My dog got a gash under her eye from a fight. What home care?

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.

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.

Poor girl. Because she is keeping her eye closed, it is very likely she has a scratch or ulcer on her cornea (eye surface). Because of this type of injury, Suziee Lu will need to see your vet to have the eye checked. If there is a scratch, as suspected, then she will need topical prescription eye medication to get this to heal properly. It is ok to wipe the outside of the lid with warm salt water until you can get her in to your vet for further care. Try to get her seen soon to avoid further trauma to the eye which may be irreversible. I hope that Suzie Lu's eye injury resolves soon! Best of luck and take care. : )

I would not recommend putting peroxide on Lulu's cut. It actually damages the tissue and can prevent wound healing. Just cleaning it once with warm water and antiseptic soap is fine, repeated cleaning will lead interrupting of the healing process. I would leave it be, and monitor it for signs of infection, which include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus Should you see any of this signs, I would take Lulu into the vet, as she will need antibiotics to treat the infection.

Ouch, poor Zelda! I'm not sure if the cut is deep from the picture, but it is long. The best thing to do is having her seen by a vet, as it may need stitches to help it heal properly. In addition, wounds from dog bites can frequently become infected and she could use antibiotics to prevent infection. I would gently clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap, withhold food for tonight (she will need to be sedated if she requires stitches), and bring her into the vet in the morning.

Poor Oscar! Gently clean the area with warm water. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. Best of luck.

Poor Molly! You did the right thing by cleaning the cut off when you first noticed it. Yes, if it is looking a bit swollen and red, and she is blinking her eye more than normal, I would recommend taking her to the vet tomorrow to have this checked - these can be signs of infection, so it sounds like she may need a course of antibiotics to help resolve the problem.