Wounds, Lacerations & Trauma
Urgent Trauma Treatment for Pets: Bites, Burns & Injuries
Accidents happen. Whether your dog got into a fight, your cat came home with a puncture wound, or your pet snagged a nail and it’s bleeding, wounds and lacerations need proper veterinary care to heal correctly and avoid infection.
At Ruby Veterinary Urgent Care in Johns Creek, our ER-trained veterinarians perform wound care and laceration repair every day, ensuring your pet gets clean, properly treated wounds and effective pain management.
Types of Wounds We Treat
- Dog bites can cause significant hidden tissue damage beneath relatively small puncture wounds.
- Cat bites frequently become infected and develop into abscesses due to the deep, penetrating nature of cat teeth.
- Snake bites can cause significant local swelling, pain, and in some cases, systemic illness.
- Insect stings and bites from bees, wasps, fire ants, and spiders.
- Lacerations and cuts from sharp objects, fences, glass, or rough terrain.
- Burns from hot surfaces, chemicals, or electrical cords need immediate veterinary attention.
- Broken and torn toenails are extremely painful and bleed heavily.
Signs Your Pet Needs Urgent Wound Care
You should have your pet evaluated by a veterinarian if they have experienced any of the following:
- Any wound that is actively bleeding and doesn't stop with gentle pressure within 10 minutes
- Puncture wounds, which often appear small on the surface but can have significant damage underneath
- Wounds caused by another animal or insect, as these carry a high risk of infection
- Swelling, warmth, or discharge from a wound, indicating infection
- Wounds near the eyes, throat, chest, or abdomen
- Burns of any kind
- Broken or dangling toenails
- Any wound where you can see tissue, fat, muscle, or bone beneath the skin
When to Seek Urgent Care vs. the Emergency Room
Ruby can treat the majority of wounds and lacerations, including bite wound management, abscess drainage, laceration repair, nail injuries, and wound infection treatment.
Seek emergency care at a 24-hour hospital for wounds with uncontrolled and heavy bleeding, deep penetrating wounds to the chest or abdomen, or if your pet has been hit by a car and has multiple injuries.
How Ruby Treats Wounds and Lacerations
We address pain management first because wound care requires your pet to be comfortable. Depending on the wound's location and severity, this may include local anesthesia, injectable pain medications, or sedation.
Once your pet is comfortable, we thoroughly explore and clean the wound, evaluating its depth and extent, flushing with sterile saline to remove debris and bacteria, and checking for hidden damage beneath the surface.
For lacerations, we close clean wounds with sutures, staples, or surgical adhesive to promote optimal healing. If your pet has an abscess, we lance and flush the pocket and place a drain if needed to prevent it from building back up. We apply appropriate bandaging and send you home with clear instructions for at-home wound care.
We prescribe antibiotics based on the type and severity of the wound, especially for bite wounds and contaminated wounds that carry a high risk of infection.
What to Expect During Your Visit
Wound care visits at Ruby typically take 30 to 90 minutes depending on the wound’s complexity. Minor wounds and nail injuries may be treated quickly, while lacerations requiring suturing or abscesses requiring drainage take longer. Your pet will be kept comfortable throughout the procedure. You’ll leave with clear wound care instructions, medications for pain and infection prevention, and a schedule for any necessary bandage changes or recheck exams.
Recovery and Home Care
Keep the wound clean and dry as your veterinarian directs. Give all medications as prescribed, and make sure to finish the full course of antibiotics even if the wound looks better. Use an Elizabethan collar to keep your pet from licking or chewing at the wound. Check the wound daily for signs of infection like increased redness, swelling, discharge, odor, or your pet seeming more painful. Follow activity restrictions to give the wound time to heal properly.
Our veterinarians will give you recheck instructions with your primary veterinarian.
Conveniently located in Johns Creek, serving North Atlanta.
Ruby Veterinary Urgent Care is located at 10710 State Bridge Road Ste 120 in Johns Creek, Georgia, just minutes from Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Suwanee, Duluth, Peachtree Corners, Sandy Springs, and Cumming. We serve pet families across North Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Forsyth County, and greater metro Atlanta. Open Monday through Friday 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM and Saturday through Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Walk-ins welcome or reserve your spot online.
Frequently asked questions
Changes in behavior, activity level, and physical condition can be signs your pet is in pain. Common signs include decreased appetite, limping, excessive licking, restlessness, aggression, changes in posture, and vocalization like whimpering or growling.
Broken toenails are very painful and can bleed heavily. Apply gentle pressure with a clean cloth. If the bleeding stops, you can monitor at home temporarily, but the nail will likely need veterinary treatment for proper trimming, pain management, and sometimes a bandage. If the bleeding won’t stop or the nail is dangling, bring your pet to Ruby.
Very likely. Abscesses are extremely common in cats, especially outdoor cats, and typically result from bite wounds sustained during fights with other cats. They present as painful, warm, swollen lumps that may eventually rupture and drain foul-smelling material. Abscesses require veterinary treatment including drainage, flushing, and antibiotics.
First, check for any visible stingers or embedded objects. If present, remove them carefully (avoid squeezing) and clean the wound with mild soap and water. Apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. Monitor your pet for signs of an allergic reaction, such as facial swelling, difficulty breathing, or vomiting. If any of these occur, seek immediate veterinary attention.
If your pet is bitten by a snake, immediately seek veterinary care. While waiting for or en route to the vet, keep your pet calm and quiet to slow venom circulation and try to identify the snake from a safe distance, if possible, but do not attempt to capture it.
You can attempt to treat minor wounds at home since not every scrape or injury requires emergency care. Wounds that won’t stop bleeding, wounds that are deep enough to expose muscle, fat, bone, or other tissues beneath the skin, or are longer than an inch, puncture wounds especially those caused by bites from other animals, or wounds with embedded foreign objects should be evaluated by a veterinarian.
In addition, wounds caused by car accidents or other trauma should be evaluated because these wounds can be more severe than they appear on the surface and may involve internal injuries.
When in doubt, it is always best to err on the side of caution and contact your veterinarian for guidance or an appointment to ensure your pet receives proper care.
Reserve your spot
Book online to reserve your time. Walk-ins always welcome.