Dog Hemorrhage
Bleeding, when it is from the skin, is a natural process to wash bacteria and dirt from a damaged area. However, it can be dangerous if it is coming from a cut artery or vein, if it comes from the lungs or an internal organ, or from a highly vascular area (i.e., one well supplied with blood vessels). Examples of the latter are the tongue and, in the male dog, the penis.
When blood is noticed from the nose, mouth or abusive nothing by mouth. Keep the patient warm and quiet until attended to by a veterinary surgeon.
For ordinary wounds on limbs a clean bandage, tied over the injury firmly but not too tightly, will soon stop local bleeding. Bathing with cold water will also steady or stop local hemorrhage. Cold waterish certainly of value in cases of injury to the penis.Ice packs or cold water swabs laid on the sheath will soon ease the flow of blood, which can be dangerous if no action is taken.
Arterial hemorrhage. When an artery is severedhaemorrhage is profuse. The blood comes in regular gushing spouts, bright red in color, and in such cases prompt action is necessary to prevent a severe and possibly dangerous loss of blood. A bandage or hand-kerchief should be tied tightly above the point of hemorrhage severed arteries are usually on a limb and therefore bandaging can be managed quite adequately. When this has been done, tie another bandage or handkerchief firmly over the wound itself.
These measures will control or stop the bleeding until the animal is properly attended to by a veterinary surgeon.
Venous hemorrhage, or bleeding from a severed vein, is not as severe as with arterial bleeding. Blood will well out often quite rapidly but not in spurts. The haemorrhage is darkish in color, and not the bright red of arterial bleeding. The limb should be firmly bandaged over the bleeding area and if this does not stem the flow of blood within a few minutes a second bandage should be tied tightly immediately below the injury. This latter bandage should be slowly loosened after 10-55 minutes if help has not come by then. If the bleeding re-starts, apply this bandage again. The bandage over the actual wound should be touched only by the veterinary surgeon, unless it should slip before he arrives.
All cases of arterial or venous hemorrhage should be kept still, warm and quiet.