ABSTRACT
Bite wounds (especially those caused by mammals like dogs, cats, rats, etc.) or deep wounds caused by claws are associated with a high risk of complications due to the risk of wound infection and damage to deeper structures, even when the skin wounds are small. Aseptic gloves should be worn when dealing with wounds. Deep trauma causes severe pain, and because of that, adequate pain relief must be started immediately with, for example, butorphanol, meloxicam and/or lidocaine. Fluid therapy is indicated to counteract hypovolemia in cases of significant blood loss (more than 1% of body weight) or large hematomas. Samples for bacteriological culturing and susceptibility testing are taken. In cases of perforating bite wounds or deep wounds caused by claws/talons, the risk of bacterial infection is very high. Large numbers of bacteria can be introduced into severely traumatized and sometimes devitalized tissue. Starting treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic (e.g., amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) as soon as possible is often crucial.
