If your pet suffers a serious wound, then of course you'd want to take them to the veterinarian. But most minor scrapes and scratches can be treated at home, just as you would treat your own scrapes and scratches at home. As a pet owner, you should keep a set of supplies on hand for basic pet wound care. Here are the basic items you'll need.
Iodine Solution
Cleaning a wound with iodine is a great first step as it rinses out any debris and kills potentially infectious bacteria. You can buy a 10% iodine solution at most pet stores. It's brownish-red in color and as runny as water. A little bottle should be all you need since you'll only use a squirt or two each time your pet is injured.
Antibiotic Ointment
To prevent a wound from becoming infected, you will want to apply an antibiotic ointment. Make sure you buy one made specifically for animals. Formulas made for humans are not always safe to use on pets, since your pet might lick the ointment off their wound. If possible, look for an ointment that comes in a tube rather than a tub. This way, you won't risk contaminating the rest of the product by dipping your fingers into a tub.
Gauze
Gauze can be really useful if you need to cover a wound. Unlike cotton, it will not shred apart and get stuck in the wound. You can find gauze pads and gauze rolls at most pet stores. Either is fine. The rolls are more versatile if you need to wrap the gauze around your pet's leg at some point.
Vet Wrap
Vet wrap is a stretchy bandage that sticks to itself. It can be really useful for wrapping injured legs. You put it over the gauze roll to hold the gauze roll in place. Vet wrap comes in a few different widths. If you have a smaller pet, buy a narrower roll.
Tweezers
Tweezers might seem like a strange item to keep in your wound care kit, but they can really come in handy. If your pet has a splinter in their wound, tweezers make it easy to pull out. You can also use them to pull out any stray hairs or remove a stuck bandage.
With the items above on-hand, you'll be well prepared to deal with any minor wound your pet suffers. Talk to your vet for more tips and advice, or if you believe your pet is injured more seriously.
To learn more about over the counter pet wound care, contact your local pet supply store.