My dog's raw tail wound is infected and painful. Should I see a vet?

A swollen infected tail can easily turn into an abscessed tail and the infection can go into the spinal cord. Therefore I strongly recommend you take your dog to a veterinarian or petER to have the tail examined by a veterinarian. It will need to be shaved, cleaned and disinfected and your dog will likely need pain medicine and antibiotics. You should also start flea prevention, if you have not done so yet.

Hello, sorry to hear about Bolt. It does appear that he is very itchy near his rear end. The most common cause for this is actually flea allergy dermatitis. This is a hypersensitivity to flea saliva that causes dogs to become very itchy, can cause lethargy, anxiety, innapetence, excessive panting. and restlessness. The condition is very uncomfortable for pets and if Bolt is feeling very uneasy then it may be worth while to have him seen by a veterinarian tonight so that they may administer anti-flea medications with a fast kill and something to stop the allergic reaction to the flea saliva. If Bolt is not too uncomfortable, then placing an e-collar on him so that he may not lick or scratch and having seen by his primary care veterinarian tomorrow is also acceptable. In addition to this, you will need to place all of your pets on year round flea control and treat their environment with anti-flea products. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Snoopy has to see a vet immediately. This ulcer needs to be cleaned in a sterile manner, and may need be sutured to help it heal. Please do not give him any more of your daughter's penicillin. It's never safe or recommended to self treat your animal, and you could be giving him an incorrect dose that may do harm to him. This will be painful to him, and he likely needs pain medications to treat this. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Snoopy needs to see a vet now for this for treatment and safe medications. Please bring him into an ER vet or find a vet on call to see him now.

Hello, and thank you for your question. It is difficult to see the nature of the injury from your photos, but it sounds like Bandit may have sustained an abrasion type of injury. I would recommend a visit to the vet within the next 24 hours to confirm the nature of the injury. If there is an open wound, he will require antibiotics. At minimum, he will require anti-inflammatory pain medication to keep him comfortable and help reduce any swelling. In the meantime, try to minimize his activity level (just out for bathroom breaks), and keep him on soft clean bedding. Keep his food and water close by his bed to allow easy access. I hope this helps, and that Bandit gets better soon!

Hello. I am sorry to hear that Chulbul is having trouble. If bone is present then you need to have the tip of the tail amputated. Any vet should be able to perform this surgery. Also, antiboitics and pain medications are needed. Exposed bone means exposed spinal cord, and infection can travel up this quite easily. Loss of appetite means that he may have a systemic infection now. You need to get him to a vet, and get bloodwork to check for infection and get the tip of his tail amputated and surgical closed up properly. This is not degenerative myelopathy. The signs of that are different, and are unrelated to infection.

It’s hard to say if he tail is infected since it just looks crusty now with the treatment. It does look swollen. Test it for pain or being able to feel heat as this can indicate infection. If that is detected, try to get him into the veterinarian ASAP. Applying sterile petroleum jelly can also help condition the skin and promote healing. The biggest component is to prevent more trauma. He ears do not appear red or seem to have an excessive amount of debris so I would say that look normal to me. Definitely keep an eye on the ears for redness, odor or shaking the head as this indicates a problem. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. The area is definitely irritated & probably infected. Clean the area with a skin antiseptic, one with either chlorhexidine or benzoyl peroxide as the main ingredient. If Wangu is licking the area, pick up an Elizabethan cone or collar to wear so he cannot reach the spot. Do not administer any medications until your vet has had a chance to examine the area. To help with pain & discomfort, take a bag of frozen vegetables like peas, wrap in a tea towel & hold against the area for 10 minutes several times during the day. The cold will numb the area giving him some relief. Once your vet sees this, I am sure he will start antibiotics & possibly advise other treatments. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.