Fall hunting season brings a predictable set of injuries into the clinic every year, and most of them are not what people expect. Gunshot wounds are rare. Cut pads, barbed wire lacerations, cold water immersion, exhaustion and eye injuries are common, and several look minor for the first few hours.
Why the Skagit Valley is hard on dogs
The country a bird dog works around here is not gentle. Harvested corn and grain fields leave sharp stubble that cuts pads and abrades legs. Dikes, sloughs and drainage ditches mean cold water and steep muddy banks. Old fence lines run through cover, and barbed wire in tall grass is invisible to a running dog.
The weather adds to it. A dog that works a wet field all morning in forty-five degree air and then rides home in a cold truck bed loses heat fast, particularly a lean, short-coated dog with a wet chest.
And the dog will not tell you. A working retriever runs through injuries it would limp on at home, because drive overrides discomfort. That is why the post-hunt check matters more than watching your dog in the field.
The injuries we actually see
- Cut and torn pads, the single most common problem. Stubble, ice, glass and rock. Often not noticed until the dog is out of the truck
- Barbed wire lacerations, usually on the chest, flank or inner thigh. These can be deep and are frequently contaminated
- Eye injuries, from grass seeds, cattail fluff, brush and stubble. A squinting eye after a hunt is urgent, not a wait-and-see
- Grass awns and foxtails, which work into feet, ears, noses and under eyelids and migrate inward
- Cold water immersion and hypothermia, especially in waterfowl dogs
- Exhaustion and low blood sugar, in hard-running dogs on long days
- Muscle and joint injuries, particularly in weekend dogs that are fit for the couch and not for eight hours in a field
- Toxin exposure, from carcasses, agricultural products and standing water
- Gunshot injuries, uncommon but occasionally from another party rather than the handler
The post-hunt check, every time
Do this in good light before your dog settles, not the next morning. Five minutes.
- Each paw. Spread the toes, look between them and at each pad. Check the webbing and the nails
- Run your hands over the whole dog, against the coat as well as with it. You are feeling for cuts, punctures, heat, swelling and anything that makes your dog react
- Chest, armpits and inner thighs, which is where wire injuries hide
- Both eyes. Look for squinting, redness, discharge or a dog rubbing its face
- Ears, inside and at the base, for awns and foxtails
- Nose, for sudden violent sneezing, which often means something is up there
- Gums, which should be pink and moist
- Watch the walk across the yard the next morning
What cannot wait
Head to our urgent care and call on the way for:
- Any wound you cannot see the bottom of, or any puncture on the chest or abdomen
- Bleeding that does not slow with gentle pressure
- A squinting, closed or cloudy eye
- Difficulty breathing, or breathing that looks like effort
- Collapse, weakness or an inability to stand
- Shivering that has stopped in a dog that is still cold
- Disorientation, tremors or seizures
- Repeated retching without producing anything, or a suddenly distended abdomen
- A dog pulled from cold water, even one that seems fine afterward
That last point deserves emphasis. A dog that inhaled water can look completely normal and develop breathing problems hours later. Count the breaths per minute while your dog is resting and tell us the number when you call.
Preparing before the season, not during it
- Condition the dog. Build fitness over weeks. An unconditioned dog on opening weekend is how soft tissue injuries happen
- Toughen the pads gradually with work on varied surfaces, and consider boots for stubble fields
- Blaze orange on the dog, a vest and a collar. Visibility protects your dog from other hunters and helps you find it in cover
- Carry water and offer it often. Dogs drink less in cool weather and dehydrate anyway
- Feed light before, and properly after. A full stomach before hard work raises bloat risk in deep-chested dogs
- Carry a real first aid kit, including gauze, vet wrap, a saline eye rinse, tweezers and a towel
- Bring a dry towel and a dry blanket for the ride home
- Know your route to a clinic from wherever you hunt, and have the number saved
- Talk to us about prevention ahead of the season, since a working dog’s exposure is different from a house dog’s
The same country carries risks in every season, and our guide to dog safety on Skagit Valley trails and rivers covers the water and terrain side in more depth.
What not to do in the field
Do not pour anything into a deep wound or a puncture. Do not pull an object that is embedded, whether that is a stick, wire or an arrow, because it may be the only thing controlling bleeding. Do not bandage tightly, and do not leave a field bandage on longer than the drive home. Do not give your dog anything from your own supplies, and do not use a product intended for people or for livestock.
Cover the wound loosely with clean gauze, keep your dog quiet and warm, and get moving. Our medical service team will clean, explore and assess properly, which matters because field wounds are almost always deeper and more contaminated than they look.
Frequently asked questions
My dog cut a pad but is still running normally. Does it need attention?
Have it looked at, especially if the cut goes through the pad surface or is still bleeding. Pads carry the dog’s weight, heal slowly, and are prone to opening back up. A working dog will run on an injury that should be resting, so the fact that it is not slowing him down tells you very little.
How cold is too cold for a water retrieve?
It depends on the dog, the water temperature, how long and how many retrieves. A fit, well-coated retriever handles far more than a lean short-coated dog. Watch for shivering, slowing between retrieves, and difficulty climbing out. Stop well before your dog wants to, and dry the chest and belly thoroughly afterward.
Should my dog wear boots?
In stubble fields and rough country, many working dogs do better with them, provided they fit and the dog has worn them before the hunt. Check inside them regularly, because debris that gets in has nowhere to go. Introduce boots at home, never for the first time on opening day.
What about grass awns in the nose or ear?
Sudden violent sneezing, head shaking or pawing at one ear after being in cover usually means something is in there. Awns migrate inward and do not come out on their own. This needs looking at promptly rather than waiting to see if it settles.
Is it worth carrying a first aid kit if the clinic is thirty minutes away?
Yes. The value is controlling bleeding, protecting an eye and keeping a wound clean for those thirty minutes. It is not about handling the injury yourself, it is about getting your dog to us in better shape than it would otherwise arrive.
My dog seems exhausted after a long day. Is that just fitness?
Often, but not always. Watch for weakness that does not improve with rest and food, wobbliness, pale gums, or a dog that will not eat or drink. Hard-running dogs can drop their blood sugar, and dogs that worked hard in cold water can be colder than they appear. If rest and warmth do not turn it around, call.
Speak to the team at Sedro-Woolley Veterinary Clinic
If your dog came back from the field with a wound, a sore eye or a limp, call us on (360) 856-6890 rather than waiting until morning.
Published by the team at Sedro-Woolley Veterinary Clinic.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for an in-person veterinary examination or advice about your individual pet. If you have an urgent concern about your pet, contact Sedro-Woolley Veterinary Clinic or your nearest emergency veterinary hospital right away.
Sedro-Woolley Veterinary Clinic
207 Carter Street, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
Phone: (360) 856-6890
Hours: Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 6:00 pm; Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday closed