My dog's ear cut while grooming. Should I take her to the vet?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Willow has a cut on her ear. It is possible that she caused it herself by scratching, but if you did not observe it happening, she could have traumatized it on something else, or been wounded by another animal. Based on your description of the wound, I recommend bringing her to your local veterinarian to have her evaluated. At the very least, the wound likely needs to be cleaned and flushed with a sterile solution to prevent infection. Depending on how deep or infected the wound is, it may require more extensive management such as surgical closure of the wound, or bandages. Willow likely also needs an Elizabethan (cone) collar to prevent her from further traumatizing the wound. Unfortunately, dogs like to scratch at their ears and can make it very hard for wounds to heal. If the wound is superficial and Willow is otherwise healthy, you may be able to apply compression to the wound to get it to stop bleeding, and monitor it closely at home for signs of infection (redness, swelling, yellow-green discharge, foul odor). If you see any of these signs, Willow should definitely be evaluated by a veterinarian. Just a reminder, NEVER give dogs any pain medications that are intended for humans, as they can be lethally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

I believe that needs a stitch to close it. I'd take Dylan into a vet now to have this done. He will also need antibiotics to prevent infection (a dog's mouth has a lot of bacteria), which the vet can prescribe. I do not recommend trying to treat this yourself at home.

He will be fine. You’ve already applied the medication so don’t clean it as you may break the scab and start it bleeding again. This is a common injury and it will heal in a few days to a week. I recommend using clippers rather than scissors to trim the fur as it’s safer. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Max.

Depending on the severity of the cut you can either treat it at home with a local antiseptic cream or take her to the vet to get it treated, i would need to see a picture in order to tell you if this can be treated at home or not.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear that. This is a type of open wound that at least on the pictures it seems like it will require sutures to heal properly. Also, these wounds tend to get infected so antibiotics would be recommended. Pain medications are usually used as these tend to be painful. I recommend that you have Hera evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

I hate to hear the pups got in a fight! Yes, I suspect Dega does need stitches. The photo makes it look like the laceration is pretty long and looks to be full thickness. The problem with ears is that they tend to bleed a lot. I think taking him into the emergency vet is a good idea to get the ear addressed. They may not sedate him and suture it tonight though. Sometimes they will place a bandage, start antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and then address it in the morning. The bandage will at least prevent further damage and help stifle bleeding. I hope this helps with your boy!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Cooper. I do recommend that he sees a veterinarian. I would shave the hair around the wound and potentially close the wound or remove the extra skin for him. I think pain medications and antibiotics could be warranted. I hope this information helps!