My puppy has an open sore with green pus and fleas. What to do?

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for rescuing; it is much needed these days. These lesions in a puppy could be linked to a variety of skin conditions such as flea allergy, mites and mange, among others. Even though food allergy is possible, it seems less likely at this time. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian to check for these conditions to try to direct therapy at the specific cause. From the picture and your description, these lesions are likely also secondarily infected by bacteria. Most of these conditions are treatable so you will see an improvement in Sally's condition fairly quickly when treated appropriately. Good luck!

These are likely two spots of superficial skin infection, likely to be caused by a bacteria. A check up, appropriate disinfection and antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. If there is a solid lump underneath them, a biopsy should be ideally taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. 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.

Poor Stella! I would gently clean it with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep her from scratching at it, you can put an Ecollar on her. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and she will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

Hello. Sorry Winnie is having this issue. It looks like she has a "hot spot". I would go ahead and take her to the vet in the morning like you have planned. Many dogs do seem to get these "spontaneously". For future reference, treating these with peroxide is not the best idea. Peroxide actually delays the healing and that is likely why it took so long to resolve before (provided this was the same thing she had before). Your vet will likely shave the hair around this lesion. These spots need air so they dry out and can heal faster. The hair around them keeps them wet/moist. The vet will also dispense some antibiotics for you to give her and some specific ointment to apply to it. Usually it will start to heal nicely within 5-7 days however, it will take quite a while for the hair to grow back. Here is a link to this problem: http://www.petmd.com/dog/care/evr_hot_spots_what_are_they# I hope this helps. Best wishes!

Poor little Marlow! This wound could have been caused by another animal or an injury, and it does appear there is a fair amount of pus from your picture. He has to see a vet for it, as he will need antibiotics to treat the infection. You can clean it tonight with warm water and antiseptic soap, but he has to see a vet in the morning for it. If you cannot afford a vet for Marlow, then I recommend giving him to the SPCA in the morning. They can get him the veterinary treatment he needs, as well as his shots, flea medications, deworming treatments, heartworm treatment, and neutered. After that, they can find him a home. Good luck, I hope this helps!

If the wound has turned green than he could have an infection. Have your vet take a look at him to determine if he needs an antibiotic to treat. Make sure to use a monthly flea prevention, like NexGard, Frontline, Revolution, Advantage, etc.

Oh dear, poor Peanut! Some dogs are allergic to fleas and can actually develop bacterial skin infections as a result of ongoing scratching and licking. The first two photos look most suspicious for signs of a skin infection, but the third photo looks more suspicious for a raised benign or malignant mass. I'm glad that you're planning on taking Peanut to his vet when it is financially feasible for you. In the meantime, make sure that all pets in your house have been treated with a high quality flea preventative, such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II (or Advantage, Revolution, or Bravecto for cats if you also have cats in the house). You can also give your dogs a dose of oral Capstar ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=10902 ) to rapidly kill adult fleas in addition to the flea preventatives mentioned previously. Be sure to use these flea preventatives regularly without missing doses to break the flea life cycle! For Peanut's irritated skin, you can try bathing him in a medicated antimicrobial/anti-itch shampoo ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27981 ). Hydrogen peroxide can actually delay skin healing, so I would avoid further use since it is likely to cause more irritation. I hope this helps and that all goes well!