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My dog has an open wound with maggots. What medicine can I apply?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Rottweiler | Male | 7 years old | 105 lbs

very ferocious Rotweiler dog having wound. Its having maggots. Cant give sedative. Is there is any medicine to kill maggots for applying ?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on February 15th, 2020

Capstar will kill maggots, but the maggots will continue to come back since they are caused by flies laying eggs in a necrotic wound. The maggots are not the issue here, the wound is the problem, and it should be addressed first with a vet.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 16th, 2019
Hello Augustine. So sorry your puppies are having this issue. It it best to consult with a vet in your area as I am not sure what products you have available in your country. I will try to help but if you can't get these products then I am not sure what to recommend.

You should first clean all the wounds with an antiseptic like Betadine, Dettol or Chlorhexidine. You should be able to find these at any pharmacy. Make sure you get solution and not scrub (soap). All of these products should be made into a dilution before you use them: 1 part medication to 10 parts water. Then apply Lorexene, or Maggocide, which are ointments specifically meant to kill maggots. Then, if possible, make the wounds airtight with cotton gauze stuffed into the hole and covered with a bandage. The wound has to be airtight or the maggot will continue to breathe oxygen and not suffocate to death. The swab of gauze and dressing has to be changed daily. Remove all the maggots each time you change the bandages. Please be sure you don't bandage the wounds too tightly or you will cause more issues. I would also be a good idea for the puppies to be on an oral antibiotic like amoxi-clav.

Keep the area where the puppies are kept free of flies as maggots are fly larvae.

Hope this helps. If you need more assistance please feel free to post again.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog has maggots in a wound. How do I treat it and help him heal?

These maggot wounds are treatable, but turpentine and Betadine won't kill them all and will actually make the wound worse. They are best killed with camphor powder, but the maggots need to be pulled out from in the wound, or they will cause a severe infection. In order to pull them out, the dog often needs to be sedated. For this and other wound treatment, I highly recommend you take him to a vet doctor. For now, you should flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with normal, clean, warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate this and will try to run away. I recommend having someone help you with this and holding Brando to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound and a bandage. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. I hope that helps and Brando gets better soon.

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