Uhunt Mag Information

• Posted By : UHUNT APP - Jesse Farr
• Posted On : May 15, 2020
• Views : 3012
• Likes : 2
• Category : PIG DOGGING » VET & HEALTH ARTICLES
• Description : Learn what its for & how to use it. 

Overview

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  Introduction 
  In this article, we are going to look at ways you can better care for your dog while hunting pigs and potentially save thousands of dollars a year on vet bills. It’s important to note that I’m not a vet, and if you use any of my advice, it’s at your own risk and responsibility. I have over 20 years experience hunting pigs with dogs all over Australia; I feel like I’ve learnt a thing or two in my travels that might help some hunters out there. I’m going to talk about all the medical gear we carry and how we use it. At all times, your first option should be to take your dog to the vet, but this isn’t always possible in a time frame that is best for the dog’s health. Especially when hunting in remote regions, you can sometimes be many hours from the closest vet.  I know some people are going to attempt wound repair on their dogs regardless, so I’d prefer that everyone learns what each product is for and how to use it safely.
  
  

  Part 1 - How To Stop Bleeding
  
  
  
  
  Superclot has become a popular product in the hunting world, but it’s important you understand how to use it safely. It’s a clotting agent with numbing and disinfecting properties and should be only used as a last resort. It can help stop bleeding fast, even bad bleeding, but there are some dangers to using it. I carry one in my camera bag or pocket, so if I’m out away from the vehicle and my dog requires immediate help, the Superclot is readily available. To use, squeeze a small amount into the affected area and apply direct pressure. Once you no longer need to hold pressure for the bleeding to stop, then the first part of your job is complete. However, remember that the wound can easily start bleeding again if it is bumped, so it’s essential to regularly check the wound for sometime after the injury. The use of bandages can keep pressure on the wound when the dog is unsupervised, reducing the risk of bleeding starting up again.
  
  It’s time to discuss the dangers of not taking further action. Superclot isn’t designed for use on the inside of the body, one of the reasons is that when you squeeze this into a wound, it clots very fast, sometimes creating large clumps of hard clotted blood. If you don’t thoroughly flush and clean the wound correctly after using it, then the remaining clotted blood will rot and cause infection. It’s necessary that after the bleeding has entirely stopped, that you flush the wound and use tweezers to get any smaller clumps out that maybe stuck inside. This should be done within a few hours or a day, depending on the severity of the bleed. In most cases, the body will not deal with this material on its own and will treat the clots as foreign objects. This results in dramatically slower healing that often leads to infection and rotting. Once the bleed has stopped and the area is cleaned, you can begin closing the wound. Though Superclot can save a dog’s life, if not used correctly it can cause more problems later on and result in a big vet bill.
  
  

  Poison Concerns
  Probably the biggest reason why we avoid using Superclot unless it’s a life or death situation; is because of one of its ingredients. It contains Lidocaine, which is a well-known anesthetic that’s only truly considered safe if used on the outside of the body. If too much gets into the bloodstream, it can cause mild drowsiness, headaches, confusion, seizures, coma, and cardiac arrest. Studies on its safety in open wounds are virtually non-existence, some suggest not to use it; others suggest its safe if used sparingly. That being said we have used it for many years and have not experienced any noticeable difference in the dog’s health. The goal is only to use it in emergencies, use it sparingly and flush it from the wound as soon as possible after bleeding has stopped. This will limit the amount absorbed into the bloodstream. It might be that because Superclot also contains a clotting agent, it’s less likely to be absorbed. The clotting may be limiting Lidocaine from being absorbed into the bloodstream. This is all theory, and we can’t be sure how safe Superclot really is for open wounds. Please remember if you use my advice, you do so at your own risk.

  Buy first aid gear from www.uhunt.org or www.bristleup.com.au

  
  Apply Pressure 
  If you don’t have any medical gear with you to help stop bleeding, then applying direct pressure is your only option. Get as close as you can to the source of the bleeding and hold pressure on the area. You need to give it time to clot so the bleeding can entirely stop. If you cease holding pressure too soon, the bleeding will start up again; you may need to use your shirt or other clothing to form a bandage to hold pressure on the wound. It’s essential to supervise the wound until you can access better equipment, and you are sure the bleeding won’t start up again. With any significant bleed, timing is the most critical factor, as soon as you realize the dog has a bad bleed you need to take action immediately.
  
  
  
  Tampons 
  Tampons are good for stopping bleeding because they absorb a lot of blood and expand. You can place them into the wound and apply pressure to help clotting occur. Once the bleeding has stopped without the need for pressure to be applied, leave the tampon inside for a decent amount of time; removing it too early could dislodge the clot and start the bleed again. When it comes to stopping a bleed, there is no magic time frame for when it’s safe to stop applying pressure or to remove the tampon. You need to assess every situation individually and make decisions as you go; patience is critical. Once again, the use of bandages in conjunction with other methods can lower the risk of the bleed starting up again when the dog is unsupervised.

  
  Part 2 - Cleaning The Wound
  Professional Wireless Clippers
   
  The Wahl Arco is a very light quality set of wireless rechargeable clippers. It comes with two rechargeable batteries that last around 80 minutes on a single charge. They are quiet and run cool, which means they are good for dogs they don’t like noisy devices near them. These are a good all-round set, suitable for both clipping the entire dog or trimming around a wound. 
  
  
  The Wahl Mini is good for wound care but not ideal for trimming the entire dog. It’s a fair bit smaller than the Arco making it a little easier when trimming around wounds. It can be operated for over 75 minutes which is awesome. It does not come with swappable batteries which is a bummer so the Arco is still our preferred option. This means you can’t carry a spare battery with you. The rechargeable battery is built into the unit. 
  
  

  Cleaning Wound 
  The importance of cleaning the wound correctly can not be understated. Whether you do the job properly or not can have a drastic effect on recovery time and result in life-threatening infection, not to mention the big vet bill. So taking the time to do the job properly can not only save you money but lead to quicker recovery times and a healthier, happier dog. Below I will discuss how to prepare the wound for cleaning and which solutions have the highest chance of preventing infection.
  
  Choosing the right solution
  
  Saline (Salty water) 
  We use to use salty water and had great success for many years, but we now prefer a povidone-iodine solution. If you choose to use saline, we advise you to mix your own. In my opinion, those premixed saline solutions do not work very well; they are just not strong enough. My suggestion is 1-2 teaspoons of salt dissolved in one to two cups of boiling water, but if you want to follow the official recommendation, then to make a standard saline solution, it’s about half a teaspoon in one cup. Salt is awesome because it won’t slow healing, and the body safely absorbs it. The problem is, its not very convenient; you need to boil water, dissolve the salt, then wait for the water to cool to a lukewarm temperature.
  
  Povidone-iodine
  We believe the best solution for cleaning wounds is an iodine solution, simply mix 17.5ml of 10%  povidone-iodine with half to one litre of water. This is about three and a half to four teaspoons of iodine. Make sure you use the correct iodine, check out the bristle up website if you’d like to order some. This solution has proven to have up to 15% lower infection rates than saline, it’s safe, and it’s more convenient. To make the solution, all you need is water, a teaspoon, and a bottle of iodine. Much easier and faster than making a saline solution, and it’s also much cheaper than buying pre-made saline tubes. Both salty water and this iodine solution has proven to be safe for use inside wounds and does not slow the healing process.
  
  

  
  

  Preparing the Wound
  Trimming & Solotite Gel
  First, we do a general flush and clean of the area and then squeeze plenty of solosite gel into the wound. The gel not only soothes the area, but the hair that we trim will get trapped in the gel, making it easy to flush out. If you don’t use the gel, hair will get stuck in the flesh, and its nearly impossible to remove. Once solosite has been applied, it’s time to use our clippers to trim all around the wound. We then flush the hair out, before beginning the final thorough flush and soak.  
  
  
  

  Thoroughly Flush & Clean
  Once you have trimmed and done a general clean, it’s time to inspect the wound properly. At this point, you will be able to tell if this is a job you can handle or if you will have to wait until a vet is available. Please do not attempt to do anything if the injury is major; Instead, focus on stopping the bleeding and stabilize the dog, then get to a vet as soon as possible. This is a decision you will need to make, sometimes doing the job yourself early can result in a healthier, happier dog, but if a vet is available, you should always take your dog to the vet. If you have no choice but to act on your own, then you will need a headlamp, some tweezers, a bowl of solution, a large syringe, and a keen eye. You must inspect the wound for any debris, such as grass seeds and dirt. 
  
  Any foreign material inside the wound will slow healing and possibly lead to complications, so take your time and do it correctly. Your dog will love you for it later, and so will your bank account. Some debris will not flush out so use the tweezers to pick it up, rinsing each time until all the debris is removed. Then you need to flush and soak the wound thoroughly with your preferred solution; we recommend our iodine solution mentioned earlier. If you want to have the lowest possible chance of infection, then the science states that soaking the wound for 3 minutes produces the best results. This is because bacteria need to be exposed to the solution for some time for it to get a high kill rate. We do recommend taking the time; it’s only 3 minutes. Once the wound has been thoroughly prepared and cleaned, you can move onto the next step.
  
   
  
  Buy first aid gear from www.uhunt.org or www.bristleup.com.au

  
  Part 3 - Wound Repair
  
  Earn your vets trust
  I can’t stress how having a friendly and professional relationship with your vet is essential. I have learned a lot from my vets over the years because I earn their trust, and they teach me things that can save a dog’s life out in the field. The reason many vets don’t like showing you how to treat wounds is not just because they need to make money. They know that only professional and respectful people can listen and learn; if they teach the wrong person, they could do more harm than good. So earning your vets trust can be a vital asset that saves you time and money. I’ve had video calls with my vet where they guide me what to do and inspect my work after, some vets will do this if they know you are in a remote area, and they trust you. This does cost money in the short term as they still need to charge you a consultation fee, but in the long term, you learn a lot and save money as well. Most wounds from hunting are easy to repair if you know what you are doing; if you don’t, you are putting your dog through an uncomfortable experience for no reason. Even if you do the job yourself, you should take the dog to the vet for inspection; the vet will assess your work, give you advice for next time and offer you antibiotics. You will still need to pay a consultation fee and for the antibiotics, but if you have done an excellent job, then you have avoided the surgery cost. This is the price you pay for the experience, listen, learn, and be respectful.
  
  Watch & Learn
  Before you perform your first repair, it’s important you watch someone with more experience, learn from your vet, and read a lot. We are also putting together some training videos on Uhunt in the coming weeks and months. Another thing you can do is practice on a fake skin pad; we have practice kits for people that want to learn how to suture, as well as use a staple gun correctly. These can be found on the Bristle Up website or on the Uhunt app.
  
  PERFORMING A BASIC REPAIR
  We recommend doing repairs as soon as possible after the injury occurs. The longer you leave it, the more the bacteria will breed; and the slower the wound will heal. Due to the complexity of different wounds, we do not recommend attempting to repair anything apart from your average rip, leave the advanced stuff up to the vets. Using a Q-tip, you first need to determine the depth of the wound and the direction. The easiest wounds to repair go straight up; this is the best outcome as the fluid can drain using gravity. If the wound is downwards, then it requires a medical drain or a cut to make a drain hole. If these are not possible, you will need to drain it manually 3 times a day. This is because the fluid will build up and have nowhere to go, leading to complications. It’s important you do not completely close the wound, you need to leave a decent opening for it to drain. If your opening is too small, then the drain hole will heal over before it has stopped weeping. You want it to be big enough to drain but small enough to minimize the chance of debris getting back into the wound. It’s recommended to flush the wound with saline at least once a day for 3 days after the repair, after which your dog should well an truly be on the mend. If you notice anything unusual with the wound like redness, swelling, or thick coloured pus then it’s likely the wound has become infected, and you must take the dog back to the vet.
  
  

  Using A Drain 

  Drains are a very underrated medical product in the hunting world; I feel not enough people make use of them. Not only do they allow a wound to drain really well, but the wound will heal faster. I will put a drain in if I am concerned that the wound will heal over too soon or that the fluid will not drain due to the angle. Putting a drain in isn’t that hard, but you do need to learn how to suture. There are two main ways to install a drain; one is if the wound has two openings, you can pull the drain through and suture it to the outside of the top hole. If your wound only has one entry point, you will need to do an internal drain stitch; this is a bit harder. Basically, you need to stitch your thread to the drain then pull the drain up into the wound and stitch it off on the outside. I feel this is something that most people should not attempt and would be better suited for a training session with your vet. You could use our practice kits if you wanted to have a go at it. It’s important not to leave the drain in for more than three days; by this time, the wound will be trying to heal but be unable to. So as soon as the worst of the weeping has finished, remove the drain.
  
  
  Conclusion 
  I hope the article was helpful and that I didn’t miss anything. If you have learnt something over the years that you think could benefit others, get in touch with us. I know this is a contentious subject, but I wanted to cover it as I know people are going to try to do this stuff regardless, and I’d rather them have some idea, than no idea at all.

   Want more? download Uhunt app Click here or visit www.uhunt.org 

  Warning: 
  Any advice offered is for educational purposes only and based solely on real-world experience. Jesse Farr has no official vet training and will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by how you interpret this information. You should always get your advice from a registered vet and seek a vet at all times for surgical procedures.