My dog has an open sore from her vest. Can I treat it myself?

Poor Diesel! Thank you for providing a picture of his wound, it helps me formulate my answer. It looks like it may be starting to heal, I think I see a scab formation starting, and I will give you some advice for general wound care at home. I would gently clean the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep him from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on him. 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 he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. Hopefully it heals without problem!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is likely this will heal well with a little help. I would advise putting the antibiotic ointment on once or twice daily and putting a T shirt on Precious so that she can’t lick the ointment off (or lick at the wound, which delays healing). You can use a rubber band or hair tie to remove the slack from her waist area if you want. Best of luck to you and Precious!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If at all possible I recommend a vet visit to see if this wound could be closed. Suturing it closed may allow much faster healing than leaving it open. Otherwise be sure to keep it clean and dry. You can use an antiseptic like betadine or chlorhexidine once to clean it. Be sure to dilute cleaner then rinse well. Use just today or if the wound gets extremely dirty. Using daily can actually slow healing. Keep the area clean and dry. I recommend Ares stay primarily indoors until it is closed as he could get a maggot infestation of flies lay eggs on the wound. Using hydrotherapy or gentle water from a hose is a good way to keep it clean. If there is swelling, discharge or pain, Ares needs to see a vet for medications. I hope he heals quickly.

From the excellent picture you have provided it looks like Winstyn may have moist dermatitis, or a "hot spot". Unfortunately, hot spots often require a trip to the vet for clipping of the area, cleaning, and prescription of a healing spray / ointment with antibiotics and a steroid. All of these interventions will help the area heal quickly, and minimise the level of discomfort that Winstyn has to experience. Due to the location of the sore it will particularly difficult to treat at home. In the meantime you can help Winstyn by; Placing a an e-collar to prevent him biting or attracting at the sore and making it worse Attempt to air out the area as much as possible to help it dry out. This is key to healing. Do not attempt any medications at home as they can cause pain and in some cases delay healing. I hope this is a helpful answer and that Winstyn feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

Sorry to see that sugar has a lesion on her skin. My recommendations for that would be to get a hair clipper and remove all the hair on and around the affected area. Once this is done I would pain either a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine solution and scrub the area until it is pretty clean. After having done this I would have obtain a triple antibiotic ointment or something with an antibiotic and steroid in it and apply it generously to the area one to two times a day. In addition I would obtain an Elizabethan collar to prevent sugar from performing any sort of self-mutilation which will ultimately delay the healing process. In some cases these lesions can require systemic antibiotics in which case it will not clear up and you will have to take sugar to the veterinarian to be seen. Hope this helps take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A small skin abrasion or hot spot like you are describing may require topical antibiotics to heal. If it does not resolve or worsens, I would recommend she be evaluated by her regular veterinarian. In the meantime, I would keep it clean and if you have grooming clippers try to carefully shave the fur in that area to allow it to heal (do not use scissors!). Good luck!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Superficial wounds around the face are usually treated with topical antibiotics (creams or ointments) or antibiotics tablets. Larger wounds need to be stitched up, but if the would you found is not fresh, most likely your vet would not want to stitch it up. Please, clean the would twice a day with 4% chlorhexidine solution (you can buy it at pharmacies) for a few days and it will hopefully heal up. However, if it starts to bother Aimee or becomes painful you will have to take her to your nearest vets possibly to get a course of antibiotics.