If your dog has injured its leg, you can use a wrap to help stabilize the limb to protect from further injury. A homemade wrap should not be a substitute for veterinary care, but a properly applied wrap can minimize damage before you can get the dog to a professional. An Ace bandage helps wrap a leg because the elastic material allows for a snug wrap without cutting off circulation.
Clean any open wound on the leg then apply a gauze pad over the injury, covering the wound completely.
Wrap around the leg of the dog below the joint once with cotton wrap, then around the leg above the joint with the same wrap. When looked at from the side of the leg, the wrap will appear V-shaped, with the joint in the hollow at the top of the V.
Repeat the wrap for two to three more wrappings above and below the joint.
Wrap the cotton by using stretchable gauze to compress the cotton. If you allow the wrap is to be loose, the dog will not receive full effects of the wrap and will be in more pain.
Cover the stretchable gauze with Ace bandage, wrapping snugly around the leg above and below the joint until you reach the end of the bandage.
Tape the end of the Ace bandage down to the layer beneath it, as opposed to using a butterfly clip which can come undone, exposing the dog to the sharp teeth.
Tape the bandage to the dog's leg, with tape extending off the top and bottom of the wrap. This holds the wrap in place when the dog moves.
Monitor the dog's paw the leg that you wrapped. If the toes feel cold or show signs of swelling you have wrapped the leg too tight and are cutting off circulation.
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