Hog dog field surgery (Tips and tricks)

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

I have saw a few posts concerning what to put in your field med boxes, but how many folks actually have some experience and tips for the newer guys on real critical emergency applications.

Along with needing to be a Vietnam field surgeon with some of these dogs and screwball vets that charge an arm and leg on top of reporting you to the humane society, I would like to hear some of your field experiences and how to correctly administer hog dog first aid all the way to conducting field surgery if needed.

I have delt with sucking chest wounds, lung cuts, artery bleeds, disenbowlment, fractured legs, broken ribs, and I dont know what all else. Only thing so far that I can't deal with is punctured intestines due to not knowing how to cut and sew them back together correctly.  (So somebody explain that one to me please) 

An example to start off is basic cuts. I clean the wound of any foreign matter cut away any type of frayed skin or muscle that is damaged or hanging and staple or sew from the top down allowing the bottom most part of the cut to remain open to properly drain. Sometimes I also leave just a small opening at the top as well to be able to properly saturate the entire cut with cut n heal. Get on the pen Perty quick to keep fever and infection from setting in and your back in the game.

The objective here  is not to be a vet, but to be able to share advice and tips of how to stablize your dog in order to get him to a vet in times of emergency or in our case..when there isn't any around worth a d@&m and you gotta do it yourself.

Enjoy.

[TexasLacy]

I read somewhere about using a 1/2 and 1/2 solution of bleach and water to clean out wounds with.  I've used it on one dog that got a couple of shoulder cuts a couple of weeks ago, and the wound is closed and just about completely healed now.  I've used it on myself several times too and it works like a champ.

I also use sugar for bloodstop.  Tampons work great too, I've never used them on dogs, but we kept them while on patrol and they are jam up for bullet wounds.

I learned to treat sucking wounds while in the corps, ziploc bags are priceless for this.

Ya'll may not like it, but there have been times when rubbing some dirt on it will do in a pinch to stop the blood, on you or your dogs.

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

Funny you brought up the bleach water remedy. We were pre mixing a bottle of solution the other day for our kit.  A friends wife works at a nursing home as a wound specialist, and that was a tip we picked up from her. Works really good.

Duct tape is a good item to secure a thrashing dog or immobilize it while you work on them. Had one get gutted last year and had to use saline to flush the body cavity out and wash the intestinal tract off. You can use a good sharp pocket knife or scaple to enlarge the punctured hole if its not large enough to put them back in without damaging them or creating any kinks. After you replace the intestines back into the body cavity place a couple staples into the outer stomach lining. Follow up with just a few on the outside skin to reinforce the innerwall. You will have to go back in after a day or so to take out the ones in the stomach lining unless you use dissolving stitches. But it works great and will keep till you get to vet or save yourself the money.

You can also cut the finger tips out of rubber gloves to utilize as a stiched in drain chutes for odd location cuts that will not drain properly.

[TShelly]

Dr. Quinn Medicine woman would be impressed! Thanks for all the info YBM these are all great tips to read

[KevinN]

Sucking chest wound same on a dog as a person I guess. You'll know it's a loung wound because you will hear the noise and see the bubbles/ blood moving in and out at wound site. Clean wound, Zip lock bag, plastic of some type cut into square placed on wound and taped at top and sides. Leave bottom open for draining. Try to keep dog semi-sitting up or laying on wound side. Just make sure it can drain. Get to Vet quick. Lung will probably collapse.

[dub]

I saw a man get his colapsed lung reinflated. That is nothing I would try unless there was no help to get to. He put a tube in rolled the guy over to drain blood and then blew in the tube to reinflate the lung. It was a constant stuggle to keep it from colapsing again. I could be off because I was not doing it. But it was no quick fix and required constant attention all the way out.

I am guessing you were a corpsman or medic to have dealt with all those things. Those types of things are rare hunting. I do make a note on my phone for the nearest vet but I also know where the nearest ER is too. I have not needed either.

[Hog Dog Mike]

The bleach solution works well. I have hauled truck loads of totes containing bleach into chicken processing plants. They work 16 hours then spray EVERYTHING for the next 8 hours. Floors, walls, ceilings, ect..

I carry a bottle of cortisone with me for snake bite. It is about as good as you can do for them.

I always carry a couple of ace bandages which have come in handy several times. One of my hunting buddys was stomped by a brama cow and had to life flighted out to the hospital in Bryan. I got the bleeding stopped, put some dressing on the wounds, and then the ace bandage.

The medicated, non stick, wound dressing bandages come in handy. The same guy got bit through the hand trying to break up a dog fight. I cleaned it out with an iodine solution and bandaged it with the non stick bandages and  when  he got to the doctor he said I did a goo job.

One of my most prized possessions is a genuine Viet Nam field surger kit given it to me by a medic  over 40 years ago. There is no telling how many times I used this.

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

Bleeding tails or ears that won't clot due to wagging or head shaking.

Axle grease or petroleum jelly with vet wrap will stop it until it sears over.

Another trick we picked up several years ago for the sucking chest wounds in the woods is cellophane plastic off of someones cigarette pack and shoe laces to secure in place. Utilzed same way as stated above but more likely to have if you forgot your kit.

Super glue for small cuts or holding taunt skin together in curves or leg areas.

Pieces of clean flat tire intertube to place under a belly wound that hasn't completley ruptured yet. Helps support area until you can carry them out of the woods and do some major repairs.

Bicycle intertubes are great for securing broken legs and preventing further damage until reaching a vet.

[aussie black mouth curs]

I'll add a couple of aussie remedies -

bleeding tails and ears sprinkle on ground pepper

stomachs and other trauma can be covered with cellophane sandwich wrap (but don't leave on for too long as it will sweat badly)

a small area of exposed stomach can be retracted by splashing with a cup of clean ice water

antihistamine tablets for nettle poisoning

"hartmans" solution injected under the skin for heatstroke

T

[dub]

YELLOWBLACKMASK the plastic off a cigarette packs does work for bullet wounds because they are small. Had a guy go down with a sucking chest wound and a few other injuries. I grabbed his cigarettes and used the plastic until the corpsman got there. I thought I was the only one to think of it but guess not. My only question would be how would it work on a dog? With all the hair how do you seal it. You talk about letting it drain but then the lung could colapse if it is not sealed. It is either sealed or not sealed. I was always told to seal it and do not open it. But I was no Dr and after my own head injury I do get things confused sometimes.

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

The one we used it on was a puncture directly under the front leg that entered the body cavity and punctured the left lung. We lashed it utilizing two small sticks for structure support on the sides of the plastic. Tied it with shoe laces..one around the leg and the other looped around the top of the neck. We left one end of the plastic semi loose and it acted like a flapper valve to allow fluid to drain but closed when the dog inhaled to keep the lung inflated. Small amounts of blood and fluids are just as bad as the popped lung if they are inhaled back into the lung and it fills up on them. Surprisingly the lungs seem to heal extremely fast ..so the main goal is to get em out of the woods to professional treatment or until it seals by itself. 

Again anything works as long as it seals. The plastic actually works better due to it flexing and partially sucking into the puncture. Hair usually isn't a deal breaker. Also the fluids work to seal around the surfaces with hair or damaged tissue. 

[dub]

Thanks, hope I don't ever need it again.

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

Thanks, hope I don't ever need it again.

You and me both. But.............Pray for peace while you prepare for War!   

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

Good post Aussie

Couple of things I haven't heard of that will be neat tricks for the bag.

Another one for drawing skin I forgot was Alum powder.

Take an old skillet and pour some Alum powder into a lump..heat until it disolves into liquid...then it will harden again into a off colored cookie. Take the Alum cookie out and crush it back to a powder. I like to dissolve the powder in clean water or saline and make a paste.  Pour or administer the paste to the severed skin area and in several hours of application the skin will draw considerably. Usually enough to get some staples in. Works great with taunt skin cuts in bend of legs..ect. 

I will have to try out the ice water method sounds like a possible shortcut. 

[aussie black mouth curs]

One thing I would mention about the bleach solution, yep sure it will clean a wound but don't go too "hot" with it (or anything e.g. peroxide) because it will kill or burn the exposed tissues and take a lot longer to heal....pump sprays for horse wounds with amino acids are the best IMO....or the good old purple spray if the flies are bad...most of my dogs hide when they see the purple spray come out..

IMO best to clip the hair away with sissors, clean out the muck/grass seeds as best you can and staple the edges together as soon as possible....I'm sure most of you on here are all over that like stink on a monkey though...and I'm telling you how to suck eggs 

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

Nah man that's why I started the post. Lots of folks are starting to get into this sport but have no idea what to do when the chit hits the fan its to late. Losing a dog is definitely a way to get motivated to learn but its a hard lesson to take when the info is here for you.

Guess nobody else has done field first aide except the few that listed above. Haha
They must be like my crew.....don't want nothing to do with it.
I even have one that will hold whatever I need him too but will go throw up every five to ten minutes. But I wont throw Strikedogkennel under the bus like that.........oops. 


Good info guys. Always glad to hear some dog med tips to throw in the bag of tricks.

[2Kranch]

I learned alot from you that night gringo got gutted. Concho got messed up Sunday and i put him back together like I seen you do and he's walking around good today.
Im a firm believer in Vetricyn I think that's how you spell it heels cuts fast but not to fast.

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

Haha. Kade if you followed my lead..you better go make sure the tail was facing backwards and the nose forward.   

Glad to see ya got him out of the woods in one piece.