My dog has bumps on his head after a cut. How do I treat them?

I think your veterinarian, who was able to see and palpate the lesion, is right in determining that this may be scar tissue. As long as it is not painful, the skin does not turn red and it is not hot, there is nothing to worry about. Over time this will get less and less noticeable.

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). 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.

If this just appears to be a crusted area and is not raised, it is possible this was an insect bite that got irritated or a small scratch/wound. If the lesion is raised (I can't really tell from the appearance) then we sometimes get warty skin growths that can get traumatized and bleed/crust over. I would wash the area with a mild soap or Hibiclens (available at most drug stores) and apply a topical antibiotic like Polysporin or Neosporin a few times day. If she is scratching/rubbing at the area she may need an e-collar for a few days to stop self-trauma. If the lesions isn't improving after several days of this or it starts to get larger/other spots appear then these would be reasons to seek veterinary care.

Thanks for sending in the pictures of Oliver. It is a little difficult for me to make out the pictures, but it appears like he has a small skin growth on his head that has scabbed over. I would gently clean the scab and dried blood away with a warm wash cloth. If there is a flesh colored growth it may be a wart like mass. They are common in many dogs as they age. If he has been scratching at his head, then it could be self trauma secondary to his allergies. If it bothers him or does not resolve, then have your veterinarian evaluate him.

The bumps could be an allergic dermatitis from fleas, insect bites, etc. It could also be a bacterial infection, even if you aren't seeing any purulent material. You could bathe him with a dog shampoo, like Epi-soothe, and see if that helps. Otherwise, he should be seen by a vet for treatment. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, of other medication to help.

Hello. It is possible that this is a stress-induced, mild pyoderma (skin infection) - essentially a staph infection. I would pick up some Hibiclens antibacterial skin wash at any pharmacy & gently cleanse the affected areas 2-3 times a day. Be sure to avoid his eyes and rinse well afterwards. If the lesions appear to be healing after 3-4 days & do not seem to be spreading or worsening, then that is probably all that needs to be done. If after a week the lesions are still prominent, spreading or turning into oozing pustules, please see your veterinarian for additional treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would have Bentley seen by a vet tomorrow for this bump. It could be a cyst, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Any suspicious bumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the bump to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the bump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options with you, which may include removal of it.