What to do about my dog's eye cut that's getting worse and scabby?

Poor guy. It sounds like Bear likely has some kind of trauma (ulcer, scratch) on his eye or its possible some debris got in his eye. I would have him checked by your vet to have the eye examined more closely. The vet will likely do a special stain test to check for any scratches on the eye and then prescribe eye medication to resolve the redness/irritation. Until you can get Bear in to be seen, you can apply a warm wet cloth to the outer lid to help with some discomfort. I hope that your furry friend Bear feels better soon! Best of luck and take care

Cleanse the wound with warm water or saline solution. You can either flush the wound (being careful to avoid the eye) or wipe the cut with a moistened gauze pad. Pat dry. Apply a thin film of a triple antibiotic ointment (such as Neosporin) twice daily. Monitor the wound for swelling, redness, or discharge. If you notice these signs, then you will need to have the wound looked at by your veterinarian. Most importantly, make sure your dog's rabies vaccination is up-to-date. If you are unsure or close to the due date, contact your veterinarian. Place an e-collar (cone) on him or her to prevent pawing, rubbing or scratching.

From the pictures, it doesn't look too bad. Keep an eye on it for infection, and if you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and Pooh Bear (LOVE his name!) will have to see a vet. I hope this helps.

It does appear that this is more a problem with the skin around the eyes rather than the eye itself. This is commonly seen with demodex (https://mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/demodectic-mange) infestations in juvenile dogs. It is less common with older dogs and is more of a concern with older dogs. In a puppy, these infestations will resolve on their own after a couple of months. Some require treatment with an antiparasitic. If Bear is an adult, then he will need treatment. It's also possible that this is infected by yeast or bacteria, so it's best to have a vet evaluate him to make a diagnosis. For now, it's good to flush the area with saline for 1-2 minutes three times a day. If it is getting worse, then he probably needs professional treatment to keep it from getting too bad. I hope that helps and Bear gets better soon.

I am sorry to hear about your dog's fighting! Due to the wound being so close to the eye it can be a tricky situation, because you don't want any soap to get into the eye which could cause ulceration/burning of the cornea (surface of the eye). I would also be concerned/worried if the injury was this close to the eye that there could be trauma to the eye itself. It also looks like the wound could be deep and if it extends a bit past where I can see in the photo (I can't tell because of the presence of fur) it could be long enough to warrant a stitch. If your dog is tolerant you can try using a q-tip with a small amount of soap on it to clean the area in order to clean it while avoiding the eye itself. A soap such as Hibiclens (generic = chlorhexidine) from the drug store is ideal but if not, just a mild soap at home. If your dog is wiggly/not cooperative and you may end up getting soap in his eye I would avoid using soap near it and just rinse with warm water. You can apply a small amount of topical antibiotic ointment with a q-tip as well if you think your dog will not rub it into his eye. Monitor for swelling, pain, and discharge and if these occur or the wound look larger then he should see a full service vet because it may require antibiotics or a suture.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Hamlet! I think the first thing is to be sure Hamlet isn't rubbing the eye or pawing at it causing further damage and injury. He should wear and E-collar. Be very careful to not get the ointment in the eye. Only eye safe antibiotic ointments can go in the eye. You can try the E-collar and the ointment (as long as it is not getting in his eye) for the next few days. If the wound worsens or is not improved by Friday he needs to see your Vet. If he shows any eye discomfort (excessive blinking, keeping the eye closed, excessive tearing, yellow or green eye discharge or the whites of his eye are red) he needs to be seen by a Vet as soon as possible. I hope this helps and I wish Hamlet a speedy recovery!

I am sorry to hear about Ojo. It is impossible without seeing your dog's eye to tell exactly what is going on here. It is possible he has edema in the cornea, which can resolve, but without an in-person exam we cannot say. If this was a bite, a visit to the vet is definitely recommended because an antibiotic may be needed to prevent infection (bite wounds need to be treated because the mouth contains many bacteria). They also may need to check for wounds/tears in the cornea that may need special medication to heal. I would see the doctor ASAP because eyes can worsen quite quickly.