Skin Laceration Repair in the Field

There is nothing finer than being out in the countryside during autumn with bird dogs. The whir of wings as a covey of scaled quail bursts from the sand sage can shake the cholesterol from the morning's greasy spoon full English breakfast. Gun smoke clears the air as the setter climbs through the taut five-stranded barbed wire fence retrieving the first bird of the day. This is the Wild West, and ranchers want assurance that their livestock are protected. As you reach down to take the bird your well-trained setter delivers gently to hand, you notice fresh blood on the dorsal surface of her back. A sportsman's classic morning has now turned into a trip to the local vet…which in this case is 150 nautical miles from where the incident occurred and it is Sunday.

Upon closer inspection of the laceration, you notice it's a superficial slash in the skin and not into the deeper muscle layers. Superficial lacerations of the skin can be stapled with a little bit of veterinary knowhow and the appropriate supplies. Deeper lacerations into the muscle must be closed in several layers with sutures and attempts to staple will lead to a seroma (fluid trapped beneath the skin from blood and inflammation) forming and ultimately a wound that will not properly heal. A word of caution, always assess the situation of your hunting partner and use your better judgement while you're in the field. Don't let a little veterinary knowhow lead to something disastrous for your bird dog.

The following below are the steps to properly staple a skin laceration in the field. It’s a very good idea to establish your bird dog(s) with a local vet that truly understands hunting dogs and their perils. Furthermore, I would recommend attending a seminar or first aid course to get better educated in field emergencies and learn how to suture a wound.

(1) Calm your gundog and apply a gauze muzzle. Muzzles protect you from injury and can help calm an overexcited dog.

(2) Trim the hair around the edges of the wound. Clippers (battery-powered are very effective) or scissors may be used. Re-evaluate the laceration to ensure it is superficial and not extending into the deeper muscle layers.

(3) Flush or irrigate the wound repeatedly with diluted iodine solution (mix tap water and iodine solution to the consistency or colour of weak iced tea) from a 12 cc or 20 cc syringe. The pressure from the syringed iodine/H2O solution will aid in dirt and bacterial removal.

(4) 2% Lidocaine or 0.25 to 0.5% Marcaine (local anaesthetic) can be used to irrigate the wound to topically anaesthetise the tissue and can be injected around the laceration margins. This is where a field first aid course and a bird dog vet will come in handy. Wait 5 to 10 minutes before you proceed from here.

(5) Trim any necrotic or dead-looking skin along the edges of the laceration with scissors. This will make the margins fresh and also the wound will bleed again. Bleeding brings in beneficial factors that will aid in killing bacteria and help in healing.

(6) Appose the edges of the laceration with the staple gun. Staples should be placed about 3 to 4 mm apart from each other. It doesn’t matter which end you start at.

(7) Apply Neosporin or Silvadene cream over the staples. Bandage the area (not too tightly) if they can lick or damage the staples.

(8) Staples usually need to be removed in 14 days. Look out for swelling, redness, warmth or pain associated with the area. If any of these are observed, seek veterinary attention. I normally put my patients on an antibiotic such as Simplicef or Cephalexin for 7 days.

Before carrying out this procedure, bear in mind that Shawn is a medical professional. If you have ANY doubts about your own ability or the seriousness of the injury, please consult your medical professional immediately.

About Shawn

Shawn knew from the tender age of seven that he was besotted with an obsession for gundogs and horses; he realised then that he wanted to become a vet. After one too many knocks on the head as a parachuting medic with the 82nd Airborne Division, he decided to attend veterinary school. He fulfilled his dream in 1997 by graduating from Washington State University and entered mixed animal practice. Currently, Shawn runs a companion animal practice in Castle Rock, Colorado. His particular interest lies in the veterinary care of sporting dogs and, specifically, in canine anatomy/physiology and reproduction. In the autumn, when not at the surgery, he can be found traversing the uplands of North America pursuing his gundogs.