Saving a Dog-Damaged Young Maple: Wound Care and Borer Prevention

75% Bark Loss Is Severe But Not Hopeless

A sapling red maple with a 3-foot strip of bark peeled ¾ around the trunk can survive if you act quickly.

Immediate Steps

• Trim loose bark back to clean edges.
• No wound paint—it traps moisture and slows callus formation.
• Mulch 3 inches (not on trunk) to conserve moisture.
• Water 1 inch every 3 days for a month, then weekly until fall.
• Watch for borers (sawdust, holes); spray Onyx or Merit if found.
• Deter the dog with cayenne pepper spray on mulch and trunk.

Expect some canopy dieback, but young maples have strong compartmentalization ability.