Cuts, bleeding, bites and ticks: dog first aid

This guide is general information only. First aid doesn't replace veterinary care. In an emergency, ring your vet (or your out-of-hours vet) straight away.

Out-of-hours emergencies in Liverpool: Medivet 24 Hour Alder, 410 Eaton Road, West Derby, L12 3HG, says it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 0151 220 4668 (Medivet, checked 18 Oct 2026). Vets Now Liverpool, based in the PDSA Pet Hospital on Woolfall Heath Avenue, Huyton, L36 3YD, opens from 6pm on weeknights, from noon on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays and bank holidays. Call 0151 271 5727 (Vets Now, checked 18 Oct 2026). Always ring before you set off, and ask your own vet which service covers their out-of-hours calls.

Most dogs pick up the odd scrape, but heavy bleeding, deep wounds and bites need a vet. Here's what UK vets and charities advise for stopping bleeding, cleaning and covering wounds, and removing ticks safely.

Heavy bleeding

Losing a lot of blood can make a dog go into shock, collapse or even die (PDSA). Check your dog over slowly and carefully, because even a friendly dog may bite when they're in pain (PDSA).

1. Find where the blood is coming from (PDSA).
2. Press on it. Hold a clean cloth, such as a tea towel, or a sterile gauze pad firmly over the wound (Vets Now; RSPCA). Avoid tissue paper and cotton wool, which fall apart and leave fibres in the wound (Vets Now).
3. Keep the pressure on. Don't lift the dressing to check whether the bleeding has stopped. This can disturb a clot and start the bleeding again (PDSA).
4. Raise the injured part above the level of the heart, if you can (Vets Now).
5. Don't use a tourniquet. Vets Now says they can cause more harm than they prevent (Vets Now).
6. Ring your vet (PDSA). Move your dog carefully and avoid touching the injury (PDSA).

How long to press: the advice differs

• Vets Now: keep up continuous pressure for 10 minutes. Try not to release it at all for the first 5 minutes, so a clot can start to form (Vets Now).
• RSPCA: hold pressure for at least three minutes, then check. Then put on a bandage and keep pressure on the wound, loosening it for 20 seconds every 15 to 20 minutes (RSPCA).
• PDSA: don't take the dressing off to check, as this can restart the bleeding (PDSA).

If you're unsure, ring your vet and follow what they tell you.

Internal bleeding

Internal bleeding is hard to spot and often life-threatening (PDSA; RSPCA). Signs include weakness or collapse, pale gums, cold feet, tail or ears, bruising, difficulty breathing and a swollen belly (PDSA). The RSPCA adds a weak, rapid pulse and bleeding from the nose, mouth or bottom (RSPCA). Ring your vet immediately, and keep your dog warm and quiet on the way (PDSA; RSPCA).

Nosebleeds

None of the UK vet and charity sources we checked gives home first aid steps for a dog's nosebleed, so ring your vet for advice. The RSPCA lists bleeding from the nose as a possible sign of internal bleeding (RSPCA). PDSA says many rat and mouse poisons stop blood clotting and can cause bleeding (PDSA). If your dog could have got into rat poison, tell your vet.

Cuts and grazes

Minor wounds can often be treated at home, but deep or large wounds should always be checked by a vet (PDSA).

1. Check your dog over. Look for other injuries, pain or shock. If you're worried, cover the wound, keep them warm and call your vet (PDSA).
2. Skin missing? Cover it with a clean, dry dressing and call your vet. If your dog seems uncomfortable when you try, or you have no dressing, leave it uncovered (PDSA).
3. Flush small wounds. Run water over the wound for as long as your dog will let you (PDSA). PDSA suggests salt water, made with one teaspoon of salt in a pint of cooled, boiled water, or clean lukewarm tap water (PDSA). Vets Now says plenty of clean tap water, at about body temperature, is all you need (Vets Now).
4. Pat dry with a clean cloth or kitchen roll, taking care not to disturb any clots (Vets Now).

What not to put on a wound

• Vets Now says never use hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or disinfectants like TCP or Dettol (Vets Now).
• Don't apply creams or ointments yourself. Many damage healing skin, and some are toxic to pets (Vets Now).
• PDSA says not to clean a wound with anything except salt water unless you've spoken to your vet, as even veterinary antiseptics can slow healing (PDSA).

Watch for infection

Signs of infection include heat, itching, swelling, discharge and redness. See your vet if you're worried, or if the wound hasn't healed within a few days (PDSA).

Paw and leg injuries

• For a wound on a leg or paw, Vets Now suggests putting the foot in a large bowl of water and swishing it around. Change the water often, until it stays clear (Vets Now).
• Until your dog can see a vet, a light dressing is enough: bandage material, a clean cloth or tea towel, or a cotton sock held on with tape (Vets Now).
• Stop your dog licking or chewing the wound, as this can cause damage and infection. PDSA suggests a buster collar, a body suit or a protective sock (PDSA).
• Limping, or not putting any weight on a leg, can mean a broken bone. Don't bandage or splint it without your vet's advice (Blue Cross).
• In summer, hot pavements can burn paws (Blue Cross). Our stings, burns and eyes guide covers burns.

Bandaging basics

Blue Cross says your vet may ask you to put on a bandage, or press on the wound, to slow bleeding while you get to the practice. This is only a temporary measure (Blue Cross).

• Never bandage tightly. A bandage that's too tight, or left on too long, can cut off the blood supply and cause more damage (Blue Cross; PDSA first aid guide).
• The finger check: PDSA says you should be able to fit at least two fingers comfortably under a bandage (PDSA first aid guide). Vets Now says you should be able to slip an index finger in comfortably (Vets Now). Check often for swelling or circulation problems (Vets Now).
• Head, neck and body: a gauze pad or clean kitchen roll can be taped straight onto the skin (Vets Now).
• Follow your vet's advice on bandaging (Blue Cross).

Bite wounds

Always get your dog checked by a vet after a bite or attack. Mouths are full of bacteria, so bites very often get infected, and they can hide damage under the skin (PDSA). Blue Cross says bites sometimes turn into abscesses. You may not see a wound at all, just limping, a poor appetite or tiredness (Blue Cross).

• Bleeding heavily: press on it with a dry, clean dressing and go straight to your vet (PDSA).
• Small and not bleeding much: flush it with lukewarm salty water for as long as your dog will let you, then book a vet appointment (PDSA).
• Snakebite: hold an ice pack wrapped in a towel on the bite, and take your dog straight to the nearest vet (PDSA). Animal PoisonLine says to contact your vet immediately about adder bites (Animal PoisonLine).
• Fights: don't put your hands between fighting dogs. People are often bitten this way (RSPCA).

Removing a tick safely

Remove a tick as soon as you find it, to lower the risk of diseases such as Lyme disease (PDSA). Ticks usually attach around the head, neck, ears and feet. Run your hands over your dog after walks to feel for them (Blue Cross).

Using a tick remover (tick twister)

1. Wear gloves if you have them, and part the fur so you can reach the tick (Blue Cross).
2. Slide the tick remover under the tick, as close to the skin as possible. If it doesn't fit neatly, try another size (they often come in packs of two or three sizes) (PDSA).
3. Without pulling upwards, twist the tool in one direction until you feel the tick loosen (PDSA). Blue Cross says twist clockwise several times (Blue Cross).
4. Lift the tool away slowly. The tick should stay in the hook (PDSA). Check that the whole tick has come out (Blue Cross).
5. Get rid of the tick so it can't attach to anyone else (PDSA). Blue Cross suggests putting it in alcohol, or wrapping it in tissue and flushing it away, then washing your hands (Blue Cross).
6. Clean the area with warm salty water (PDSA).

What not to do

• Never pull, crush or squeeze a tick (PDSA). Squeezing its body can push blood back into your dog and raise the risk of infection (Blue Cross).
• Never use your fingers to crush a tick (Blue Cross).
• Don't try to burn a tick off or smother it with lotions or oils. Blue Cross gives this advice for ticks on people, because the tick may push blood back into the bite (Blue Cross).

No tick remover? PDSA says it's better to wait an hour or two and find the right tool than to rush. As a last resort, you can use ordinary tweezers, holding the tick gently and as close to the skin as possible (PDSA). If you're worried about doing it yourself, ask your vet practice to help (PDSA).

Afterwards, and the Lyme disease link

• If part of the tick is left behind, you may see a small black spot, with redness and swelling. Book a vet check, as it can become infected (PDSA).
• Watch the bite for heat, redness, swelling or discharge, and watch your dog for tiredness or a poor appetite (PDSA).
• Some ticks in the UK carry Lyme disease (PDSA). In dogs, signs include loss of appetite, depression, fever, lameness, swollen painful joints and swollen glands. Contact your vet and tell them your dog may have been bitten by a tick (Blue Cross).
• People can catch Lyme disease too. If you get a rash, often a red ring around a bite, or feel unwell, see your doctor and tell them about the tick bite (Blue Cross).
• Ask your vet about tick treatments that repel or quickly kill ticks. The longer a tick stays attached, the greater the risk of disease (Blue Cross).

Ticks are most common in woodland, grassland and heath, especially where there are deer or sheep. They're most likely between spring and autumn, but are active all year (Blue Cross).

Find a vet in Liverpool

It's worth saving your own vet's number, and their out-of-hours number, in your phone before you ever need them (PDSA). Our Liverpool vets directory lists practices across the city.

In an emergency: Liverpool's two out-of-hours emergency vets, Medivet 24 Hour Alder (0151 220 4668) and Vets Now Liverpool (0151 271 5727), are listed with their addresses and opening times in the box at the top of this page (checked 18 Oct 2026).

More in our dog first aid series:

• Dog first aid: the basics
• Poisoning: what to do
• Heatstroke and cold
• Stings, burns and eye injuries
• Choking, seizures and collapse
• Your dog first aid kit

See all our dog health and first aid guides

There are no affiliate links on this page. Affiliate disclosure. This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. Always speak to your vet.