My dog has a penile infection. Can I treat it without a vet?

Hello! The best thing to do is to keep the area clean with warm water. If he is not improving, your best bet is to take him in. Sorry, there isn't too much that can be done at home for this sort of thing!

Unfortunately for bad ear infections that often involve bacteria and sometimes yeast, you will need a topical ear medication that contains an antibiotic. Antibiotics require a prescription. This is because antibiotics (whether oral or topical) have to be used judiciously to avoid creating resistant bacteria. You can try researching low cost clinics in your area through this website: www.mypet.com/vet-finder.aspx Or you can try applying for financial assistance through carecredit.com or redrover.org. Best of luck. Ear infections can get worse fairly quickly and are relatively easy to treat with proper medications, so hopefully you can get your dog to the vet soon.

I am sorry to hear about Coco. Unfortunately this area does look infected and she needs antibiotics to treat the infection. She also may need her rabies vaccine boostered if she hasn't had one recently. In some areas there are humane society/ animal protective league/ aspca locations that offer veterinary care at reduced prices, so you can look to see if anything like that is available in your area. If they are not, you can call different vet clinics to see if any allow payment plans or you can apply for Care Credit which is a credit card for medical bills. You can read about more ideas for this problem at: http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html I would apply a warm compress for 10 minutes to encourage drainage of the wound, clean the area with a mild soap, and apply an antibiotic ointment such as neosporin until she can be seen, but she does need to be seen to get systemic antibiotics.

Unfortunately, by law it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to give the dose information for any drug without seeing the animal in person first. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, the experts cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for Bear. I do not recommend giving him any antibiotics for this infection unless specifically prescribed by a vet. You will need to take him into the vet to discuss using antibiotics. The vet cannot put him down without your permission, so that should not be a worry. Best of luck.

My biggest concern is that he could also have a bladder infection that is causing him to lick a lot and therefore also causing an infection on his penis. Without seeing him to determine exactly what is infected and whether or not the bladder is also infected, I cannot say that the cephalexin will work. I would strongly recommend to have him seen by your vet. If there is a urinary tract infection and it is left untreated, it could get much worse and even start to affect the kidneys. Your vet will be able to determine if the cephalexin you have will work or if you need something stronger. I would also put a cone collar on him to prevent him from licking it any more and causing more irritation. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better really soon!

It sounds like he might have an infection. Your vet can examine him and prescribe an antibiotic, if needed. If you see any discharge then you could clean it with a DOUXO® Chlorhexidine Pads and see if that helps. Otherwise, see if your vet can see him before Wednesday so treatment can be started.

I would call your local shelter to see if they can treat her for a lower price. Unfortunately, some will help but others will only treat animals that are up for adoption. If they can't, they may be able to direct you to a clinic that is lower in cost or has a free first exam. You could also talk to your vet about prescribing some antibiotics. I would ask if they are any antibiotics that can be prescribed at a human pharmacy that might be cheaper. I hope this helps!