dog got her chest cavity punctured

[spazhogdog]

Friday morning my gyp got poked by a little mean boar by the time we picked her up, she had a cut on one side and a hole on the other that you could hear air coming thru. Took her to the vet, not my regular one, and the new vet told me that the hog had penetrated thru her chest cavity and that was the air I was hearing. Had her under for awhile and sutured her in layers. Started on antibiotics and was told to leave the bandage on for at least 7 or 8 days.  I was always taught to keep wounds clean and let air get to them. I made a vest previously to keep her from tearing her stitches out but it allows me to change bandages and let it air out. What do you all think about keeping a wound sealed for that long or is it because of the chest cavity?
this is her a day after surgery enjoying sleeping in the grandbabies bed at the hunting camp.

[catchrcall]

on humans at least, if there is a hole in the chest cavity, air has got to have a way to escape from the cavity.  If the air is held inside the cavity it will build up enough pressure to collapse the lungs.

[spazhogdog]

the vet said, they had to suck the excess air out of her chest cavity before repairing her. They also told me that if a lung had been punctured to put a glob of vasoline on the hole, then bandage untill you get to the vet. ever heard of these?

[catchrcall]

haven't heard of the vaseline, but I'll sure remember it.  The idea with a chest wound is to let the air out of the chest cavity, without letting any air in.  we do that by taping a piece of plastic over the wound and only sealing it on three sides, leaving the lowest edge unsealed so it can drain.  that's for humans, I'm still trying to figure that out with a dog.  don't know how to get a seal with all that hair.

[matt_aggie04]

The time I had to deal with this it was just like you described.  They sealed the wound up and then using a large gauge needle and a tube they "tapped" her chest sucked the positive air pressure out of the chest cavity allowing the lung to re-inflate and after 3-4 weeks of laying up she was getting around pretty good.  I don't think after her lung collapsed that she has ever had the "wind" that she had before though....

[johnf]

had young dog get caught about 6 week ago. punctured her chest cavity.we were helping at a high fence hunt kinda starting some young dogs.the guy that woorked there fixed her. he put her under sewed up muscle then stapled skin.then used a big needle and pulled air from the chest cavity.he said to be careful and not stick the heart. she was running around the next day and has done great.

[Scott]

Yes, an occlusive dressing (plastic taped on 3 sides) is the treatment for a sucking chest wound until you can get it fixed. Vaseline or vaseline gauze if you have it will also help.  If the dog has dropped a lung, the vet will usually re-inflate the lung using positive pressure and then close the hole in the chest cavity.

[spazhogdog]

Thanks for all the comments. Took her in for her final 10 check. All looks well. They suggested to wait at least another week and watch her for coughing and fever. But thanks again for the comments.