I once walked, or staggered, a quarter-mile across a Kansas field thick with sand burrs, my neck draped with a large Labrador retriever that once lived at my expense.
Memory escapes me whether this episode was prelude to my first, or second, back surgery. Such minor details are irrelevant when it comes to the affection and concern a hunter holds for his dog.
This flashback was triggered last week with a report from a friend who just spent $450 to suture a wound caused when his retriever lost a tussle with a barbed wire fence. Before the chase ends a couple months hence, veterinary clinics will be busier than an East Colfax Avenue police cruiser on a Saturday night.
Autumn is danger time for canines that hunt. In their boundless enthusiasm for finding game, they careen into an almost unimaginable variety of hazards. Whether it’s a pheasant dog cut by broken glass or a lion hound ripped open by a stray claw, hunters often find themselves far afield with an injured dog.
“Pheasant hunting is particularly tough on dogs,” said Dr. Steven Batch, who tends to the aftermath at the Mesa Veterinary Hospital in Golden. “Considering the ground they cover, the difficulty of terrain and the animal’s enthusiasm, it’s a recipe for trouble.”
Himself a bird hunter, Batch knows the problem from both ends of the dog. He understands the ways an owner can handle predicaments in the field, as well as how many others can be prevented before leaving home.
The three leading injuries, Batch said, are problems with the eyes, lacerations and damage to the feet. With forethought, most can be treated in the field while barely missing a beat.
“Most eye troubles are caused by debris from dust or plant material that needs to be flushed out,” he said. “Carry an irrigation solution in your hunting vest and check the eyes regularly.”
Lacerations, such as cuts in the skin caused by sharp objects, are more problematic, but don’t necessarily mean an end to the hunt. Minor wounds can be secured with skin tissue adhesive, unless there’s significant tension from movement or an excess of moisture.
More severe injuries require stronger measures.
“If you can’t get to a local vet to get a wound sutured, disposable sterile staples can work,” Batch said. “Talk to your vet about getting trained to put a few staples in.”
This, plus flushing with a sterile saline solution, can stabilize a wound until you find medical help back home.
The most common foot woes come from lack of preparation.
“A lot of dogs spend all summer in the back yard, just like their owners, then are taken out to hunt three or four days straight. I see dogs that have worn all the skin surface off their pads. They literally can’t walk.”
Leather boots help in such situations, as well as protect from the various stickers that cause pain and inhibit performance.
Batch believes many field perils can be avoided by simple awareness.
“Anticipate danger spots and know what you can do with your dog through commands,” said Batch, who extends this caution to include altercations with other dogs. “Nobody thinks much about how dogs might get along. Watch the body language and don’t let two dominant dogs hunt side by side.”
Waterfowl pose a separate set of issues, largely regarding hypothermia and exhaustion.
“I was out with a friend whose dog was so cold it was shaking the blind,” Batch recalled. “Under these conditions, a dog will retrieve until it barely can swim back in.”
Batch suggests a physical before the start of hunting season, particularly for older animals, say 9 or 10 years old.
“That’s when we start to see orthopedic issues. You can use anti-inflamatory medication before the hunt.”
Batch also recommends carrying a complete first-aid kit, either of the commercial variety or one you construct on your own. A complete kit offered by Bass Pro Shops sells for $38.
The bottom line: If you want to maintain the assistance and companionship of your hunting dog, take the necessary precautions to keep it happy and well.
You may not choose to carry it for long distances on your back. But if you’re smart, you won’t have to.
Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
