Why is my dog licking an open sore on her leg? What can I do?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend a plastic cone to go around Kali's head to prevent her from licking / chewing at the sore. She will likely need an ointment more effective than neosporin. I would recommend buying a plastic cone at the pet store and using an ointment such as Zymox topica ointment. If the sore worsens I would then schedule an examination with your veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. The vet can prescribe a better ointment than neosporin to help prevent infection and relieve any inflammation. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Yes, the bleeding from the sore is likely due to her licking at it. You can get an Ecollar from the pet store or you can make one at home to keep her from licking at it. You can also cut a shirt to fit her that may cover the sores and prevent her from licking at them. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

Ouch! Poor Lola! First thing you need to do is prevent her from licking it. If she continues to lick it will only get worse. You can place a cone collar on her to prevent this. Since it is bleeding and oozing a fluid, I am really concerned it is infected or something might be stuck in there. I would have your vet take a look at it. Your vet can properly clip and clean it and start her on the proper medicine to help her heal. They can even take an X-ray if needed. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better soon.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bogart. The only thing at home you can try is having him wear an E-collar. This will prevent any licking causing further damage from self trauma. It may allow the skin to heal. If this is unsuccessful though, he will need to see a veterinarian. The area could be a mass on his leg (benign or cancerous) or he could have what is known as a lick granuloma. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Roxi. Oh no, that is bad! You definitely should call the vet in the morning, but until then, we have to stop the licking or it will make things worse. Put an Ecollar on her to keep her from licking it. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. If you want to make one at home, I will put a link below on how to make it. Try to get her into a vet tomorrow. I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further licking or chewing. This may be enough to allow for healing. Keep the area clean and dry. If it doesn't heal or if it grows or spreads, have Barnaby physically examined by your veterinarian. He may need antibiotics or further diagnostics, such as a fine needle aspirate or biopsy, if it is a lump or mass.

An e-collar (cone) is definitely recommended to prevent further licking. Keep the area clean and dry. A dilute betadine or chlorhexidine solution can be used for cleansing. A topical product, such as Vetericyn, can be used after cleaning. You can find it in the local Petco. This may be enough to allow healing, but if not then a trip to the veterinarian for an exam would be necessary. Systemic antibiotics may be indicated to treat infection.