By Joe Spoo DVM

I often tell people that the reason I became a veterinarian was to be able to afford my own hunting dogs. My little English Setter has proven this point beyond a doubt this season. While the early seasons started without much fanfare, by the opening day of South Dakota’s pheasant season that had all changed. We had hunted waterways and draws most of the day, and as a result, I turned to my Chesapeake to handle the dog duties. Feeling a little guilty, I decided to let Maggie, the Setter, have her turn on the ground. Barely into the field, this turned out to be a very big mistake. My hard-charging dog suddenly stopped in her tracks and started aggressively sneezing. By the time I got to her, she was bloodied and continually sprayed blood from her nose. I calmed her down and carried her back to the truck. Apparently she had rammed a stick or weed up her nose, resulting in the blood I was seeing.

This had happened two other times in her career, though this was by far the worst incident. I flushed her nose with saline, cleaned her up, started a course of antibiotics and hoped for the best. At this point an x-ray would have been useless, as the plant material would not show up, and if any problems arose after stopping the antibiotics, she would require a CT scan and likely a scope procedure.

After two days of rest I continued to hunt her hard during the next three weeks. Just two days from the end of her four weeks of antibiotics, we were wrapping up a hunt on prairie chickens and sharptails when she once again went into a sneezing fit while in her crate. This time, though, the offending stick was expelled, and I was in complete shock at the size of the stick that had been up this dog’s nose, the entire time she had hunted almost flawlessly.

Now, not every field emergency is going to take such a protracted course, but the number one point I stress to people is that if you run a dog in the field long enough, you will deal with injuries. These can range from cuts and broken limbs to gunshot wounds and penetrating injuries to the eye (another Setter story). It is during these times that your degree of preparation and level-headedness can determine whether your favorite hunting partner will be back to hunt with you another day.

Many of these injuries can be addressed in the field, while others will definitely require a trip to the vet. It is extremely important to be able to have an idea what types of injuries require immediate care and to properly care for wounds to prevent further pain and injury. In addition, it is important to be able to correctly address injuries in the field. While there are many books available dealing with sporting dog first-aid to serve as a reference, I highly recommend attending a seminar put on by a veterinarian dealing with field emergencies and to talk over any questions with your current veterinarian. They will be more than happy to take the time to show you how and when to use your first aid kit. If you’re not aware of any seminars locally, approach the local dog clubs or conservation organizations about bringing in a veterinarian to perform such a seminar, as it can serve as a fund-raiser for the club. Books make for a good way to refresh your memory, but nothing beats seeing a demonstration first hand.

In my mind there are two simple things you can do to ensure your dog stays in the field and is healthy. The first thing is to always perform a tailgate exam and the second is to carry a good first-aid kit.

When I suggest a tailgate exam, I’m not talking about a thorough annual exam like your vet performs, but rather giving your dog a good hands-on once over. Initially look at the entire dog, particularly as they walk back to the truck. How’s the gait, attitude, etc? Next get the dog up on the tailgate, and look it over. Start with the nose and mouth, looking for any discharge or pain. Look the eyes over closely, paying attention to the surface of the eye as well as behind the eyelids. Be certain to examine the third eyelid. If you are unsure how, discuss it with your veterinarian and have him or her show you how to fully examine the eye. Be sure to look in the ears, mainly looking for plant pieces or debris.

Next, go over the neck and chest; these areas are prone to wire cuts. With breeds like goldens, setters, and springers, it is especially important to get your hands on the dog, as sometimes cuts can be difficult to see through their thick coats. You will be very surprised at how some very severe looking cuts can produce little to no blood. Next feel the belly and chest for any areas of pain or bleeding. Finally move on to the legs. Start with the toes and pads, inspecting in-between each, and then move up to the shoulder and hip, respectively. In just a few short minutes you’ve made a quick assessment of the entire dog.

If there is a problem, stop and address it immediately. Waiting will often times only make the situation worse. I have seen many minor cuts and scrapes turn into long-term, sidelining injuries. All too often, we’ll see dogs for “repairs” on Monday mornings, after other family members have had a chance to get their hands on the dogs and find the injuries. In most cases had the injury been addressed in the field, the dogs would not miss a beat.

Having a good first aid kit (see sidebar) is almost as important as knowing how to use it and knowing your limitations. In my experience, dog owners fall into two categories: those who think they are veterinarians and are reluctant to seek care and those who would rather have a veterinarian do it all. It is usually my goal to convince people to be somewhere in-between. There will be times when you and your dog will be better off starting care in the field, and conversely, some field emergencies cannot be fully addressed outside of a veterinary hospital.

I could fill several pages discussing individual emergencies and how to treat them. Instead of going over individual situations, it may be more effective to discuss some ground rules that will apply to virtually every situation.

The first, and most important rule, is that most emergency situations have the potential to become worse if you don’t stop and think for a minute. It’s best to keep both the dog and yourself calm and make rational decisions.

If a wound is bleeding, attempt to stop the bleeding. If it is a steady oozing of blood, apply steady pressure. Be sure to apply even pressure and avoid the temptation to peek under the gauze every couple of seconds, as you will constantly be disrupting the clotting process and essentially restarting the clock. If the blood is spurting out then an artery may be involved, in which case more pressure for longer periods of time will be needed. If severe enough you may need to use the hemostat in the first aid kit to clamp the vessel. Lacerations to an artery are rare, but they do happen, so be sure you have discussed with your veterinarian the correct way to use a hemostat.

One note on bleeding from various parts of the head: the nose, mouth (particularly the tongue) and ears all will bleed aggressively with even minor cuts. With these wounds the most important aspect of stopping the bleeding is to calm the dog down and stop any activity. This will bring the dog’s blood pressure down and aid in the clotting process.

If the bleeding is controlled, the absolute most important part of wound management is to clean the wound, clean the wound and clean some more. For this job, I like to use a straight saline rinse and copious amounts. Personally I don’t use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, as both can cause microscopic tissue damage and further delay the healing process. I go through several bottles of saline rinse a season. I’ll use it to rinse minor wounds and to flush debris out of the nose and eyes. One note on rinsing the eyes: direct the rinse at either the white part of the eye or down into the sac formed by the eyelids. The surface of the eye is extremely sensitive, and you can quickly make a dog “head shy” by spraying it directly on the surface of the eye.

For larger wounds I will still use a saline rinse, but instead of the small bottle, fill up a 20 cc syringe and use an 18 gauge needle to develop a pressurized rinsing system. You cannot rinse a wound too much. Typically I would rinse 2-3 times beyond when I think the wound should be clean.

If you are comfortable closing wounds, the surgical stapler can be used after the wound is cleaned. The staples can be used as the final fix or as a temporary closure until you are able to get the dog to a veterinarian. Most dogs will tolerate staple closure without any type of pain relief, and in some cases a couple of quick staples hurt less than administering a local anesthetic via multiple needle sticks. When you close the wound, make sure the dog is comfortably restrained to prevent being bitten and that the wound being stapled is superficial and not very long. Here again, your comfort level will determine whether you will want to attempt closing the wound.

With major open wounds or penetrating wounds to the chest or abdomen attempt to pack the wounds off and provide a temporary bandage while you are seeking veterinary care. This is where the white t-shirt in the first aid kit can come in handy. It can be used in large wounds, and if it begins to fill with blood, you will know you are not adequately controlling the hemorrhage.

Broken limbs are uncommon but do happen to sporting dogs. Attempt to stabilize the affected limb and seek veterinary care. A splint will help stabilize the injury but will in no way allow the dog to heal correctly. There are cases when a splint will be used in the healing process but only after the injury is assessed with x-rays and manipulation.

The most common areas I see problems in sporting dogs are the feet, the chest and the eyes. Fortunately there are a few things you can do preventatively to protect these areas. With the feet, I can’t stress enough to keep the toenails trimmed and protect the feet with a dog boot if running in rough terrain. If the dog is going to be in an area with a lot of barbed wire or in the woods, I would recommend a skid plate-type chest protector to prevent against lacerations and penetrating wounds. With the eyes, unless you can get your dog to run with goggles, there is not much you can do preventatively. However, removing any debris and closely monitoring the eyes can prevent minor annoyances to the eye from becoming a major injury.

When they occur in the field, emergencies and injuries can be frightening to both you and your dog. Just remember to remain calm, fully assess the situation, stabilize the dog and, if necessary, clean the injury.

Thankfully the first aid kit will sit in the truck, never touched, 99 out of 100 times out in the field. However, the one time you need it will more than pay for the time it takes to put it together. These dogs are athletes and encounter innumerable hazards every time they are out in the field. You owe it to your dog to be able to address the injuries that inevitably will occur.