When Animals Attack… Each Other

When Animals Attack… Each Other

Gentle as our pets may be, many of us will have to deal with the aftermath of a physical conflict between two of them. Scratches most often heal on their own, but injuries inflicted by dog or cat teeth can be very serious.
Dog and cat fights are frightening, fast, and often quite violent. The combatants need to be separated, of course, and then inspected for damage. Check yourself also, to ensure that you weren’t injured in the process of trying to end it. In a fight between two animals, the worst damage is sustained when one is in a higher weight class than the other. Veterinarians call this type of injury “big dog-little dog syndrome.” Spinal injuries, punctured lungs, and abdominal tears are possible when a big dog gets hold of a littler dog or a cat. In these scenarios, a veterinarian must be sought out promptly and will sometimes need to perform surgery. If your pet has any trouble breathing after a fight, he or she should be rushed to the doctor. An x-ray will help to determine whether the lung or windpipe has been damaged. A doctor visit is also necessary if you saw the bigger pet lift the smaller one off the ground and shake it from side to side. That strategy is designed to damage the spinal cord, and it works pretty efficiently.
In a smaller-scale battle, it might not be obvious that any injury occurred. The puncture wounds inflicted by pointy carnivore teeth are, by definition, deeper than they are wide. They’re very difficult to identify, so do not be surprised if you don’t find all of them, or can’t find anything at all. They seal up quickly and lend themselves to trapped infection. Furthermore, dog and cat mouths are crawling with germs (yours too, so don’t look so smug). Some of those germs are especially skilled at creating infection. This usually becomes evident about 72 hours after the bite. Your dog or cat might be acting ill or under the weather, and the area that was bitten will start to become more obvious. It often forms a soft swelling and becomes painful to the touch. This is an abscess, and it is the product of a well-functioning immune system. Although they will usually burst on their own eventually, allowing the patient to feel somewhat better, abscesses should be seen at the clinic for best results. Antibiotics are usually prescribed, lab tests might be performed on the fluid, and the doctor may perform minor surgery to speed the healing of the wound. Abscesses must be allowed to drain freely until they stop on their own.

Dogs and cats with minor to moderate bite wounds usually don’t get stitches. If there is a lengthy wound or a lot of blood lost, your pet might be the exception. Most pets that have fought each other recover completely. The bigger challenge will be in figuring out how to prevent the gladiators from going at it again.

Dr. M. S. Regan