Is it safe to put hydrogen peroxide on dog wounds?
This dog blog will answer the major question, “Is it safe to put hydrogen peroxide on dog wounds?” we will also discuss when you can use hydrogen peroxide in the case of dogs, what are the health hazards of using hydrogen peroxide at home, and what precautions you should take while applying hydrogen peroxide to the wound of your dog.
Is it safe to put hydrogen peroxide on dog wounds?
No, it is not safe to put hydrogen peroxide on dog wounds because it can cause a burning sensation in your dog. Moreover, it can also delay the wound-healing process. You can use hydrogen peroxide by diluting it and using it with care.
What are the health hazards of using hydrogen peroxide on wounds?
Following are the health hazards of using hydrogen peroxide on the wounds of your dog:
Delay wound healing in your dog
The first thing that the hydrogen peroxide will do is kill all the living cells as well as the bacteria that are residing in the wound.
The blood and the living cells use the catalase enzyme to break the hydrogen peroxide into water wash and oxygen. The oxygen will kill the bacteria in the wound and the water wash will clean the wound of any dirt, debris, and pus which can delay the wound healing but it is doing more harm than good.
It is good that hydrogen peroxide kills the bacteria but it is not recommended that it kills the living cells which are also called inflammatory cells at the wound site.
These cells are involved in the wound healing of your dog but when they are killed, the wound healing is delayed in your dog. You need to make sure that you do not use hydrogen peroxide in your dog unless it is compulsory.
Irritating and burning sensation in your dog
The next thing that your dog causes is an irritating and burning sensation in your dog. Your dog will not be able to rest properly which is required for proper wound healing. Your dog will start licking the wound site which can cause bleeding of the wound in your dog.
The licking of the wound site can also introduce new bacteria through the saliva of your dog which can regenerate the infection in the wound.
Toxicity in your dog
Your dog will feel discomfort and it will try to lick the hydrogen peroxide on the wound. Pure hydrogen peroxide can cause toxicity in your dog. It is not advisable to use hydrogen peroxide on minor wounds. You can use other disinfectants on minor wounds of the body because they keep the wound clean as that hydrogen peroxide.
When can you use hydrogen peroxide in the case of your dog?
Following are the occasions on which you can use hydrogen peroxide in the case of your dog:
Inducing vomiting in your dog
If your dog is suffering from toxicity or poisoning of any kind then you can give hydrogen peroxide to your dog. The thing you should keep in mind is to give only 3% solution of the hydrogen peroxide orally to your dog. Please do not follow the same procedure for the cats as hydrogen peroxide can cause toxicity in the cats even at low doses.
You should perform this procedure under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian at your home. It is best not to induce vomiting in your dog by using such liquid because sometimes the vomiting is not advisable and it can cause obstruction or a burning sensation in your dog.
Cleaning the drain of the wound
Sometimes your vet will apply a drain to the wound of your dog so that the fluid is easily drained and there shouldn’t be any accumulation of liquid in the wound. You can clean the opening of the drain with the diluted solution of the hydrogen you are preparing for it.
Cleaning the blood-stained fur of your dog
You can also clean the blood-stained fur of your dog by gently applying the diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide to the blood-stained fur and gently combing the fur. This will remove the blood from the fur.
What are the precautions you should take while applying hydrogen peroxide to the wound?
You should do it under the supervision of a licensed vet. You shouldn’t give pure hydrogen peroxide to your dog. You should call your vet if something goes wrong while dealing with hydrogen peroxide.
Conclusion
In this dog blog, we answered the major question, “Is it safe to put hydrogen peroxide on dog wounds?” we also discussed when you can use hydrogen peroxide in the case of dogs, what are the health hazards of using hydrogen peroxide at home, and what precautions you should take while applying hydrogen peroxide to the wound of your dog.
