My Labrador has a chronic leg wound. What ointment should I use?

Hi there and thanks for posting. I am sorry to hear the wound doesn't look like it is healing well. Bruno may need the wound bandaged and/or given antibiotics. Sometimes if a wound is red and swollen it means it may be infected. I would recommend asking Bruno's veterinarian to take a look at the wound and see if antibiotics may be an option for Bruno to help it heal.

A picture of Vinnie's wound or more or of a description of its size and location would be helpful in giving you advice. If it is a small wound on the skin (less than a centimeter in size) you could try gently cleaning the area with hydrogen peroxide and applying a triple antibiotic ointment to help it heal. However, if Vinnie's wound is larger or not healing within a few days I'd recommend he see a veterinarian for evaluation. If the wound is large enough he may need antibiotics or even stitches to help it heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It seems your vet did and prescribed all what was necessary as a first approach. How long has been on treatment for? It might be too early to see any improvement though. Difficult to guess any possible cause other than a traumatic injury without seeing at least a picture of it. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Oh my, this is a large wound for Ruger! Treatment and prognosis for this type of lesion will be dependent upon the initial cause (i.e. burns, cancer, ringworm infection, bacterial infection from a skin infection, etc.). Ideally, I do recommend taking him to the vet to determine if the wound has become infected so that appropriate treatment can be started. Topical sprays, such as Vetericyn, can be helpful with many cases of wound healing, but do not start any of these treatments without first consulting Ruger's vet. I hope that all goes well!

It's difficult to tell the extent of the injury (the photo is quite blurry), but the wound appears rather deep. Here are my recommendation: 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesions. 2) Flush the wound with clean water a syringe using high pressure. Use a clean cloth to gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. Do not use any antiseptics like iodine, because this can be irritating and delay healing. 3) Apply an antibacterial cream to the wound and lightly bandage the wound. Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FQ0JopKfY0&t=93s 4) Leave the collar off until the wound is completely healed. 5) Repeat flush and bandage every day. You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely healed. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian exam it. Also, if it appears to get worse, then it would be best to take her to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and this gets better soon.

Hello, sorry to hear about Millie. That looks like a large wound which may not be able to be closed with primary closure (stitching it up). I would clean it thoroughly with iodine and bandage the leg for 1-3 weeks. You're going to need to change the bandages every day initially, then every 2-3 days. until its healed. If it doesn't become infected it may close on its own, but there is also a good chance that it may not. Your bandaging material should include a non-adhesive gauze pad, cotton wrap, roll gauze, and CoFlex or Coban wrap. All of which you can pick up at your pharmacy. Make sure the leg is completely dry before applying the bandage. Your bandage should incorporate from the toes to below the knee. Key points, clean the wound prior to bandaging the first time only, make sure the leg is dry prior to bandage, keep the bandage clean and dry, change the bandage every 2-3 days, make sure the bandage is not too tight. You may use some neosporin around the wound edges only. Best of luck, hope this helps.

Ouch! In some cases where wounds are on areas that can't be closed by suturing or are constantly being agitated, keeping the wound covered to prevent increasing infection/debris from entering the wound may be needed. I've seen success with using manuka honey for treating large infected wounds and increasing healing, (usually with bandage changes every 12-24 hours) as well as using hydrocolloid bandages that protect the area by acting as a sort of skin barrier, allowing the wound to breathe but continue to heal/allow for new tissue growth underneath without allowing debris into it. There is also progress being made with using fish-skin bandages to create another fake skin barrier and allow healing underneath. If you're not currently, I'd recommend speaking with a veterinary dermatologist who can better instruct you in these procedures and monitor progress over time.