Dog has neck spot after fight. Is it a bruise? Does it need treatment?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It does look like a large bruise. Dark, red colour of the skin is a normal feature of bruising. Please, monitor Chloe for a few days at home. Typically, a large bruise like this should decrease slowly in size and disappear in the next 5-7 days. However, if the area is painful to touch or Chloe is lethargic and not herself, you should take her to your local vets for an appointment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be bruising secondary to some traumatic event like blunt trauma. This could also be an allergic reaction to something Dewey had contact with. I recommend that you continue to monitor him for now. If the area becomes worse or fails to improve on its own, have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi there. It looks like the area you have circled for Lucy is a bruise. She may have injured herself or been scratching at that area. I would keep a close eye on it and if it doesn't begin to resolve I would have your vet check her. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using PetCoach! If the area is flat and has looked like this the whole time, a scar is very possible. Could be that she had some initial injury (poke with a stick, etc) and it has since healed but the skin still bothers her. It could also be a place that bothers her occasionally due to pain (if she has arthritis right there or some other injury that flares up occasionally). Finally, infection and other things are possible. As a first step, try a spray like this: It has a numbing agent for pain as well as anti-bacterial properties. This will not help if it is a scar. If it is raised/lump like, its time to head straight to the vet to make sure it doesn't look suspicious for something more serious. This also holds if the area gets bigger or if more areas like this show up elsewhere. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Lucy!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like a bruise or a hot spot. If it does not bother Diesel at all and he is well in himself you could monitor him at home for 1-2 days. If it is a bruise or allergic reaction, it should go down without treatment. However, if it starts to bother your dog, please make an appointment with your local vets.

Hi there, It may just be a pocket caused by the fight that is now filling with fluid, kind of similar to a bruise but different in appearance because of the loose skin. I would apply a hot compress to the area (make sure it's not too hot) to help the fluid move around and absorb, but if it's still swollen in 24-48 hours I'd have you vet check. Best wishes and thanks for using Pet Coach!

Hello there, Did Casanova have blood drawn today while he was there? This could be a completely normal bruise from a common blood draw site. Another possibility is an insect sting to cause small swelling like this. It is difficult to appreciate the swelling and color changes from the picture, as many light furred pets have dark skin and this can be normal. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.