That has been a bunch of help guys, as ALWAYS, a big THANK YOU.

rompum or ace and staple um up only if they need it. but most of our cuts are in the chest or under the chin where the cant lick it i will hydro it 5 minutes a day and give penicillin every other day.

My dad used super glue on our Cur female when she ripped the hide on her shoulder. He left a spot open on the bottom for drainage, and kept it covered so she couldn't undo it.
It worked great, and FAST! The vet confirmed that that was a good practice, especially as we live so far from anywhere!

~Ben

I carry a suture kit in my trauma bag. It has a razor to shave the hair, irrigation syringe, hemostats and any other utencil that may be needed. I have steri strips as well. I also have lidocaine w/syringe to numb the area. Unfortunatly, I have some experience at this. Not on a dog but I did stich up my brother (TWICE). And one of my buddies when he cut his calf open taking out the trash...broken glass....as far as a dog goes, the staple gun seems like its the best tool for that job. Nice and quick.

Gonza that stuff I was telling you about is called Vetericyn vetericyn.com

Thanks Devin, I am gonna have to look into getting some.

The only thing I would add is, if the abdominal wall is cut completely through (where you can see the intestines or they are hanging out) I would get to a vet as quick as possible as there are "layers" and they must all be repaired. This info came from a vet, I don't KNOW but having seen a dog in that condition once I wouldn't want to tackle it myself. I have done a bit of doctoring and never lost a dog, but I think you kind of need to know your limitations. A lot depends on how much you value the animal and whether or not it is suffering. I have called vets to get their advice and I've never been refused information. Hope this is helpful. ----Ben Jimmy

Also, you might take into consideration the heat & flies. If an animal suffers from a broken limb seperate it from others in its own pen, no chains.

I AM NOT A VET. Any advice given should be checked with your vet. I have had a kennel most of my life and in extreme cases of trauma these methods have worked very well for me.
There are many ways to rehab a dog and my way is only one of them. I would strongly suggest you locate a veterinarian that will teach and work with you.
As many of you know keeping a large amount of dogs is VERY expensive and having your vet teach you how to take care of your dogs yourself will save you much time and money not to mention increase your knowledge and improve the quality of life of your dogs.
With that said....
I think the most important thing with wounds is keeping them clean.
1) Wash affected areas with Betidine scrub and rinse with warm water.
2) Staple large open wounds and leave part of it open to drain. Once stapled take a tube of triple antibiotic ointment and put the tip in every wound and pump in some ointment (this creates a nice wound barrier to keep bacteria out and promote healing).
If after a few days the wounds are not swollen and have formed a nice scab LEAVE THEM ALONE. A scab on a wound that is not infected is nature’s own band aid. Keeping them dry and clean is a good thing.
Some have used and swear by Granulex Spray
http://www.southwestmedical.com/products....uired-2850.html
I have not used it but hear many good things from reliable sources.
3) If you think they need antibiotics polyflex is a very good one for bite wounds (see your vet for dose info).
http://www.shopmedvet.com/product/605/rxa
If after a week series of injectables you have a wound or two that is being stubborn stop the injectable and switch up with a series of oral baytril, or if orals are more convenient use baytil only (see vet for dose info).
http://www.discountpetmedicines.com/baytril-antibiotic.htm
Some cases may require injections of Azium or dexamethasone? Dexamethasone is an inexpensive drug usually made for horses but can also be used on canines. Dex can be great for reducing swelling and allowing wounds to close quickly speeding up rehab. However, it is a corticosteroid that acts as a diuretic and will dehydrate your dog. To compensate this you can either put water in your dogs feed, and give them broth in the evenings to make sure they are drinking enough fluids (sometimes when it is cold dogs will not drink much) or you can give fluids either IV, or SQ. You can check your dog’s hydration by grabbing a pinch of skin along the spine in between the hips and beginning of the rib cage and pull upward and let it go. If the dog is at a working weight (lean) and hydrated it will snap right back. If the dog is slightly dehydrated it will take 1 second. If it is severely dehydrated it will take a count of 3, or more and will require immediate fluids either orally or via SQ, or IV. Dex can suppress immune system, and can be hard on kidneys and the liver. I usually only use it in rare instances and only for 3 days (check with your vet for dose info, etc).
If your dog has had a kennel fight, or experienced a similar bite wound and you have a lump under the skin the size of a cherry, walnut, or larger that does not have a hole to drain. You can take a 3 cc syringe and pull out the plunger and with a 22, or 18 gauge needle you can take the knot in your fingers and poke it a few times with the syringe and the extra fluid with milk out. You may have to do this twice a day until the lump is gone. Otherwise it may not re absorb and your dog will be left with a hematoma.
http://www.medicinenet.com/hematoma/article.htm
Dog should be kept in a clean dry area to rehab. If they are really beat keeping them in a crate lined with newspaper is a good idea. This can help keep debris from getting into open wounds causing an infection. If you rehab one this way you will have to take them out to empty often.
Common sense is the rule. Keep your dog warm (a dog that is beat can slip into shock if left in the cold to rehab) and clean and in most cases as shawn said you will not need antibiotic injectables.
Good working dogs work hard for us and I always figure the least we can do is make an effort to care for them properly afterward.

PS: Many wounds that are only about 1 in long by 1/2 inch wide if kept clean will close. Stapling large wounds shut leaving a small section up for draining does two things. 1st the healing time is MUCH faster, and the chance of bacteria and debri getting into the wound is GREATLY reduced.

Super Glue:
It SUCKS!
your dog may be more annoyed by that hard crap that is closing the wound than the wound itself and may chew at the wound until it gets it off making it worst than it originally was.
Keep it simple.
1) Wash em with anitseptic scrub
2) Put antibiotic ointment in their wounds
3) Keep em in a warm, clean, dry area to rehab.
4) If wounds are severe be proactive and give give oral, or injectable antibiotics.

New here, but have raised dogs for many years. We have used staples and super glue when we needed to close up a wound. You need to leave space for it to drain think "tacking" the wound closed rather than closing it completely. Super glue works best where the dog can't get to it to lick it. I have also used colidial silver to rinse out the wounds and it works well for wounds in the mouth. As far as injectible antibiotics it is better to prevent the infection than to wait till one sets in and then fighting it. Cephalexin works well as does Baytril for stubborn infections. Pen G works for mild stuff. Good Luck...

Good info. For mouth I'd add just treat your dog as you would yourself. After eating flush with water (hose, etc) then in a large syringe a 1 part listerine 2 parts water flush works fine too.

Gonzaga do you have any state aided hospitals ? If so try get friendly with someone there and they could maybe source you sterile needles and thread.

I have a very useful supplier I even get local anaesthetic , saline drips etc.

Give it a try or even a paramedic buddy may be able to source it for you.Vets are generally unhelpfull in this respect - money grabbers !! The more you can help yourself the better. Last year my leopard season cost me R 114 000.00 in vet bills alone.They see you coming a mile off and know you're in a jam cause your hounds are valuable and they take advantage accordingly.

My closest vet is 70 km away and they wont even let our local registered drug store owner keep tick and flee repelent and sell it on their behalf - we got to buy it from them.

Wish we had access to those staple guns you guys can get. Good luck.

Roy Sparks.

I've never used the staples cause i've had them in me before and they hurt like [beeep] when they need to be removed> I just use a needle and like 4lb. fishing line and it works for me. Mike

I cannot argue much with any of these options. Just a couple of thoughts or "pearls".

Love a staple gun as it is quick and easy. I have access to anything obviously and this is my first choice if at all possible.

When you sew a wound try and look at the layers and get them to match when you pull it together. Don't pull the sutures very tight as the tissue will swell and you need to leave the sutures loose enough to allow for swelling.

A good antibiotic is hard to beat, but getting a good antibiotic is another thing. Getting enough of a good antibiotic is even harder to accomplish.

Most of our dogs are like a herd of cows. It is hard to find someone who understands that and will treat them as such. We don't just own one little poodle that lives in the house we have a whole pack in most cases.

An old saying is that a veterinarian helps only 10% of the animals that are sick. 80% were going to get better on their own and 10% were going to die no matter what you do.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Thomas

Super glue is an excellent way to keep a wound closed and lasts until the wound is healed. They use a similar product in a couple of hospitals I have worked at...on the liter side I was at camp with a friend, my father and my uncle...the dog was in the corner licking his ba!!$...My friend said, "boy I wish I could do that..if I could, I would never leave the house" (jokingly of course)...my uncle replied, "go a head...I'm sure he wont mind" Man, I almost fell out of my chair laughing so hard...ahhh the good old days!