What can I put on my dog's cut to heal it faster and stop licking?

The most important thing to do is stop his licking by using a cone. Then clean the wound with a warm damp cloth and apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. The skin discoloring is from licking. This should heal in a few days to a week once he leaves it alone. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

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.

If the cut is small and looks as if it can heal on its own you can try cleaning it with a dilute iodine solution 1-2 times a day. You can also apply a small amount of triple antibiotic ointment on the area. It is important to make sure he is not lickin the area, as this can delay healing and make infection worse. If the cut is any larger than 1-2 centimeters then I would recommend having it looked at by a vet because it may have trouble healing. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The most important thing to try to make these go away will be preventing her from getting at them and you can easily do that by having her wear an e-collar which you may obtain from your local pet store or online. Also, you could use triple antibiotic ointment on these for 3-5 days. This will likely take care of this issue. Good luck and have a good night!

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.

This is a large and deep wound that should have been surgically closed. It is going to take a very long time to close on its own without surgery. You will have to keep it clean and prevent him from licking or rubbing it. Amoxicillin is not a very good antibiotic for preventing infection in a wound such as this. If it begins to have drainage, odor, etc. I would highly recommend getting a different and more appropriate antibiotic. I’m not sure how old the wound is, but it does look like you have kept it relatively clean. It would be a good idea to get the hair away from the wound edges if possible. This will probably require weeks of wound management in order for it to heal. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

An e-collar (cone) will go a long way in aiding in healing. Keep it on until the wound is completely healed. Limit activity to just leash walks for elimination. Avoid excessive running jumping or rough play. Vetericyn Plus spray (https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/vetericyn-plus-wound-and-skin-care-for-dogs ) may also speed healing. You can find it in the local Petco.