My rabbit's ear is cut by my dog. Vet is closed, what should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This depends on how deep it appears to be. If it is just a superficial scratch and it appears that the bleeding already resolved, you may continue to monitor it. If at some point a discharge develops and it appears to be getting infected, have him examined then. You may clean the area with soapy water. However, if it seems deep, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. It is hard to know for sure without being able to see it though I hope this is helpful. Good luck and have a good night!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Willow has a cut on her ear. It is possible that she caused it herself by scratching, but if you did not observe it happening, she could have traumatized it on something else, or been wounded by another animal. Based on your description of the wound, I recommend bringing her to your local veterinarian to have her evaluated. At the very least, the wound likely needs to be cleaned and flushed with a sterile solution to prevent infection. Depending on how deep or infected the wound is, it may require more extensive management such as surgical closure of the wound, or bandages. Willow likely also needs an Elizabethan (cone) collar to prevent her from further traumatizing the wound. Unfortunately, dogs like to scratch at their ears and can make it very hard for wounds to heal. If the wound is superficial and Willow is otherwise healthy, you may be able to apply compression to the wound to get it to stop bleeding, and monitor it closely at home for signs of infection (redness, swelling, yellow-green discharge, foul odor). If you see any of these signs, Willow should definitely be evaluated by a veterinarian. Just a reminder, NEVER give dogs any pain medications that are intended for humans, as they can be lethally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

Hello. I am sure this must hurt, but you do need to try & clean things up the best you can until she is seen by a veterinarian. You can just gently clean the wound with warm water. If you have any skin antiseptic like Hibiclens ( available at all pharmacies ) then clean things up with this. Do not use soap as you will have a tough time getting all the soap out of her coat. Then, remind your mom you need to take Stella to the vet. She may need antibiotics. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, have you promptly disinfected it ? If so, you could give it a bit of time and disinfect it on a daily basis and see if it does heal on its own. If you haven’t it is best to see the vet as dog’s teeth carry a lot of infection and Bubba might need some medications. Hope goes well, I also have a Basset ! She was bitten on her ear last year and it did heal without any antibiotics but I must admit it does not happen very often ! Hope all goes well !

These all look like superficial grazes in the pictures provided and I would keep them clean with saline or dilute iodine disinfectant. Monitor closely for any heat, pain or swelling around any of the wounds which would indicate infection requiring antibiotics from your vet. I recommend you keep them separated to prevent further injury in the future

Oh gosh! I am so sorry to hear this! Rabbits should not be given any over the counter pain medication- it can be fatal to them. Do you have hair or beard clippers? #40 blade is best but a 10 will do the job. Put her in a dim room but enough light for you to see what you are doing. Clip/shave all the hair around the wounds. Use warm water to compress and clean the wounds. If you have the opportunity to have her evaluated by a veterinarian that would be ideal. Sometimes equine veterinarians will help with the rabbits too . Getting the fur off can really help decrease the chance of infection as well as allows you to see what is going on and if it is improving or getting worse. Keep her indoors so flies can’t get to the wound. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

It's probably best to leave it alone for now. Ears tend to bleed a lot when they get cut, but it eventually stops and they don't bleed enough to be dangerous - unless he happens to have a clotting disorder. The more you wipe at the ear or agitate it, the more it will bleed. Also, hydrogen peroxide and other strong antiseptics can cause more damage than good, so it's best not to apply this to the wound. You can try cleaning the wound in 12 hours or so after the bleeding has stopped and he hopefully calms down. The first thing you should do is flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate water getting near their face. I recommend having someone help you with holding Cruise to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. If the ear starts to swell or have pus oozing from the wound, then I'd recommend he goes to the vet for treatment. Otherwise, the wound should heal fine over the next 2-3 weeks. I hope that helps and Cruise gets better soon.