handy hints

B

basspow

New member
Always include in your truck a pair of pliers(leathermans) and some tomato
juice. nothing like having to return the motel (or home) with a dog that has been skunked or quilled by a porky, there must be other items one should carry:cheers:
 
emt gel, elastic bandages, saline solution, something to wrap around pups mouth if you have to set a broken leg, pull quills etc. So you don't get bit.
 
basspow said:
and some tomato
juice. nothing like having to return the motel (or home) with a dog that has been skunkedrs:
Click to expand...


Replace the tomato juice for a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dawn dish soap. WAY better off. Tomato juice only masks the oder, doesn't remove it.

1 quart (or liter) of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, H2O2.
Use fresh (unopened) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide eventually turns into water (H2O).
1/4 cup (50 ml.) of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon (5 ml.) of Liquid Soap
1 pair of plastic or latex gloves

Forget what you have heard about tomato juice--it doesn't work. Skunk spray is mainly composed of low molecular weight thiol compounds. ("Thiols" are compounds with the "-SH radical" attached to a carbon atom.) In industrial applications, alkaline hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is used for scrubbing similar compounds from waste gas streams.
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, when combined, become a "chemical engine" for churning out oxygen. That's why it has to be used immediately after mixing. The soap breaks up the oils in the skunk spray, allowing the other ingredients to do their work
 
always carry some vasaline and or nasal spray to help clean out the dogs noses and a good sharp pair of scissors to help out with any stuck burs
 
GSP said:
Replace the tomato juice for a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dawn dish soap. WAY better off. Tomato juice only masks the oder, doesn't remove it.

1 quart (or liter) of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, H2O2.
Use fresh (unopened) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide eventually turns into water (H2O).
1/4 cup (50 ml.) of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon (5 ml.) of Liquid Soap
1 pair of plastic or latex gloves

Forget what you have heard about tomato juice--it doesn't work. Skunk spray is mainly composed of low molecular weight thiol compounds. ("Thiols" are compounds with the "-SH radical" attached to a carbon atom.) In industrial applications, alkaline hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is used for scrubbing similar compounds from waste gas streams.
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, when combined, become a "chemical engine" for churning out oxygen. That's why it has to be used immediately after mixing. The soap breaks up the oils in the skunk spray, allowing the other ingredients to do their work
Click to expand...

Don't forget a bucket to mix it in, makes it easier to mix up before putting it on the dog. I had to take my HP OUT OF MY TRUCK IT FROZE SOLID.
 
Good call GSP. Every year (sometimes multiple times) we see a thread or reply on how to eliminate skunk spray. The formula you posted above is what I use and it's unbelievable how well it works. Simply put, it's "base" and skunk spray is acidic (it's contains mercaptan).

Fenway also made a good call reminding us to take a bucket. Personally, I take enough of the materials listed above to make two batches or one large batch. I then put the packaged contents in a bucket and put a lid on the bucket. Why? H2O2 goes bad pretty quickly even when in the bottle and it's considered my "skunk kit" and anybody (including strangers at the hotel or in the field) can use it. Putting a lid on the bucket keeps the bottle fresh longer. Throw in a good pair of jersey gloves as they work well to put the solution on the dog(s). As stated above, don't mix it up until needed. Total cost about $5.

Lastly and probably the toughest thing is to wash the solution out of the dog's coat. Ya need water....and it can be pretty cold. Just have to tough it out and carry enough to do the job.

Leatherman - Always on my belt.

One hint I'd suggest....and it's a bit tough. Learn to suture. I've stitched up all my dogs at one time or another (had a total of 8 incidents last year). Sounds tougher than it is. I can't do the major stuff (arteries, internal, etc), but most of what I see in the field are 2" or less and only go though the skin (barbed wire). With just a little training and practice it can save you driving for miles, time, and lots of $$.

It only cost me a couple of lunches with my vet. The first time you sew up a dog in the field it's really sobering....and for some strange reason VERY rewarding.

Good thread!

Point!
 
Last edited:
An extra orange hat or two.:thumbsup: Not for your dog, but for your hunting buddies who would forget their head if it wasn't attached. I gave one to a hunting buddy this weekend who showed up with a strap vest and camo hat. I'm not into playing "where's Waldo" when I'm in the field...:rolleyes:
 
Good idea on the orange hats Toad. I can't understand why people refuse to wear orange in the field.
 
Soonerhead,

I usually don't have to worry about the excuses. My wife uses my hunting trips as a good excuse to go on a shopping spree.:)
 
RogerWYO for the nasal spray any nonmedicated off brand will do same as the vasaline use the nasal spray whenever it is real dry such as now not every field but i use mine 2-3 times per hunt the vasaline helps with the nose cracking as they will lick it off and therefore moisturize their own noses more often I use that whenever their noses get chapped or start to look very dry CONTRARY to popular believe neither one will do anything to the health of your dog
 
Last week when I was hunting my dog got a deep gash from some barb wire (size of a dime). I stopped him from bleeding using gauze and some tape. Than I wrapped it up. Put him in the truck and he was done for the day. BTW I used extra thick superglue after I cleaned/disinfected it and shaved around the wound. I wonder if it is similiar. It kept him from licking the wound and now it is just a scab after a week :). So where do I learn to do sutures and where can I buy EMT Gel?
 
There are several videos on youtube that demonstrate suturing technique.

You can find emt gel on the internet, and an equivalent is available at most farm and home stores (i.e. Orscheln's).
 
I've had one tear 6" of skin loose from her belly- had one rip a 4" tear on her front leg- neither bled- neither would I to this day try to repair in the field-

I've had many rip their front legs up on barbed wire- but yet to one bleed- you are going to settle the dog down and stitch them up-

I had to pull out 60 some porquepine needles fron my males face- you've got to be kidding-

you are going to sew yours up in the field
 
Shadow said:
I've had one tear 6" of skin loose from her belly- had one rip a 4" tear on her front leg- neither bled- neither would I to this day try to repair in the field-

I've had many rip their front legs up on barbed wire- but yet to one bleed- you are going to settle the dog down and stitch them up-

I had to pull out 60 some porquepine needles fron my males face- you've got to be kidding-

you are going to sew yours up in the field
Click to expand...

Who said anything about sewing them up in the field? That is something I think you can do when you get back home. I just want to know how to do it to save me on vet bills. I will use the EMT gel if need be though.
 
Point! said:
One hint I'd suggest....and it's a bit tough. Learn to suture. I've stitched up all my dogs at one time or another (had a total of 8 incidents last year). Sounds tougher than it is. I can't do the major stuff (arteries, internal, etc), but most of what I see in the field are 2" or less and only go though the skin (barbed wire). With just a little training and practice it can save you driving for miles, time, and lots of $$.Point!
Click to expand...

um- Scoelki-
 
Point! said:
One hint I'd suggest....and it's a bit tough. Learn to suture. I've stitched up all my dogs at one time or another (had a total of 8 incidents last year). Sounds tougher than it is. I can't do the major stuff (arteries, internal, etc), but most of what I see in the field are 2" or less and only go though the skin (barbed wire). With just a little training and practice it can save you driving for miles, time, and lots of $$.

It only cost me a couple of lunches with my vet. The first time you sew up a dog in the field it's really sobering....and for some strange reason VERY rewarding.

Good thread!

Point!
Click to expand...

How about just getting a skin stapler?

Rut
 
Yes, I sew them up in the field. Gentlemen, I'm not talking about doing surgery. I'm talking about the basic "my dog isn't hurt to badly but he needs some sutures to close that flap" type of injury. Or just to close a gaping cut. If it isn't bleeding, I don't worry about it. If the injury is deep and long, it needs attention to prevent infection and to speed recovery.

Ever see a dog come back with a cut all the way though the outer layer of skin laid open and the gap is filled with debris (seeds, burrs, dirt, etc)? It's a mess, and needs attention.

Dogs don't have a lot of sensitivity in the outer layers of skin. A reverse cutting needle and the right kind of suture make for some pretty easy work. Sutures normally need to be put in place within roughly 4 hours or so. If it's been longer than 4 hours there's a good chance that the wound will have to be "refreshed" and I'm not qualified to do that.

Keep in mind that I can't do extensive work in the field; and if it's cold (below 15) I've got to get them somewhere where I can keep my fingers warm enough to do the work. I prefer to get to a warm dry place. A barn, a shelter belt, or even a deep draw with tall clean grass are good places to do the work. If it's close to the end of the day, I'll take them back to where ever I'm staying. If it's warm, the tailgate of the truck works very well.

Regarding hitting barbed wire, I guess I'm not as lucky as Shadow. My dogs seem to bleed quite a bit when they hit the fence. My mutts go hard enough that I finally said "enough is enough" and learned to suture. Fortunately I've only had to suture one small 2" gash this year.

Rutt, staples are easy, but my problem with them is getting them to set correctly. In addition, I find that on a hard charging dog they may not hold. Sutures, on the other hand, seem to hold very well. I'm not saying that a suture on the foreleg or the top of a paw will hold, but chest, neck, and flank repairs hold nicely. Staples are way better than nothing though.

Lastly, if you can come across some novocaine it will make the tough jobs much easier.

Scoelki, I'm not a big fan of EMT Gel. Perhaps I'm just not using it correctly.

By the way another good thing to carry is NuSkin. It's somewhere between crazy glue and EMT gel. I use it on minor scraps and in places where the dog has been rubbed raw (like when I dog loses a pad on due to running on rocky ground). It won't solve the problem completely, but NuSkin and Lewis boots go a long way toward putting feet with thrown pads back on the ground!

Point!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top