My dog has open sores on his neck. Could a shock collar be the cause?

Many corporate animal hospitals such as VCA and Banfield offer free first exams which can save you a $50-$85 office visit fee. In addition, many local ASPCA’s and humane societies offer low cost veterinary care. I strongly recommend calling around and making an appointment for Angel to be seen. Topical over the counter neosporin may not be adequate and would not be recommended if the holes are deep. Cleaning/flushing of the wounds with dilute chlorhexidine antiseptic and a course of oral antibiotics such as Simplicef will likely be prescribed. Pending the appearance of the skin, a topical steroid/antibiotic ointment and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Rimadyl (carprofen) for pain may also be dispensed. Do not administer ibuprofen or acetaminophen as they are toxic to dogs. Good luck!

If the wound is superficial (just on the skin), I suggest washing the area well with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution. Apply a warm washcloth 2-3 times a day for 5-10 minutes at a time to soothe the area and promote drainage. After washing and the compress, dry it well and apply a small amount of an [antimicrobial preparation](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-wound-and-skin-hydrogel-for-pets) to the wound. Confirm the product does NOT contain hydrocortisone. Steroids may slow healing. If the wound does not show signs of healing within a few days, have him seen by your veterinarian right away. Antibiotics and pain medication may be indicated. Other symptoms to monitor for include [fever](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-common-causes-of-fever-in-pets), loss of appetite, [vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/article/vomiting-in-dogs), diarrhea, redness, swelling or discharge.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jack. He will need to see his veterinarian this week. The wound will likely be cleaned and the surrounding hair shaved to further evaluate it. Regardless of the cause, he will likely require antibiotics. In the meantime prevent him from scratching the area. You may check his ears as well. Some dogs with ear infections will cause self trauma from scratching itchy ears. Check for any redness or debris in the ears. I hope this information helps!

Those spots on Tom and Brady could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection, ringworm (which humans can get) or a reaction to the collar (which is rare). There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions once a day (not his whole body, just the lesions). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This is commonly seen when they get a skin infection (aka hot-spots). The neck is a common place for this to happen, because moisture often gets trapped under their collar and/or loose skin. It appears to be minor, so you can try a couple of things at home to get clear the infection. 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesion(s). There may be more than one of these. 2) Wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. 3) Make sure the area is completely dry after washing. 4) Leave the collar off. You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely cleared. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian exam it. Also, if it appears to get worse, then take him to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and this gets cleared up soon.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching (if any).

I agree that the lesion is concerning. It looks like it could be a bacterial or a yeast infection. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. In the meantime bathing in an antimicrobial shampoo such as chlorhexidine or salicylic acid would be a good idea. This can be found in the human shampoo aisle in the dandruff area. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.