My dog fell from car window, has road rash. How to treat her wounds?

Besides monitoring and resting her, there isn't much more you can do at home, especially if she has internal injuries and/or any fractures or other orthopedic injuries. If she isn't walking on her hind limbs than she could have a fracture, dislocated hip, etc and may need treatment, depending on the cause. Without an x-ray, it is impossible to know the extent of her injury. She really needs to be seen by a vet to examine her and determine if treatment is needed. If you are unable to take her to a vet than you could rest her and monitor for improvement. You could use a towel sling under her belly to help get her outside to use the bathroom.

She needs to be examined by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER. A complete physical exam and x-rays may diagnose or rule out serious injury and fracture. The abrasions should be properly cleaned and dressed, if indicated, to prevent infection. She may need antibiotics and pain management.

That is usually a good thing that she is not limping or acting like it is bothering her. The photo has a lot of hair in the way and I can’t get a clear view of the wound, but the area looks bigger than I was expecting. A healthy dog like Wendy can often heal most superficial wounds. If the wound was deep, meaning you could see that the skin was cut all the way through, then she should see her veterinarian. If the wound was more like a scrape, then she can likely heal it on her own. You will need to make sure that Wendy does not lick at the area as that can make it get infected. Have Wendy wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. This will prevent the licking. If the area around the wound looks swollen or you see any discharge, or pain when you press on it, have her see the veterinarian as well. If you have any other questions or can post a photo with the hair pushed out-of-the-way, please feel free to post again.

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear about your dog! She should ideally be taken right in to the vet. If you're unable to do so, the most important thing you can do for her is keep her quiet, and well supervised. Sometimes with hit-by-car incidents the injuries are not all immediately apparent. If there is internal bleeding, it can take a number of hours for the symptoms to appear. So, watch her closely, and if she becomes lethargic, or her appetite decreases, or new symptoms develop (such as vomiting), then take her in immediately. In the meantime, keep her wound clean and dry. If the wound is superficial you can wash it with a mild hand dishsoap (such as Dawn dish soap) and pat it dry with a clean paper towel. Do this 1-2 times daily to clean any discharge and soften any developing scabs. I hope this helps!

Poor girl! That must be very painful for her. Ideally, take her to the vet so that the damage can be assessed, pain medication prescribed, antibiotics if indicated, and professional wound care performed. If you are entirely unable to get her to the vet, and she is eating, drinking, acting ok, etc, you can clean the wounds with dilute Betadine (povidone iodine) available at any pharmacy. Add a little of the betadine to water so that it looks like tea. Clean the wounds with this antiseptic cleanser. Then you could apply a wound care product such as this: apply a nonstick sterile bandage pad, and gently wrap them (NOT TOO TIGHT) with rolled cotton or rolled gauze, and an outside layer of VetWrap or Coban (again NOT TOO TIGHT). CHANGE THE BANDAGES DAILY and do NOT allow the bandages to get wet. If they do get wet, even briefly, the bandages need to be changed. You can cover them ONLY when outside to walk to go potty, with a plastic bag, but don't use rubber bands to secure the plastic bag as it may be too tight. Keep her inside (except to go potty) until the wounds are healed, and ONLY cover in plastic to go outside. If she is chewing on the bandages, put an E collar (cone of shame) on her. Again, ideally, this should be evaluated by a vet. I can't assure you that this isn't a very serious situation without being able to see the wounds in person, and early, appropriate intervention is the best way to ensure that they heal well and with the least amount of complication. Finally, do not give any over the counter pain medication that is made for humans (no ibuprofen, aleve, Tylenol, etc) as these medications have a high likelihood of causing side effects of GI ulceration, liver damage, or kidney damage. Many safer alternatives designed for dogs are available from your vet. Thank you for asking PetCoach!

I’m so sorry to hear that. Clean the wound now with water and mild soap. Get some saline wound wash (PLAIN SALINE) from a pharmacy and use the wound wash to thoroughly wash the wound twice a day. I would recommend that you use a [wound care product](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-pet-wound-and-skin-hydrogel) daily as well. It would be best to keep momma dog from licking it, and the only way to do that is to place an e-collar (cone) on the momma dog so she can’t reach to lick it. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything you can safely give over the counter for pain. Please do not give aspirin or any other baby formulated pain relievers. This wound is at high risk of getting infected, and at such a young age that could become very serious very quickly. I understand if you need to try to manage the wound at home for financial reasons, but if the skin around the wound is getting increasingly inflamed, or if the puppy isn’t eating or is acting lethargic, you need to try to arrange to get the puppy seen by a veterinarian somehow. Otherwise he could become septic and this could result in death. As long as the pup is eating, is vocal and alert, it is reasonable to manage as described at home, but please keep a very close eye on this puppy. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

It's difficult to tell how bad this is, because there is a lot of hair in the way. If it's really deep or wide, then it's best to have a vet evaluate it for possible stitches. It's best to have the wound seen sooner rather than later, because the wound can become contaminated if left for too long. It's not an emergency, but if you think it looks like a deep or wide wound, then most vet offices open around 7-8AM and usually have drop-off appointments for these sorts of things. Here's what to do in the meantime: 1) Clip the hair (if possible) around the area and expose all of the sore skin. 2) Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least once a day. 3) Bandage the wound with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream (i.e Neosporin) to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping Matilda from licking it will be the most difficult part of the treatment. You can help keep the bandage on by placing a good (really sticky) tape below the bandage. You can find sprays in the pet store, like bitter apple, that are meant to deter licking. This can be sprayed on the bandage (not the wound) to help keep Matilda from chewing it off. NOTE: Be careful not to bandage too tight or it can cut-off the circulation. If you notice that the end of the tail starts to swell, then remove the bandage and leave it off until the swelling goes down. I hope that helps and Matilda gets better soon.