My dog has painful, worsening cuts above eyes. Should I see a vet?

I am sorry to hear about your dog's fighting! Due to the wound being so close to the eye it can be a tricky situation, because you don't want any soap to get into the eye which could cause ulceration/burning of the cornea (surface of the eye). I would also be concerned/worried if the injury was this close to the eye that there could be trauma to the eye itself. It also looks like the wound could be deep and if it extends a bit past where I can see in the photo (I can't tell because of the presence of fur) it could be long enough to warrant a stitch. If your dog is tolerant you can try using a q-tip with a small amount of soap on it to clean the area in order to clean it while avoiding the eye itself. A soap such as Hibiclens (generic = chlorhexidine) from the drug store is ideal but if not, just a mild soap at home. If your dog is wiggly/not cooperative and you may end up getting soap in his eye I would avoid using soap near it and just rinse with warm water. You can apply a small amount of topical antibiotic ointment with a q-tip as well if you think your dog will not rub it into his eye. Monitor for swelling, pain, and discharge and if these occur or the wound look larger then he should see a full service vet because it may require antibiotics or a suture.

It's a bit difficult to tell from these pictures, but it does appear deep and wide enough that it will need stitches. It's best to take him to a vet soon, because the wound will heal better the sooner it is cleaned and stitched. For now, you can flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate water getting near their face. I recommend having someone help you with holding Wish 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. Your vet will be able to advise further treatment after evaluating it. I hope that helps and Wish gets better soon.

Ouch! Poor Bess! This area looks pretty infected and if she had one last week my suspicion is she had allergies or some other cause leading to these areas of bacterial dermatitis (hot spots). You can try to clip some of the hair away from the area and gently clean it but I think Bess will probably need to see a veterinarian to get oral antibiotics. I don't think she has to be seen right this instant but you should try to schedule within the next day or so. Use an e-collar to prevent her from licking the area and making the issue worse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Bess' skin recovers quickly!

That looks like it could be an infection, skin mites or perhaps ringworm (which humans can get). I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian if the lesion does not start getting better on it's own within the next few days. May sure he cannot rub the area and don't put anything on the area since it's so close to his eye. You can also have him examined sooner and not wait. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. The hair will need to be shaved to see the extent of the lesion. If she does not have a history of a traumatic wound, she could have an infected tooth. This can create an abscess under the skin that can rupture open. Her veterinarian will examine her and determine the best course of treatment. I hope this information helps!

It is very important that Cutie be seen by a vet for proper diagnosis and treatment of her eyes. Over-the-counter medications are not recommended for use in treatment of eye disease without a vet’s recommendation, as some types of eye ointments and drops contain steroids that can severely damage the eye if it has a scratch/corneal ulcer. Her vet will need to evaluate her eye, and may recommend testing such as a Fluorescein stain to look for scratched/ulcers, tonometry to test the eye pressures and look for glaucoma, or a Schirmer tear test to evaluate tear production. In some cases a combination of causes can lead to an uncomfortable eye, and as you mentioned some eye conditions can be very painful. Sometimes if eyelashes/ hair are growing in a way that causes them to touch the eye it can lead to pain as well. Cutie looks to have quite large, bulging eyes, which predisposes her to conditions such as dry eye, and if you suspect she is in pain you are likely correct. Please book an appointment to have her seen by a vet, and good luck!

That looks like it is quite painful. Your first order of business should be preventing your dog from causing any further harm. Obtain an e-collar or make one at home. You should be able to find a website or video on how to do this. Next step will be applying some antibiotic ointment, preferably one that also contains some steroid to help with inflammation and itchiness. Some lesions like this one may require systemic antibiotics to fight off infection or prevent a worse one from manifesting. If this truly appeared completely overnight, I would qualify this as a rapidly forming lesion that should be seen in person by a vet. The vet will be able to obtain skin samples and cytology in order to get a better idea of what we are truly dealing with. He will be able to offer you more targeted therapy that may ultimately result in a quicker and more effective healing process.