My puppy's wound was cleaned with hand sanitizer. Is it safe?

I would not worry about petting your puppy after using hand sanitizer. The amount of alcohol that would be on your hands after this would be very minimal. Unless your dog licked a large amount hand sanitizer directly out of the bottle it shouldn't be a concern!

I am sorry to hear about your pup! Ideally we would use a chlorhexidine soap while being careful not to get it in the eye. You can purchase this at most drug stores under the trade name Hibiclens or the store may have a generic version. After cleaning you can apply a topical antibiotic ointment and monitor the area for increased bleeding, swelling, or yellow/green discharge which can be a sign of infection and veterinary care will be needed. If you discover the wound gets larger/appears to open up after cleaning then sutures (stitches) may be needed by the vet.

The possible toxicity would depend on the content and the quantity of the sanitizer ingested. Please give us more specific indications about it to receive a detailed answer. Generally speaking, hand sanitizers, which are typically unpalatable to pets, often contains ethanol (e.g., alcohol). Like other types of alcohol, a large ingestion of hand sanitizer can cause lethargy, vomiting, incoordination, weak respirations, and dangerous drops in blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature. Severely intoxicated animals can potentially experience seizures and respiratory failure.

Poor Maisy! You don't have to keep washing the wound, you can use an antibacterial spray on it. You can get one from a pet store. If the wound appears infected (red, warmth to the touch, swelling, pus), then you will need to take her into the vet to get it treated. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This probably isn’t a serious wound. Clean the wound with diluted iodine if you have it. If you don’t, warm soapy water works very well. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. If you have an E-collar, put that on her and then put some antibiotic cream/ointment on it (eg Neosporin or mupiricin). I don’t want her licking it so skip this step if you don’t have the collar. (You can purchase one at most pet stores if you’d like.) If you can apply the ointment once or twice daily, even better. Clean the wound gently with a warm wet cloth as often as needed (up to twice daily) if it gets muddy or very dirty. Chances are, it will heal up nicely even if you can only attend to it once. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and your pup!

No, do not use mouthwash. I would gently clean Tyson's wounds with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it.

I’m so sorry to hear that. Clean the wound now with water and mild soap. Get some saline wound wash (PLAIN SALINE) from a pharmacy and use the wound wash to thoroughly wash the wound twice a day. I would recommend that you use a [wound care product](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-pet-wound-and-skin-hydrogel) daily as well. It would be best to keep momma dog from licking it, and the only way to do that is to place an e-collar (cone) on the momma dog so she can’t reach to lick it. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything you can safely give over the counter for pain. Please do not give aspirin or any other baby formulated pain relievers. This wound is at high risk of getting infected, and at such a young age that could become very serious very quickly. I understand if you need to try to manage the wound at home for financial reasons, but if the skin around the wound is getting increasingly inflamed, or if the puppy isn’t eating or is acting lethargic, you need to try to arrange to get the puppy seen by a veterinarian somehow. Otherwise he could become septic and this could result in death. As long as the pup is eating, is vocal and alert, it is reasonable to manage as described at home, but please keep a very close eye on this puppy. Thanks for asking PetCoach!