# Injured Dog, Do they aneasthetise for stitches?



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I'm a bit of an over worrier.

My german shepherd has injured her foot somehow (don't ask me how!).. We think she found some broken glass in the bushes at the park (probably drunken teenagers climbing the fences at night again). This afternoon she managed to slice her back foot.. a good 2-3" length and very deep wound on the foot, as well as slicing up the pad on the bottom of the foot. Lots of blood and can't put any weight on the leg now. I wasn't actually there myself as I've been ill lately and my mum brought her back all cut up.

Of course being good friday - no vets.... I have an emergency appointment at 9am tomorrow morning (first they could give me unless she was actually dying.. and she ate and drank fine) and Ive been told to put a sock on it and keep it clean and dry (the sock is already soaked in blood though) 

She is obviously in some pain, as she cries if you touch it and is very depressed, and hopping about on 3 legs, but the vet didn't recommend any painkillers or other action so I guess I'll just change the sock tonight and hope for the best in the morning.

My main question is, if it requires stitches, are they likely to require an anaesthetic first? Bit worried about how she will respond to it and would like to go in prepared. She's never been to the vet for treatment before, only for boosters etc. and she is a very nervous dog around strangers, I'm a bit worried if I have to leave her alone with the vet when she's in pain and they scare her, she could respond in aggression.. or even worse, become fearful of ever going to the vets again.

All I can say is thank god it wasn't the border collie - last time he cut his leg he didn't need stitches, just some staples and a bandage... and he pulled it off in 2 minutes flat. We had to go back to the vet nurse twice a day to re-dress it and he ended up wearing a collar! Luckily the GSD has been wearing her sock all evening now and has totally ignored it so it looks at least she'll let it heal once the proper bandages are on.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

they will have to use some form of sadation on her otherwise there would be no possible way of treating the foot correctly 

i know what you mean one of my sibes had to go under twice recently........they gave her the pre med while i was there as she is a very nervous dog too when at the vets so she calmly drifted off to sleep in my arms where she felt safe


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## Schip (Mar 31, 2007)

Depending on how bad it is they usually just give them a mild sedation rather than a full GA.


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## pixie_bex (Jul 1, 2006)

when Izzy had to have stitches they sedated her

as err cant remember said it would be so hard to treat a dog without sedating them

I really hope your poor lil ones foot is ok

xxx


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

if the appointment is 12 hours away then i doubt they'll give him stitches, the blood will have started to clot and the cut starting to heal. They'll probably clean it, check for infection and bandage it up.
If it was a fresh wound when they look at it they'd probably give him a jab and stitches.


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

sometimes they will sedate sometimes use a ga depends on dog tbh ....my collie/springer had to have a ga but my lab(rip) only had a local due to a condition that ment a ga would kill him but he was grt just laid there for them 

my collie/springer also took stitches out even with a collar and muzzle on lol no idea how but she did


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Thanks guys, hopefully then it either won't need stitches or she'll get a sedative and maybe I can stay with her.

She's been so depressed overnight, I had a german shepherd sleeping up under the covers with me and I didnt have the heart to push her off... but she takes up 3/4 of the bed :lol2: Don't think she slept that well.

Fingers crossed for her.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Poor baby Im sure she will be fine though. If shes anything like my 3 GSD they are such wimps

:lol2:


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## Sam&Si (Apr 11, 2007)

hope things go ok.

my german shepard cut his foot open once on a rose bush!! they didnt stitch it. just dressed it and put the bandage round it. and gave him an antibiotics jab.

mine to gets nervous...so i muzzle him at the vets to be sure. He is 11 now...and still runs round like a pup!

thinking of you. They do worry us...i remember crying when he was bleeding. love my doggies.....:flrt:


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## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

Did they request that you don't feed her before you took her to the appointment? If they did then they have the option of a GA, if she is fed the morning before then they will not give a GA unless it is a real emergency. Only aggressive or very nervous dog will be sedated for situations such as this, to be honest the nurse at the practice will have all the skills to restrain the dog whilst the vet treats the paw, only if it looks as if the vet or nurse are in danger or the dog is in server distress will the sedate. 

As for the wound...if the sock is quickly getting soaked in blood then is there any way you can put some sort of compressed bandage on there? This will lesson the blood flow. Place a appropriate sized gauze pad on the wound and bandage quite tightly....make sure the toes are accessible e.g. you can see them and touch them, and the bandage isn't too tight, you should be able to fit two fingers down it. Then place the sock over it. Also if you feel comfortable and you dog is ok with it you could try cleaning the wound with some diluted salt water just to ensure that it is clean and there is no infection. 

Becci


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Left her at the vets *cries* which I felt really bad about doing but they didn't know what time they'd get around to her after the emergency surgery and couldn't have me hanging around. They said they'd be giving her a GA even though she probably wasn't going to have stitches, because the foot is very swollen and the cut deep, but apparently not stitcheable due to ragged edges? So they're going to go in and really clean it up and give her some antibiotic and painkiller injections.

Was a bit daunting having to fill in the release form just in case anything happens to her, and then leaving her there, although in fairness she didn't seem to mind the vet and trotted off with him to the kennel area without looking back so perhaps I'm worrying about nothing.

Have to call at 1pm to see if she's been in yet. 

They did say if there were a lot of emergencies and she didn't get seen till the end of the day she might have to stay overnight if she hasn't come around from the GA by 5pm... so I really hope they get her sorted and she can come home tonight.

Typical of her to hurt herself on a 4 day bank holiday weekend really!


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Any news on her yet?? Ive found most pets like to be sick or injured on bankholidays or late at night.I wonder why that is ..........................


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

She's woken up from the anaesthetic and is in recovery :no1:

I should be able to pick her up at 4pm... so hopefully she'll be coming home soon, probably feeling very sorry for herself!


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## pixie_bex (Jul 1, 2006)

aww thats fantastic hun!!! 

give her lots of treats from me!
xx


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## Sam&Si (Apr 11, 2007)

i bet she is home by now. give her a hug from us

sam


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

She's home and sulking.

She had 6 stitches on the upper wound, the lower wound couldn't be stitched as it's more of a tear than a cut, goes right between the toes.. looks like she got her foot caught on some glass or metal and didn't realise and kept running... tearing the last toe away from the foot a little, yuck.

She's on 3 antibiotic tablets and 1 painkiller a day, has to go back for a checkup on tuesday and have the stitches out in 10-14 days. No walks for 14 days! Which is a nightmare as she always walks to work with me, and I can't leave her at home by herself... I'm going to end up calling a taxi to work for a 15 minute walk so she doesn't hurt her foot :lol2:

Silly girl. She's flopped out, exhausted I think, but she was sooo glad to see us, almost pulled the vet off his feet.


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

She also has a shaved back leg and 2 shaved patches on both front legs so she is sporting a new style.

We're going to be fighting over the bed tonight... :whip:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

I see she knows her place :lol2: Just peel me a grape :notworthy:


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

glad she is ok ....and a beautiful girl i have to add


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## SNOTTIE666 (Mar 5, 2008)

*anaesthetising*

if the cut is large and needs stitches then they will give a sedation to keep her still and kill the pain. they can reverse it and you may be able to wait


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## Talk To The Animals (Jan 10, 2008)

You could try explaining to them that she is nervous and asking if they will sedate her while you are there, even if they wouldn't normally do it.

Then she won't care what happens to her - she'll be nicely asleep.


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