how to keep a minor wound clean?

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rainey

rainey

chinchuckles
Joined
Aug 4, 2010
Messages
456
Location
Brighton, MA
One of my girls has a small bite wound in between her toes. I washed it with saline solution and put some ointment on it, but now that she's back in her cage I feel like it's not going to stay very clean. I put in fresh fleece but there is already hay everywhere. Should I take out the loose hay for now so her cage isn't such a mess? She keeps cleaning it every few seconds, and then digging into the fleece/hay which just gets the wound dirty again.

She's eating/drinking and very energetic, just won't stop tending to it. I don't feel too good about her eating the neosporine, either. Maybe virgin coconut oil could be used instead? That's what I put on my own cuts to make them heal faster, but not sure if coconut is safe for chins.
 
Claire gave great advice on signs of infection.

Another thing that can happen is some chins actually chew on the area that is painful on the paw. I've had it happen before. So if she doesn't leave it alone soon, you may want to see if you can get her fitted for an e-collar. They are awkward on chins, but I have seen some that will work.
 
you may want to see if you can get her fitted for an e-collar.
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Stackie, can e-collars be purchased at a store or do they have to be fitted by a specialist?

DoGooder
 
Neosporin can be problematic if you don't have the wound 100% clean. It's thick and it seals in all the bad bacteria that isn't cleaned out.
 
Could she use bag balm? I know it works good on chins cracked feet and a chuns mothers sore nipples.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2
 
If a simple toe wound is clean it just needs monitoring - no lotions, potions, or creams are necessary. In fact, as Peggy had already suggested, sometimes creams etc can trap bacteria in the wound bed, causing further problems.

As long as you can see the toe wound, there is no bone visible, and the surrounding area to monitor for signs of infection then it is better to allow the wound to heal by itself.
 
I put neosporine on it because I read in the FAQ's : "Antibiotic cream (e.g. Neosporin) - topical anti-bacterial cream good for wounds, nicks, and scratches. Wound must be thoroughly cleaned before applying Neosporin as it will seal the germs in if you don't."

So I did clean it thoroughly first, but after it was on and she was licking her foot, it made me worried because I'm sure that isn't very good to ingest. That's why I was wondering if coconut oil would be a better alternative. Of course now I know I should have just left it, but the FAQ's make it seem like you should apply Neosporine for any "nicks, wounds, scratches." Perhaps this should be updated?
 
I am with Claire, leave it alone.

Stackie, can e-collars be purchased at a store or do they have to be fitted by a specialist?
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I don't know if normal vets have chinchilla sized e-collars, I have used a cereal box and a stapler on babies and young adults. Thankfully I've never had any reason to e-collar a full grown chin.

but the FAQ's make it seem like you should apply Neosporine for any "nicks, wounds, scratches." Perhaps this should be updated?
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Yea, it should be. I've never had a problem with Neosporin, but Ronda had some that had a severe reaction to it to the point she refused to use it on anyone.

Granted the last time I used Neosporin was 6 years ago. Plenty of time for them to change the ingredients.
 
Sorry, I just saw the question about e-collars. The smallest e-collar that most vets carry would *probably* work, but I would cut the plastic down so it doesn't stick out as far. I remember seeing a fleece one that someone on the forums made, but I can't for the life of me remember where. If she is leaving the toe alone still at this point, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just continue to watch for any chewing.
 
I have used a cereal box and a stapler on babies and young adults.
Click to expand...

The smallest e-collar that most vets carry would *probably* work, but I would cut the plastic down so it doesn't stick out as far.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information!

DoGooder
 
Hence the "thoroughly" cleansed part of that statement. What is thoroughly cleansed? I'm a nut about wounds. To me, clean means clean. Vets will recommend putting Neosporin on a small cut but I prefer Blu-Kote if necessary. Either that or a warm Epsom salt soak or a diluted (50/50) warm water peroxide bath.
 
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