and scab. Any ideas also to aid the wound in healing faster?

Thanks!


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

give him lots and lots of nice big beefy bones that taste better than himself ??


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

If they can stick the tongue though one little hole in the muzzle, they can still find a way to lick.  I think something more solid, like a Jafco, would work better than an open design like the wire basket types.

I don't do cones, but my guys are good about not messing with injuries either.


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Anna Kasho said:


> If they can stick the tongue though one little hole in the muzzle, they can still find a way to lick.  I think something more solid, like a Jafco, would work better than an open design like the wire basket types.
> 
> I don't do cones, but my guys are good about not messing with injuries either.


I have a jafco I can use. I'll give it a go.


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

A muzzle will help, as long as he doesn't start rubbing at the wound with it, he could do a lot of damage just with the rubbing.

When I have a dog who is insistent about trying to get at a wound, I will loosely wrap the wound, and then on the other leg put on a much snugger wrap. Something that's going to be a little irritating. It gives the dog something else to focus on, and worry out, and helps them leave the wound alone. 

Another trick that can work is to wrap the wound well, and put a layer of tape over the entire thing. Then lightly spray it with something nasty, vinegar, bitter apple, a spicy spray, etc. You don't want it to get into the bandage at all, it could really hurt if it got on the wound, but enough that it will deter the dog from worrying at the bandage.

Most of my dogs are pretty good about leaving a bandage alone though.


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## Edward Egan (Mar 4, 2009)

Have you use that product liquid bandage called New Skin? Maybe that would help keep the wound clean and heal faster.


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## Jeanne Meldrim (Mar 27, 2008)

Depending on exactly where the wound is, you could try one of these collars: http://www.bitenot.com/

Sometimes this won't work because the wound is within the dog's reach.


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

I've just gone through the exact same bs with my mal a few weeks ago. One of my Dutchies put a whole in him right on the flank while they were running around playing. Stitched, restitched.. multiple cones smashed.. Here's what finally worked.

First, duct tape the crap out of the plastic cone. Inside and out and all around. They can't smash it this way and if you do multiple layers of duct tape or even better weave it that cone becomes next to indestructible. I have muzzles, but he just kept rubbing the wound, made it worse. So he got to wear the indestructo-duct tape-o cone. Worked like a charm even when smashed into door ways at full speed. 

His would had to get cleaned out in surgery so he had a pretty big hole when he ripped his last set of stitches out. I tried every thing I could think of to wrap it up and keep it closed, nothing worked so I left it alone and regularly a few times per day soaked the area with Manuka honey. 

Dog in down stay, pour it on, let it sit for a few min, it drips down, wipe up the mess, 5min later dog can go. It's freakin amazing how fast things started to heel up as soon as I started applying the honey, pretty much in front of my eyes from one day to another I could see tissue growing. When it closed up enough I took the cone off and he was allowed to lick after each honey treatment (helped me clean up) then the cone would go back on so he wouldn't become obsessed with it (he loved the taste). When it was a bit more heeled up, cone came off full time.


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

the original wound









after he ripped out the last set of stitches









close up









first day of applying manuka honey

How things progressed from there...

















2nd day of honey





























4 days later









8 days later


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> A muzzle will help, as long as he doesn't start rubbing at the wound with it, he could do a lot of damage just with the rubbing.
> 
> When I have a dog who is insistent about trying to get at a wound, I will loosely wrap the wound, and then on the other leg put on a much snugger wrap. Something that's going to be a little irritating. It gives the dog something else to focus on, and worry out, and helps them leave the wound alone.
> 
> ...


Wrapping, and adding bitter apple, and tape... he ripped those off within 30 sec of me going to the bathroom.... Great tips though!


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Jeanne Meldrim said:


> Depending on exactly where the wound is, you could try one of these collars: http://www.bitenot.com/
> 
> Sometimes this won't work because the wound is within the dog's reach.


That might actually work, It will take a few weeks to get it here in Canada, as they don't have a Canadian Distributor.... but it's worth a shot. Thanks a million!


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> A muzzle will help, as long as he doesn't start rubbing at the wound with it, he could do a lot of damage just with the rubbing.
> 
> 
> \


That was the reason I did not use it yet... I didn't want him to do more damage to it.
Maybe muzzling and bandaging would do it


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Marta Wajngarten said:


> I've just gone through the exact same bs with my mal a few weeks ago. One of my Dutchies put a whole in him right on the flank while they were running around playing. Stitched, restitched.. multiple cones smashed.. Here's what finally worked.
> 
> First, duct tape the crap out of the plastic cone. Inside and out and all around. They can't smash it this way and if you do multiple layers of duct tape or even better weave it that cone becomes next to indestructible. I have muzzles, but he just kept rubbing the wound, made it worse. So he got to wear the indestructo-duct tape-o cone. Worked like a charm even when smashed into door ways at full speed.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for posting, the only thing right now is him getting the cone off. He somehow slips it off his head. So I'll have to get something other than a cone, and start with the honey.

Marta, Questions: Was this dog on antibiotics while you were doing this?

Thanks a million everything!


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

Ted Efthymiadis said:


> Thank you so much for posting, the only thing right now is him getting the cone off. He somehow slips it off his head. So I'll have to get something other than a cone, and start with the honey.
> 
> Marta, Questions: Was this dog on antibiotics while you were doing this?
> 
> Thanks a million everything!


Yes he was also still on antibiotics. Mine would slip the cone off too unless it was attached to a fairly tight collar (tight enough that he can't slip it off his head).


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Ted,

Try a really wide agitation collar like 2" or more, so he can't move his head to the side, while you wait for the bite not


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Would a trimmed down weight belt (around his neck) work? I skimmed the posts so I am not sure if you said you tried using a really wide object around the neck so he'd not be able to access it so easily.

I work with a musher who uses buckets. Exactly how she uses them I am not sure but I might be a better option than the cone? Let me know if you want me to find out more details from her.

Ah, I just saw that bitenot collar above. That's what I was thinking of when I suggested the weight belt. I wonder how well those work.


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## Kellie Wolverton (Jan 16, 2009)

We have used a large bath towel. Folded lengthwise and the wrappped around the neck, held on with duct tape. That pretty much makes it impossible to bend the neck to reach any part of their body. Good luck!


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

A 5 gallon paint bucket works with some dogs, if you have a way to cut out a hole and make flaps to fit over their head. A Jafco plus a standard e-collar will often work too, but don't use the clear plastic ones, they tend to crack and break. 

I like raw honey for wounds and bandaging. The osmotic gradient in honey and sugar are used to promote granulation tissue to come in and form. But as Marta mentioned, the key is to not let them get them really licking at it.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Omg, sorry Ted. I went through this when I cut my mal this winter. Turns out she likes the taste of bitter apple, even a full squirt in her mouth did not cause an aversion. Cone didn't work for my pin head either. I did use a nice hand made muzzle, and that worked for a day or so before she somehow got it off and ate half of it. I hadn't even payed for the muzzle yet... Grrrr.

I ended up having to put her in a wire crate and alwAys have someone with eyes on her. I pawned her off on my dispatchers while I was working.

I have used raw honey with success with my Toller, but didn't want to add to the temptation with the mal. Good luck.

Sent from iphone


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

The muzzle before she got it off and shredded it. I was lucky to have caught her early and she only got a couple of the stitches out. Let me know how the Jafco works out for you.


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Marta Wajngarten said:


> Yes he was also still on antibiotics. Mine would slip the cone off too unless it was attached to a fairly tight collar (tight enough that he can't slip it off his head).


Thanks for the post!
I tried the Manuka last night , I was able to keep a bandage on him for 8 hours last night while he slept beside our bed to keep an eye on him. Thank God... and much to my excitement, it actually worked very well in creating tissue! I think I'll only need a few more days of honey and he will be back in shape!.

Thanks for posting the info and photos, hope your dog is doing well!


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Nicole Stark said:


> Would a trimmed down weight belt (around his neck) work?


I am heading out to buy one right now, I'll let you guys know how it works... great idea!

The bitenot is not for sale in Canada, and would take several weeks to ship one here from the USA....


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Kellie Wolverton said:


> We have used a large bath towel. Folded lengthwise and the wrappped around the neck, held on with duct tape. That pretty much makes it impossible to bend the neck to reach any part of their body. Good luck!


Great idea, I'm going to try a weight lifting belt, I'm trim it down as one of the last posters had recommended.


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> Omg, sorry Ted. I went through this when I cut my mal this winter. Turns out she likes the taste of bitter apple, even a full squirt in her mouth did not cause an aversion. Cone didn't work for my pin head either. I did use a nice hand made muzzle, and that worked for a day or so before she somehow got it off and ate half of it. I hadn't even payed for the muzzle yet... Grrrr.
> 
> I ended up having to put her in a wire crate and alwAys have someone with eyes on her. I pawned her off on my dispatchers while I was working.
> 
> ...


Mine likes Bitter apple too hahaha.
Too bad my wife just started a new job.... usually I could have someone watching him 24/7, but not now that she's working. That little bugger would wait until I went to the bathroom to pull out stitches hahaha.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

I have to leave my dog each day for a few hours to visit my husband in hospital and I use the age-old funnel. It's made of hard plastic and I can thread a fairly broad leather collar through it which I tighten enough but not to cut of his air supply! It's easy to put on him (especially under promise of "Pansen" (dried innards of some sort which stink to heaven)).

When I'm at home I bandage the wound and it has now nearly healed but he still wants to lick it so I have bound a self-adhesive bandage round it (I have left off the gauze) and over this I have stretched one leg of a nylon tight and knotted it at the top. The weather here is warm so a ski sock would be too warm. Always cut off the tights or ski sock foot as the dog will drag this off by walking.

When he starts licking in the night, I scold him and then when he stops I stroke his spine and whisper sweet nothings into his hear - if this doesn't work, I clip him around the ears!!! In time this works. It's hard to scold a dog for doing something that is not inobedient but whatever - if it leads to success!!

Someone suggested the muzzle but as we had two dogs in the house at the time I thought it inadvisable. I afterwards saw after 10 minutes of trying to put a muzzle on the younger dog, only to have him pull it off a few minutes later, how futile this could be (although the muzzles were probably not the best and newest).

http://www.blickwinkel.de/archive/BLWS008529


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Gillian Schuler said:


> I have to leave my dog each day for a few hours to visit my husband in hospital and I use the age-old funnel. It's made of hard plastic and I can thread a fairly broad leather collar through it which I tighten enough but not to cut of his air supply! It's easy to put on him (especially under promise of "Pansen" (dried innards of some sort which stink to heaven)).
> 
> When I'm at home I bandage the wound and it has now nearly healed but he still wants to lick it so I have bound a self-adhesive bandage round it (I have left off the gauze) and over this I have stretched one leg of a nylon tight and knotted it at the top. The weather here is warm so a ski sock would be too warm. Always cut off the tights or ski sock foot as the dog will drag this off by walking.
> 
> ...


I have tried many of these, and he can rip them off his head.


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Thomas Barriano said:


> Ted,
> 
> Try a really wide agitation collar like 2" or more, so he can't move his head to the side, while you wait for the bite not


I have a 2in agitation collar, but it did not work.
So I went to a gym, and bought a work out belt. 4inch
I made many cuts, holes and such, and made it fit perfectly. 
He can't bend enough with it on to lick the wound.... so I should do the trick!

Thanks for the idea guys!

A combination of the belt collar, and the honey is doing wonders! Next time something like this happens i'll save hundreds of vet trips!


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Very glad to hear that Ted. He should be on the mend now, good deal for both of you!


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Nicole Stark said:


> Very glad to hear that Ted. He should be on the mend now, good deal for both of you!


And my female is getting spayed in a few weeks, so I can use it on her too


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

I like that! Will have to keep that in mind for the next cone worthy time.


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Marta Wajngarten said:


> I like that! Will have to keep that in mind for the next cone worthy time.


I bought the 4 inch model.

http://www.fitnessscape.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000002/Heavy-Duty-Enforcer-Weight-Belts.jpg


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