No super glue for Sadie

Dear Dr. Abbie:  Our beagle, Sadie, got a cut on her paw last week and it bled like crazy. There was blood all over the driveway. We never figured out what she got cut on, but it was hard to stop the bleeding. The blood just kept coming through the bandage and we had to keep changing it. We were in a panic because we have had one financial crisis after another lately and we just could not afford to take her to the vet. After a few days it looked better, and when I calmed down I began to wonder if we could have used super glue to stop the bleeding.  Can I use super glue on her next time she gets a cut?

– Sadie’s mom

Dear Sadie’s mom:  I am glad to hear Sadie is doing better after her bout with sharp objects and bloody bandages. I think she may have dodged a bullet so to speak, because she was lucky that no major arteries were severed causing her to lose a toe, or that no foreign body was lodged in her paw. The first aid you applied was correct because you put pressure on the wound, but to help staunch the flow further you could have added an ice pack over the wrap. Most dogs, especially in the throes of an injury are not going to sit with their foot elevated, but if you could have accomplished that, elevation helps. I would not advise using a tourniquet unless you were on the way to a veterinarian, because tourniquets can cause further injury if left on too long or applied incorrectly.

As far as super glue is concerned, the household super glue is a short chain polymer of cyanoacrylate which is brittle when dried. As it dries there is an exothermic reaction (which means it heats up). This can cause pain, if not a burn.  The tissue glues designed for surgical glues are the n-butyl polymer. It is more flexible when dried and does not heat up as much. So, I wouldn’t advise using super glue from the hardware store on live animals.

Your question prompts me to remind readers that the newer glue on the market, Gorilla Glue can be deadly to dogs if they ingest it.  Gorilla Glue, with its honey like taste is particularly appealing. Once in the stomach, it expands when it contacts the stomach acid and turns into a gigantic glob that will need to be surgically removed. Be sure to keep it up on the top shelf.

Thanks for your question, and I hope Sadie continues to heal up nicely – Dr. Abbie