Minor Procedures for Wound Repair in Ann Arbor, MI
At Animal Urgent Center in Ann Arbor, MI, we can perform minor surgical procedures to repair lacerations, abscesses, bite wounds, and other non-life-threatening skin injuries. Treatment for minor wounds may require light sedation or general anesthesia to keep your pet comfortable and allow our vet team to thoroughly assess, clean, and suture the wound so it can heal successfully.
Dogs and cats can sustain a wide range of skin injuries, just like people. Sometimes it can be tricky to find if the wound is shallow and hidden under the fur. If you aren’t sure about what kind of wound your pet has, we’d be happy to take a look! If we decide your pet needs surgery, rest assured we will take every precaution to ensure their safety.
How We Treat Wounds in Pets
Our urgent care hospital is equipped for the surgical treatment of minor wounds only. If we believe your pet’s wound is far more serious, we may need to connect you with an emergency vet or surgical specialist so your pet can get the care they need.
For wounds our team can manage, treatment generally involves:
- Carefully assessing the wound and determining whether it needs to be sutured or left open for drainage and to prevent infection
- Irrigation (flushing out) of dirt and bacteria from the wound
- Debridement, if needed, of dead tissue
- Application of a topical medication to support healing
- Placement of a catheter for drainage if necessary
- Suturing of the wound
- Bandaging of the wound
- Providing oral and/or injectable antibiotics and pain medication to aid in your pet’s healing and ease their recovery at home*
*We may also be able to recommend acupuncture, herbal therapy, or another integrative treatment to increase healing and pain relief.
Abscesses
Abscesses are not always as obvious as a typical open wound. Often, they are characterized by swelling under the skin that may feel firm or compressible (soft). Abscesses are very painful and often need to be lanced first to extract the pus built up inside, and then flushed out with antiseptic solution. Abscesses can develop if your pet sustains a bite or other penetrating wound that becomes infected.
If you notice a wound on your pet, they may need surgery.
Contact us so we can treat it quickly and prevent infection!