Physiological serum: what is it exactly?
Physiological serum is made up of sterile distilled water to which 0.9% sodium chloride is added. Visually, it is a totally transparent solution that looks like water.
Saline is what is called an isotonic blood solution. Understand by this that it has the same osmolarity as bodily fluids.
Very easy to obtain, the "general public" version of physiological serum can be purchased without a prescription in pharmacies, parapharmacies, as well as in the parapharmacy departments of supermarkets.Most often, it comes in pods. In pharmacies, it is also found in bottles.
The pods can be kept for 24 hours when opened, while the bottles can be kept for 15 days after opening.
Even when it has not been opened, saline does not keep indefinitely. It includes an expiry date beyond which it should no longer be used.
To know
There is also injectable saline. It usually comes in the form of bags and is used for infusions in veterinary clinics.
What are the uses of physiological saline in dogs?
In domestic use, saline can be used for routine dog hygiene care.
So saline can be used for:
- clean the dog's eyes and eye area,
- clean the inside of the folds of the dog's skin and in particular the wrinkles of the face in brachycephalic dogs such as Pugs or Bulldogs,
- clean your dog's ears, if you don't have a suitable ear solution.
Saline can also be useful when providing first aid to an injured/injured dog. It is particularly necessary for:
- clean a small wound on the animal's skin before disinfection,
- rinse a dog's eyes when they have been in contact with an irritant (shampoo, soap, toad venom, etc.).
Physiological serum is therefore a product to systematically slip into your dog's first aid kit.