Dog bite on neck: Can I clean my dog's small wound at home or vet?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Thor! Based on your picture, I think Thor needs stitches. It will heal faster and with a less chance for infection if you take him to the Vet. If you absolutely can not take him, the fur should be shaved away, the wound cleaned with a mild soap and water twice daily and a triple antibiotic applied twice daily after cleaning. He would need to wear an E-collar to prevent licking or a T-shirt. You can also call your local SPCA and see if they have a low cost Veterinary Clinic. I hope this helps and I wish Thor a speedy recovery!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Superficial wounds around the face are usually treated with topical antibiotics (creams or ointments) or antibiotics tablets. Larger wounds need to be stitched up, but if the would you found is not fresh, most likely your vet would not want to stitch it up. Please, clean the would twice a day with 4% chlorhexidine solution (you can buy it at pharmacies) for a few days and it will hopefully heal up. However, if it starts to bother Aimee or becomes painful you will have to take her to your nearest vets possibly to get a course of antibiotics.

Poor Lucky! I'm glad to hear that his vet will be checking him out tomorrow. From the picture, the skin lesion looks most like a hot spot (aka acute moist dermatitis). If you have clippers on hand, you can try to carefully trip the hair over and around this skin lesion to allow for better air flow. You can also gently clean his skin with an antiseptic solution, such as diluted chlorhexidine or diluted betadine, but be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly. If Lucky is scratching at his neck, it would be best to put an e-collar (cone) on until his appointment. The vet may need to prescribe antibiotics, steroids, or topical sprays to help this lesion to heal. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor girl! This actually look more like a scab from some mild trauma. While I do not see evidence of a bite in that picture, that is still possible and an examination would be needed to determine that for sure. Because it is small and mild, I think it would be ok to treat at home. You may apply a thin film of triple antibiotic ointment on the affected area twice daily for 5 days. If this does not improve or resolves, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. There is a very good chance that this will improve quickly. However, if you notice any signs of worsening, like severe swelling, have her evaluated. Good luck and have a great day!

This presentation could be due to a trauma (bite wound) and/ or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be continued at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths (twice daily). I would recommend to shave fur around the wound (clippers are best as if you do it with scissors you may injury him) to be able to clean the area best as possible. After cleaning you can dry it up and apply any cream containing zinc oxide (like sudocream). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi and thanks for posting! Sometimes bite wounds can leave pockets in the skin making the wound worse than they appear initially. It would be a good idea for this to be evaluated by a veterinarian. Your veterinarian will asses the area for pockets in the skin and asses whether or not stitches are needed. It seems small enough for tissue glue to be used but the wound may need to be closed with a stitch or two. A lot of bacteria is intro introduced into the skin and surrounding tissue during a bite. Brisquette may need systemic antibiotics as well to help lessen the chance of developing an infection. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If at all possible I recommend a vet visit to see if this wound could be closed. Suturing it closed may allow much faster healing than leaving it open. Otherwise be sure to keep it clean and dry. You can use an antiseptic like betadine or chlorhexidine once to clean it. Be sure to dilute cleaner then rinse well. Use just today or if the wound gets extremely dirty. Using daily can actually slow healing. Keep the area clean and dry. I recommend Ares stay primarily indoors until it is closed as he could get a maggot infestation of flies lay eggs on the wound. Using hydrotherapy or gentle water from a hose is a good way to keep it clean. If there is swelling, discharge or pain, Ares needs to see a vet for medications. I hope he heals quickly.