My dog has a nose wound from a fight. Can I treat it at home tonight?

Your dog may have rubbed it raw, under the couch or through the fence maybe? I suggest washing the area gently with antibacterial soap and water. Apply a warm washcloth 2-3 times a day for five minutes at a time to help keep it clean and draining. After washing and the compress, dry thoroughly and apply a dab of antibiotic ointment that **does NOT** contain hydrocortisone to the wound. Steroids will slow healing. An OTC triple antibiotic ointment will suffice. Rub it in well and don't leave any excess for your pet to lick off. If it does not show signs of healing or if your dog develops a fever, loses his appetite, starts vomiting or has diarrhea have him seen by your veterinarian right away. Potential cause may include allergies, infection, automimmune disease or even cancer. An e-collar (cone) may be used to prevent rubbing or pawing.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Gracie! It’s tough to be certain of the severity of her wounds without examining myself, but fortunately those wounds don’t appear to be too serious from the photos. I think it’s unlikely that she’ll need stitches. However, bite wounds tend to get infected, so I would bring Gracie in to your vet when they open tomorrow, as they’ll likely want to start her on antibiotics. In the meantime, keep those wounds clean by gently washing them with warm soapy water (Dawn dish soap works well). I hope this helps and she feels better!

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lucy! The best way for the area to heal is to prevent Lucy from rubbing her nose. I'd recommend getting an Elizabethan Collar (aka "The Cone of Shame") and then apply some triple antibiotic on the area twice daily. Keep using the Cone until the area has healed. You can get Elizabethan collars at your vet and some pet stores. Good luck!

Gently clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap. I would not point any antibiotic ointment on it because Merlin will just lick it off. You can try to put a bandage to protect the wound, but make sure it doesn't block his nostrils. You can put an Ecollar on him to keep him from rubbing at his nose, and I will put a link below on how to make one at home. Definitely have him seen by a vet tomorrow, as dog bites frequently become infected and he likely will need antibiotics. Good luck, I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

This presentation could be due to a trauma (bite wound) and/ 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 continued at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths (twice daily). I would recommend to shave fur around the wound (clippers are best as if you do it with scissors you may injury him) to be able to clean the area best as possible. After cleaning you can dry it up and apply any cream containing zinc oxide (like sudocream). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. 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.

Lesions in this location can be a little tricky to treat with topical medications because most dogs are able to lick them off, at least to some degree. You can try to clean this area with an antiseptic chlorhexidine cleanser twice a day (Hibiclens is one brand), but take care to rinse it well and do not let Bella lick it while you are cleaning. Breaking open a vitamin E capsule and rubbing it on this area may be mildly helpful, but it won't hurt if she licks a little off. As Jessica mentioned, one of the most important things to do is to keep an e-collar on Bella to prevent her from rubbing at this area further. If this lesion persists for another week or worsens at any point, you'll need to take her to a vet for evaluation. It's possible that she may need oral antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications to help get this area under control. I hope that everything goes well!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Looking at the picture, I would not recommend liquid bandage for the wound. Covering up wounds like this often encourages them to become infected by trapping the bacteria. I would allow this to be stay open and gently clean the area 1-2 times per day with a warm washcloth. If it becomes swollen, painful, or oozy, it may be a sign of infection and time to go to the vet for antibiotics. I would recommend waiting to get him groomed and washed until the wound is healed. I hope this helps!