My dog has a crater-like wound. Should I cover it or let it air out?

Wow, that looks quite deep, and Roxy needs to see a vet sooner rather than later. Gently clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep it clean and dry, and prevent her from licking it with an Ecollar. Get her into a vet as soon as you can. Best of luck.

He needs to be taken to the vet as it looks infected, he will need a course of antibiotics, i don't think this will require stitching but a bandage with a local cream may also be needed to help it heal faster.

Poor guy. Bite wounds often are left open in small areas to allow the infection to drain out before it then heals over by 2nd intention healing. I would only suggest covering this with a loose t-shirt for now. As long as there are no signs of infection (yellow or purulent discharge with a foul odor) and no large gaping openings (typically >2 cm), then it should be ok to wait until Monday to get him checked again by your vet. Based on the picture I don't see any majorly open wounds there. You can safely flush this area with sterile saline from your local pharmacy to help keep infection at bay since the wounds are slightly open. But again, dog bite woulds can be left often for the first few days to allow draining to occur before things heal up on their own with granulation tissue that the body will make itself. I do hope that Aussie's wounds heal up well soon! Best of luck moving forward and take care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Reese. I definitely recommend that he sees a veterinarian this weekend when you are able. He appears to a deep wound. He will likely need the hair shaved around the area to better investigate the opening. Oral antibiotics and a cleansing solution will likely be needed as well. In the meantime, place an E-collar on him so that he does not lick the area. Any time the dogs are unsupervised, they will need to be kept separate. The dog other licking the wound will make it worse. Be sure to keep the area clean and dry. I hope this information helps!

Hi there. Usually, unless there is active bleeding, I tend to leave wounds open and uncovered to heal. Bandages can trap moisture and cause the area to get infected, and can also cause tissue damage if they become too tight. If Maeby is licking excessively at her paw, you can use an e-collar (plastic cone) to keep her from getting to it until it's healed over. Neosporin is okay to use topically on the wound to help prevent infection. If it hasn't healed within the next 4-5 days, or if you see any redness or swelling developing around it, then I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam as she may need oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds to treat it more effectively.

Moonlight is such a handsome dog!! From your pictures I suspect that Moonlight has what is known as a hotspot, or moist dermatitis. You need to take him to your regular vet to have the area looked at to be sure. Your vet will likely want to shave the fur from the area and clean it thoroughly. Some hotspots respond well to topical treatment, others require systemic medications such as antibiotics and steroids. These areas of dermatitis/infection can get larger very very quickly, and can be very irritating and painful. They often are associated with some type of allergy, so your vet may need to discuss allergy testing/treatment/food trials with you as well. I hope you are able to get Moonlighy feeling better very soon!

I would actually recommend taking Shadow Box into a vet now. The cut looks long enough to need stitches, and the vet can prescribe him pain medication as well as antibiotics to prevent any infection.