My dog has a deep, V-shaped cut on her head. How should I treat it?

It's a bit difficult to tell from these pictures, but it does appear deep and wide enough that it will need stitches. It's best to take him to a vet soon, because the wound will heal better the sooner it is cleaned and stitched. For now, you can flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate water getting near their face. I recommend having someone help you with holding Wish to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. Your vet will be able to advise further treatment after evaluating it. I hope that helps and Wish gets better soon.

It doesn't appear deep. If there is no active bleeding, clean it up with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution. I see you have a triple antibiotic ointment. You can dab a bit on the area. Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent pawing or rubbing. Monitor for lethargy, fever, bleeding, swelling, discharge or loss of appetite. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

Whether a cut needs stitches will depend on the location and size and age of the injury. Sometimes even a third of an inch laceration may need a stitch if it is in a complicated place where there is a lot of skin movement. The laceration on the photo does not look very big and I would cut away some hair around it to keep hair from touching the wound, and disinfect it once and then just leave it alone. It should form a crust under which it can heal. Should there be a pussy discharge it will need to be seen by a vet, but I think it can heal by itself without a problem.

Hello, sorry to hear about Yota. Its difficult to assess the depth. However, you can clean the area with a damp towel and have it seen by a veterinarian as it will likely need sutures to close the area and likely be started on antibiotics since we don't know the source of the wound. If you chose to monitor the area, then it may heal on its own by will leave a scar. Additionally, monitor for signs of infection which may include swelling, pus like discharge, pain around the area, a closed eye, loss of appetite, vomiting or lethargy. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Ouch, poor Kepler! Thank you for providing picture of her laceration. Based on the pictures, I would say that it is long enough to require stitches, and the sooner you can get them, the better for her. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Ouch - poor pup! This wound looks quite deep, so yes - I would definitely recommend a vet visit. This may need stitches, depending on how long ago it happened, and your pup will certainly need antibiotics to prevent it from becoming infected while it heals.

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!