A dog’s nose is arguably its most important sense organ…
Dogs not only benefit from having a far keener sense of smell than us humans, but they also tend to use their superior sniffer as the key way to learn about the world…
And this is why dogs tend to sniff each other out to assess whether or not they are dealing with a threat…
Unfortunately, this tendency to dive into the world nose-first can sometimes wind up hurting your dog in the process…
Maybe your dog was sniffing a cat and the cat responded by swiping across the invasive nose with its claws…
Maybe you got a new cactus for your garden and your dog got a little too close to the spines…
Maybe your dog got excited around his crate and accidentally scratched his nose…
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Whatever caused the injury, a “dog scraped nose” scenario calls for a special level of attention as you do not want to exacerbate the problem with improvised methods…
Provided below is a full breakdown of how to handle a dog scraped nose situation…
Note: If your dog got bit on the nose, your number one goal should be getting your fur baby to the veterinarian as soon as possible…
Even if little to no blood is visible from the wound, a bite can become infected with all sorts of bacteria that necessitate professional treatment…
Your Dog Scraped His Nose! Step One: Don’t Panic…
The best way to make things worse in this sort of situation is to act with your heart over your head…
Obviously your dog is probably none too pleased about the pain their nose is giving them but freaking out may cloud your judgement and ability to properly treat the issue…
Take some deep calming breaths, count to ten seconds or whatever exercise you usually resort to when you need to clear your head and calm your heartbeat…
The idea that treatment works best when calm extends to your dog. If you have a well-trained dog, tell him to relax and maybe throw in an extra treat as encouragement…
Once both you and your dog are calm, collected, and unlikely to act erratically, you can proceed to the next step.
Step Two: Look Over the Damage…
Not all cuts are equal. If you notice any blood around the nose, you need to investigate how bad things are…
This will require you to keep your pup in one spot. Either tether your leashed dog to something sturdy, like a tree, or have a friend hold it in place…
Look over the nature of the wound. Are you dealing with a scrape or a cut? Is it still bleeding? If the wound is still running red, proceed to the next step…
Sidebar: Cat Bites vs Dog Bites
If you are unsure of which of your or your neighbor’s pets may have bitten your dog, there are notable differences between injuries left by a cat’s bite and the bite of a dog…
Dog bites are more “theatrical,” resulting in bloody, surface-level wounds. Cat bites may not excessively bleed but do tend to be deeper…
Step Three: Staunch the Bleeding…
When it comes to wounds that continue to bleed, stopping the bleeding should come first…
Gauze can be amazing to have for this sort of purpose, as it is wonderful at absorbing blood and encouraging clotting…
So try to make it a habit to keep a canine first aid kit with you, either in a bag you take with you when walking your dog or in the trunk of your car…
While gauze is ideal, you may have to settle for a washcloth or even some napkins…
Whatever you wind up using to soak up the blood, the trick is to apply even but gentle pressure against the wound…
If the bleeding is severe enough to saturate one layer of gauze, just add more on top, do not replace it with other layers…
Removing the first layer of gauze is just going to reopen the wound and lead to more blood…
If bleeding persists at the same level for more than five minutes, you need to head to an animal hospital as soon as you can; some cuts are too deep for a home remedy.
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Step Four: Clean The Wound…
Even if a wound does not appear to be a serious issue it should be given the same level of cleansing treatment as a severe one…
Cuts and scratches are the perfect breach for bacteria to slip into the bloodstream and start infections, and that’s doubly so in cases where the wound originated from a bite…
Use either povidone-iodine or betadine to gently wipe the cut clean, followed by just a dab of antibiotics over the wound…
Be sure to use a light amount as your dog will want to lick it away the moment he senses something funny on his nose.
Sidebar: Why Hydrogen Pyroxide Should Be Avoided
While hydrogen peroxide has long been championed as a wound-cleanser in humans, the foaming action of this substance is a double-edged sword…
Yes, hydrogen peroxide can clean a wound but its foaming is also a sign that it is destroying the natural “fibroblasts” found within the body…
By destroying these fibroblasts, you are delaying the speed by which your dog can naturally recover from an injury…
While you can use antibiotics found in your medicine cabinet, like Neosporin, it is best to use dog-safe medications as some human-centric varieties can cause mild intestinal distress in dogs…
Expect to apply the ointment throughout the day just to keep the wound continually clean, especially because dogs instinctively moisturize their noses by licking them…
The problem with a dog licking its injured nose is that the dog’s tongue is surrounded with all sorts of bacteria that can contribute or compound to the risk of infection.
Step Five: Continually Check Up on the Nose…
Cuts around the nose can be a pain to properly bandage so it is better to be on the lookout for several days after the incident…
You should be scouting for potential signs of an infection, such as pus or swelling. A trip to the vet may be in order if the wound shows little to no sign of improvement…
You should also consider trimming any long hairs around the nose so as to minimize contaminating the wound…
Lastly, it may be necessary to affix a conical collar to your dog’s neck if he continues to paw at the injury.
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Treating A Dog With A Scraped Nose – Final Thoughts…
Now you know all that there is to know about treating an open wound on your dog’s precious nose…
Quash the chaos; assess the damage; apply an absorbent fabric to the nose with gentle pressure; clean the nose once the bleeding stops, and watch for signs of infection over the next few days…
Remember that you should always consider bringing your dog to the vet if his injury seems too large or severe for your handle on the fly or at home…
Follow the tips presented in this guide and your pooch should be just fine, if not also a little bit more wary of sniffing out whatever caused the injury in the first place.