my whippet has managed to run into something in garden and has a very small cut on back leg- full thickness of skin but less then 1cm. it has dried up so I think she must have done it yesterday. is completely unconcerned, not licking, let me clean it with some antiseptic … am I being a neglectful owner by letting this heal by itself without involving vet?  I really really do not need another vet bill right now as she is booked in to be spayed on 18th and that's going to be £250

If it looks clean and she isn't irritated by it then I would wipe daily with salt water and keep a close eye on it.  If there is the risk when she goes out that she might get some dirt in it then I would probably put some self adhesive bandage round it whilst she is out and remove when she is home.

Thank you. she is a maniac running so has picked up numerous scratches and bruises - this first cut and on a longer coat probably wouldn't even have seen it.  have cleaned it, its not hot and if it were on me wouldn't be getting medical care but hey this is my pet so I tend to panic.  she is happy enough and not licking at it, its top of her thigh so not somewhere that should touch anything when out - well not unless she crashes into something else.

Whilst it might be safer to get a course of antibiotics, you may be ok leaving it to heal, keeping a close eye on it.   My little girl belted across the garden within days of coming to us (Whippet) and managed to open up quite a wound on her back from a screw under a bench which I had no idea was there .    Bench was moved to the front garden!!     It healed just fine and years on, you can't see any scar at all.

I would measure it for the first few days, with such tight skin over their legs there is a risk of it tearing, but as long as it's not getting bigger I wouldn't go to the vets.

The last time one of our whippets did this the vet said next time if it’s only a small tear- such as this not to bother taking the dog to the vet.
He probably thinks  by now that we know what we’re doing and all he did was cut the flap of skin off.
The one thing I also do is sniff the wound periodically to make sure it’s not infected.

> am I being a neglectful owner by letting this heal by itself without involving vet?

Not in the least, if we went to the vets for every little thing like some pet owners seem to, we would be always in the vets! Mind you my mum has tonns of experience having owned, dogs since she was 12, worked in 3 different kennels(one was a quarantine).

My bitch sliced her paw big time recently, rushed straight to the vet who didn’t want to touch it! I have been absolutely amazed at the efficacy of using a tube of manuka honey on it. Just leaving a dressing on for a couple of hours a day. Normally I would just keep things clean with leucillin but I’m properly converted to manuka honey for wounds now.

I have a contact who swears by manuka honey so I was happy to be prescribed some for my old boy when a ruptured cyst refused to heal (and other treatment hadn't worked).   This didn't do what I'd hoped for so I think something more sinister must have been going on.

Back on boxing day last year, I had a big fight here.  Four dogs involved, two wounded.  One had a 1.5x1.5" triangular flap on her leg, through a couple of layers of tissue.  With daily bandage changes and hibiscrub, it healed very well, and there's just a faint dent in the fur now.  The other had a deep puncture in her leg where a canine tooth separated muscle layers.  She did have to go in but only for antibiotics; the space between the layers was the issue.

If your girl's cut gets infected then I'd take her in, but if it appears to be healing well and it's closing up, I'd not worry.  I'd keep bathing it with either dilutes hibiscrub or mild saltwater.

Thank you all. it is slowly closing and looks clean, not hot or looking 'wrong' so just giving it a clean couple of times a day and keeping an eye on it.   I am sure it is just the first of many cuts this one will get as the speed she runs at she sometimes misjudges and clips things .   I am hoping as she matures she will develop a little more sense of self preservation.