My dog has a puss-filled wound on his penis. What can I clean it with?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It really appears to be healing well on its own though it is hard to tell. If it continues to heal, it may not need any therapy at all. If at any point it starts bleeding or releasing a discharge or becomes bloody or painful, have him evaluated by your veterinarian at that point for further assessment. Otherwise, this is possibly going to heal on its own. Good luck and have a great day!

This presentation could be due to a trauma and localized secondary skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. An immediate check up at your local veterinarian is needed. 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.

A picture of Vinnie's wound or more or of a description of its size and location would be helpful in giving you advice. If it is a small wound on the skin (less than a centimeter in size) you could try gently cleaning the area with hydrogen peroxide and applying a triple antibiotic ointment to help it heal. However, if Vinnie's wound is larger or not healing within a few days I'd recommend he see a veterinarian for evaluation. If the wound is large enough he may need antibiotics or even stitches to help it heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This probably isn’t a serious wound. Clean the wound with diluted iodine if you have it. If you don’t, warm soapy water works very well. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. If you have an E-collar, put that on her and then put some antibiotic cream/ointment on it (eg Neosporin or mupiricin). I don’t want her licking it so skip this step if you don’t have the collar. (You can purchase one at most pet stores if you’d like.) If you can apply the ointment once or twice daily, even better. Clean the wound gently with a warm wet cloth as often as needed (up to twice daily) if it gets muddy or very dirty. Chances are, it will heal up nicely even if you can only attend to it once. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and your pup!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You should clean the wound twice daily with cotton buds and ideally 4% chlorxhexidine or iodine solution (available over the counter at pharmacies). If you are not able to get these antiseptic products, you should use just boiled, warm water. Also, please make sure that Ponyo is not licking or scratching the wound. Putting a head cone may be necessary. Dressing wounds in dogs is often cumbersome. If the puncture is on the chest or the abdomen you can put a small t-shirt on Ponyo to cover it up..

This looks like a local abscess from a bite wound or an insect bite or if there is a mass there it could have been a cyst that got infected. If he is licking it, I recommend to place a cone collar to prevent him from doing that. Also I would clean it with a mild anti-bacterial soap and water. You can try putting some neosporin on it but if it isn't improving, you will likely need to see your vet for an exam and some oral antibiotics to get rid of the infection. I hope this helps.