My dog has raw, scabbed sores on her head. Are they infected?

This looks like an area that was scraped and now has a secondary bacterial infection. Please clean the area with a warm wet cloth and once rinsed and dried apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. By washing it you should remove the dried up crusty skin. It may look more irritated but having it clean and open to the air it should heal more quickly. The rest of the skin looks fine. It may take several weeks or more to have the fur fill in. If you see more areas like this then an exam and skin scraping to determine the cause is in order. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Stella.

Poor Marley! Thank you for providing pictures of the area. If there is pus, that means the sore is infected. He will need to see a vet for antibiotics to treat it. Tonight, wash the area with warm water and antiseptic soap to clean it, and then take him into the vet in the morning to have it examined and treated. Put an Ecollar on him tonight to keep him from scratching at it and possibly making it worse. You can make one at home, and I will put a link below on how to make one. While at the vet, I recommend having his ear examined as well. I notice the sore is below is his ear, and I'm wondering if he has been scratching excessively at his ear causing the sore. This can be a sign of an ear infection. The vet can examine his ear, and if he does have an ear infection, the vet can diagnose the cause (ear mites, yeast, or bacteria), and can prescribe treatment for it. Good luck, I hope this helps and thank you for contacting Pet Coach! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

Hello. The skin issues that are shown in the photos are what we call "hotspots". These are moist bacterial infections that can be caused by a number of things including fleas, allergies, trauma to the skin, too much swimming, etc. The infection itself is very itchy and uncomfortable. Sonny should be seen by a veterinarian to assess if there are any other things going on and to have these areas clipped and cleaned. Your vet will most likely prescribe a combination of topical and oral medication to clear the infection. He may also require and anti-inflammatory, anti-itch medication...but your veterinarian can discuss all of that with you. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is really hard to tell from a photo alone what is going on in the skin, however it is evident that something is causing inflammation of the skin. Dermatitis can be caused by many things including infection, irtitants, parasites, allergies or metabolic conditions. With you being away stress may have had a role in this. Ask your friend if they have given any new foods or used new shampoo? I would advise you to get to a vet for a skin exam in the next day or 2 as it is best to nip this sort of thing in the bud before it spreads.

Hi and thank you for the question. I do think this area looks infected. She probably suffered from a superficial minor burn. These, too can get infected. Until you can get to the vet, clean the area with a mild soap, dry thoroughly and apply a topical antibiotic. A cream type is best, but ointment would be phat as a second choice. She may need a prescription antibiotic and your vet can tell you that during the exam.

This looks like a skin infection possibly caused by bacteria. This will need to be clipped, cleaned and disinfected and your dog will need antibiotics. Please take Spaz to a veterinarian for an exam and wound care.

It looks like she has a skin infection. You could clean it with a wound wash and see if that helps. Otherwise, have your vet examine her to determine the cause and treat. She might need an antibiotic and corticosteroid to help treat.