# To Vet, or not to Vet, that is the question....



## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

I will start with the disclaimer that I know the safest answer is ALWAYS to take your dog to the vet if in question.

That being said, here is the situation.

We went out chasing pheasant yesterday. Not hunting, just excercise. When we got home, I noticed a cut on the inside of his leg. I am sure it came from barbed wire. It was deep, but not bleeding (not anymore anyway). I sprayed it with antiseptic, threw some gauze on it and wrapped it up. 

I have not taken him to the Vet, and unless I see signs of infection, or failure to heal, or someone here has a compelling reason to do so, I don't plan on it at this point. 

My question is this. The cut was deep. (Deeper than it appears in the photo) it also is pretty broad. I don't have a stapler, but if I had, might have considered it for this cut.
Does anyone out there have experience with a similar wound. Would it have been better for me to see a vet, (it was a Sunday) or to have stapled this one up? He isn't very good at leaving his bandages on at night. During the day he couldn't care less about them.

This is a wound that I can VERY easily see him getting again some day. He runs at full charge and there are many old fences around where we hunt that he can get caught on. I am hoping to increase my knowledge for next time.

Thanks in advance. I hope to use this one as a good learning experience.











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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

it could be just the visual, but i would take my dog to vet with a wound this deep and do close to the different `CL`s`, just to be sure. our vet usually tells us, if next time with similar issue we don`t have to come, just do this or that, but i want to hear it form her. rather regret something i have done, than something i have not.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

I would take him. Only because the wound is going to be open without stitches and if it's open, it's going to get dirty and dirty means infection. You can keep cleaning it, but it's better to close it.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

This is clearly a case for stitches..get him to a vet.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Deep cuts close to tendons/ligaments, I would not feel comfortable using staples.
I would have had the vet take a look at it.


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

Thank you all, because of the multiple very valid points confirming what I was already feeling, we took him in to the Vet today. 

One mild surgery to close and repair, and a round of antibiotics later we have a very "humbled" looking dog. 

The Vet said that it wasn't bad, but did need to be stitched. He also had to be put under to do it. On the bright side, his nails are nice and short now too!

Probably the most expensive nail clipping he will ever have. 










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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Glad you had the vet take a look at him.
Makes start to dislike barbed wire.

Son in-laws lab chased a pheasant through a barbed wire fence. It laid his leg open at the knee. It happened over a weekend, and only ER vet open.
That bird cost him $700. I hope it tasted good.


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

well done and yeah, blessings coming with a sporting dog. I have concentrated on my original answer only on the vet part, but i have to say, great job on taking the time to bring him to exercise on birds. I love to see people making the efforts to have bird dogs live their full potential and what they were bred for.


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

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## rimrock5151 (Nov 13, 2012)

Over the weekend and holidays when the vet is closed I call. The answering service will get me in contact with him and I let him make the decision to either come in or give me advice over the phone. 

I am fortunate to have a great vet in a small town with a large rural population with lots of horses, cows and other animals where this is possible.


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

It would be great to have that. (The $400 bill reminded me of the reason why I am slow to get him in for the little things). Unfortunately, or maybe I should say fortunately, I don't have that kind of relationship with our Vet. Really, aside from once a year vaccines I haven't had to take him in at all. And for vaccines, the tech does it. I think the vet has only had to see my dog once, other than for this situation.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

That seems a little on the high side, for your regular vet. But prices vary so much, dependant on location, and overhead. 
I had two small spot removed on Lucy at my small time vet, and it was under 300. That included sending it off to the lab.
I had one spot removed from June, at a vet in Houston. It was almost 700.


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

Well, 10 days later Miko found his way around the cone and chewed out his stitches. I have been wrapping it, but he gets to it as well. Here we are 14 days out. Infected on the bottom there or looking okay? I feel it is good.









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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

From the picture it looks okay, and not infected. I've gotten to where I use vetericyn, on any cuts the dogs get.

Wouldn't ever tell my surgeon, but I used it on my own arm. I was on 2 different antibiotics. Having to use wet bandage to debris my arm, twice a day. It still was having trouble healing, and fighting off the infection. Infection had dissolved my first stitches. I had enough, and started using vetericyn on it. It made a drastic improvement in no time.


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

for smaller cuts i use silver colloidal. it is a natural antibacterial and is safe both on pet and human, although there is a separate pet version with lower concentration of silver particles in it. it is also a great immunizer, again for four or two legged ones.


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

texasred said:


> From the picture it looks okay, and not infected. I've gotten to where I use vetericyn, on any cuts the dogs get.
> .


Which vetericyn are you talking about? I noticed there is a whole line.


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

Gabica said:


> for smaller cuts i use silver colloidal.


Thanks for the tip. I'll look into that.


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