My dog's abscess burst. What home care can I do before the vet?

Did your veterinarian send you home with antibiotics? Occasionally they will resolve with an antibiotic without lancing and draining. I would warm compress the area several times a day with warm water and Epsom salts and sometimes they will drain on their own. My concern with abscesses in dogs is that often there is a thorn or something similar in the tissue that is causing the problem. If that is not found and removed then it tends to migrate and have a recurring problem. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello, thank you for your question about Abby. If the abscess has already ruptured and you are able to warm compress the area, I would recommend allowing it to drain and do not feel that it needs any topical treatment. Abby should be discouraged from licking at the area as this will predispose her to developing a secondary infection. You could purchase an e-collar at a pet store or try using a t-shirt at home. After the holiday I would recommend contacting your veterinarian and relaying this information. They may recommend starting a short course of antibiotics at that time to help Abby heal quicker and prevent development of an infection. They can also consider pain medication at that time. Hope this helps, good luck!

Warm compress for 5-10 minutes twice a day. The goal is to Milk the abscess material out the opening so don’t fret if Misty only puts up with it for a minute or two- that’s still good and still worth doing. Best of luck to you and Misty!

You can apply a warm compress to encourage rupture and drainage. Once it ruptures, keep the area clean using diluted betadine or chlorhexidine. Ideally, Titus should be seen by your veterinarian. Foreign body can be ruled out and the abscess drained under sterile conditions. Afterwards, your vet may dispense antibiotics and pain medication if indicated.

Yes, you can soak his rear end in a warm water/epsom salt bath or make a compress with a small washcloth soaked in epsom salt water and hold this under his tail several times daily until she gets home. This will help the area to drain, decrease pain, and help it to heal faster. Good luck!

Unfortunately there is nothing else you can do at home besides the cleaning. An abscess is a pocket of infection, and it is painful to the dog. Arwyn needs antibiotics and pain medications, and the abscess needs to be drained and flushed. I would take her into a vet now to have this done. Best of luck.

Using a warm damp compress on the area will make her feel better and help keep the area draining. Keeping the open area clean is important also. After cleaning apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment to the area. If NIni is licking it then use a restraint collar to stop the licking. They now have soft collars and inflatable ones that are more comfortable than the plastic ones. If she stops eating and has a fever you should take her in for an exam and antibiotics. This should heal in a week or so. When you are able please have her anal sacs emptied to prevent this from happening again in the future. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for NIni.