My dog's puncture wound is worse after attack. What should I do?

If the bite wounds penetrated her chest and/or abdomen and they were not surgically explored than she could have internal injuries that need to be addressed. If you feel like she is getting worse and dying than you should take her to an emergency clinic in your area right away as they are used to dealing with trauma and critical care patients. Please find an emergency clinic and have her seen right away.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear this. Dog attacks can be quite stressful. The main problem with bite wounds is that you have to let the wounds declare themselves before knowing exactly what is going to happen at the end. It sounds like Zara's wound got infected and has now formed an abscess. She can develop a fever from this and this can make her feel quite sick. Also, it would be ideal to know the true extent of her injuries. For this reason, I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Your veterinarian would be able to prescribe medications for pain control and also antibiotics to treat her infection which is the only way it can resolve. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

Hi! I am so sorry to hear that Roscoe is injured! The wound appears to be inflamed and as dog bites or any deep wound often become infected. I recommend taking him to your vet in the next 24 hours, sooner if he seems to feel poorly or if he has other wounds. They will likely clip the hair, clean the wound and see how extensive it is. If they think it necessary, they will recommend antibiotics and/or pain/swelling medication. Keep an eye on it after you visit to ensure it heals appropriately and he does not lick at it. I hope this is helpful and he feels better soon!

The pain is an issue but the most important issue at the moment is the infection he has developed, you must take him to the vet ASAP, he will need a course of antibiotics and pain killers (you can't use human pain killers for dogs).

If there is swelling and it feels hot to the touch and painful then these are signs that infection is present (bite wounds/punctures are unfortunately prone to infeciton) and oral antibiotics are likely needed. I would make an appointment with your vet to get the wound examined. In the meantime, applying an ice pack to the area for 10 minutes every few hours may provide some relief to the pain (be sure to wrap the ice pack in a thin cloth/towel so it isn't directly on the skin).

This wound requires an immediate check up and possibly a stitch up as it seems infected and it is unlikely that will heal without immediate intervention. Proper disinfection and antibiotic treatment is required. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You should take Murphy to your local vets for an appointment as this wound should be clipped, cleaned, flushed and potentially stitched up under sedation. It would take a very long time to heal if the wound was treated with antibiotics only. The symptoms of infection usually develops in the first 24hrs and include fever, discharge, swelling and pain around the wound.