Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My dog's leg has a wound. Could it be gangrene? What should I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Doberman Pinscher | Female | spayed | 3 years and 2 months old | 58 lbs

There’s a wound on my dogs leg and i was told that its gangrene. What do i have to do if that is gangrene? I need tour help please

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 12th, 2018

This should be seen and examined by a veterinarian. This could be an infected hotspot, an ulcerated tumor or another skin condition that needs veterinary attention. Since it looks infected I would definitely make an appointment for the next few days. Depending on the diagnosis your vet will prescribe medications or suggest removal of the mass. This is a tricky spot for mass removal, as there is very little skin available to close the wound, so it will likely take a few weeks to months to heal after surgery.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on December 19th, 2017
Poor pup! It looks like this may be a wound or injury of some kind. Since it's been there for 2-3 days and seems to be getting larger rather than healing over, I would recommend taking your dog to the vet to have this checked. Your vet can examine the area more closely to make sure that there isn't something stuck inside the wound, and will probably also prescribe an antibiotic to help treat any infection that may be present.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 26th, 2020
Poor guy. THis is a complicated case indeed. Some possible causes for wounds like this are: a rare fungal infection, a resistant staph infection, or even cancer (lower on the list). The vet will need to do a culture of the leg and also check for fungi to hopefully find the culprit so that we can tailor our treatment to the underlying cause here.
I would also consider taking your pet to an internal medicine veterinarian instead of your regular DVM, due to the severe nature of these wounds. This will also help expedite the process of coming up with an accurate diagnosis here.

I do hope that with this additional information your vet can find the cause quickly so that we get these wounds to heal well. Best of luck and take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on August 18th, 2018
It is hard to tell the depth of wound from the photo. If the wound is very deep I would say you need to get Brock seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. If it is not deep, then you can just keep it clean and apply some Neosporin (or similar product) to it twice a day until you can get him to the vet. Don't use hydrogen peroxide on it. Just use a mild, gentle soap.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Health & Wellness

My dog's leg has an infected, bad-smelling hole. What should I do?

Poor Baxter! This looks like quite a deep wound, and it appears to be infected. I can't say from looking what might have caused it - it's possible that this could be a skin growth of some kind that has become infected and burst open, or he may have injured himself somehow. Regardless, this is definitely something that needs to be seen by a veterinarian - using topical antibiotic ointment will not be enough to treat it effectively. Your veterinarian can prescribe oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds, and may also recommend taking a biopsy of the affected area or other testing if needed to help determine what's going on.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Dog's leg swollen, deep wound, bone visible. Is it an emergency?

Please have Ann examined by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER today. That wound will likely need to be explored and debrided surgically. This will require anesthesia. A culture/sensitivity and biopsy of the area should be submitted as well. The C&S will identify any bacteria as well as the best antibiotic to use in treatment. Even though she was on antibiotics, if the bacteria was not susceptible to them, they would be ineffective. A biopsy will rule out neoplasia (cancer). Either can cause delayed healing or non-healing. If infection gets into the bone, it could turn into a life threatening condition. Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking until she sees a doctor.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

What is this raw spot with pus and a black center on my dog's leg?

I would worry that is a precious bite wound from a spider or something or a tumor or cyst that is infected and has a necrotic center. Try to stop in from licking it and clean it with soap and water to rinse the pus off. You can place neosporin to help prevent bacteria and dirt from getting inside. This will buy you time to get to your vet for further testing to see if surgery is needed or just antibiotics

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog's leg wound is getting worse. When should I see a vet?

This wound requires an immediate check up and possibly a stitch up as it seems infected and it is unlikely that will heal without immediate intervention. Proper disinfection and antibiotic treatment is required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

How to treat a street dog's severe leg injury or open wound?

It's difficult to tell what's going on from the picture. I'm concerned there is a serious infection or a cancerous growth there and would recommend taking the pup to a veterinarian to be evaluated. If you are unable to do that, then the best you can do is to clean the area with lukewarm water and a mild soap, and keep it nice and dry. If the dog is chewing at it at all, an e collar can be used to prevent him from getting back there. However, I do not think this is going to resolve without veterinary intervention.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has a leg sore. Is it infected? When should I see a vet?

From the pictures, the skin appears red and inflamed. It does look like it is infected. While this may not be a true emergency, I would recommend getting in to see your veterinarian very soon. Pookie will need the area shaved and cleaned up. Your vet may prescribe an antibiotic for this as well depending. Until you can get to your vet, you can keep the area clean and dry and use a mild soap and water to clean the wound. If Pookie is licking it, you can put on ECollar on her to prevent licking.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog's leg lump is growing, raw, and oozing pus. Is it serious?

This looks infected. It's also possible the tumor outgrew it's blood supply and is necrotic in the center. I recommend to have Avril examined again. Have the mass aspirated and sent to a lab for testing to make sure it's not cancer. I hope this helps.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share