A splinter is a foreign object that managed to get lodged partially or totally in the skin. A splinter can be a sliver of wood, a broken glass or a small piece of metal. Most splinters are found on the hands and on the foot. Thorns of plants can also cause a splinter. These foreign bodies embedded on the skin would cause a gnawing pain especially if the affected skin is moved or touched.

A splinter with a protruding tip will be easily seen but splinters that are deeply embedded on the skin may not be seen but it can be felt. The pain though is a sure enough sign that something is embedded in the skin. Small splinters can produce a few drops of blood but large ones can bleed a lot. Generally, small splinters are not noticed until infection causes the affected skin to swell, to redden and to have a pus discharge.

Like humans, dogs can get splinters too. Active and explorative are the innate behaviors of dogs. Bones and dogs go together because these animals love licking and gnawing bones. Because of these behaviors, dogs often sustain various kinds of injuries. A dog would not let a path littered with dirt, broken glass and thorns stand in the way of snaring the prey on the other side of the road. Splinters on the mouth can occur when the dog enthusiastically gnaws and breaks bones.

One of the reasons why a dog limps is a splinter on the foot. Splinters on the mouth will make the dog incessantly paw the mouth in an effort to remove the foreign body. A splinter on the dog’s paw will not really be painful but it will bother the dog thus it will be licked and gnawed continuously. Self mutilation can lead to infection. Removing the splinters of the dog would not be a hard task. A dog owner with first aid know how up his sleeve can easily deal with the injuries of the pet.

Removing a splinter is easy especially if the end of the splinter is sticking out but the owner has to be careful so as not to push the splinter deeper into the dog’s skin. The fur around the affected area must be trimmed to make the removal of the splinter easier. Dab the skin around the splinter with antiseptic cleaner. Use sterile tweezers to pull the tip of the splinter that is sticking out.

Removing splinters that are totally embedded in the skin can be difficult. A needle can be used to pry the tip of the splinter from the skin and once it is sticking out, it can be pulled with the tweezers. Apply antiseptic cleaner around the area of the affected skin.

Read more about dog first aid and splinters/a> at Sarah’s Dogs.

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