My dog has a red, bleeding bump on her tail from chewing. What to do?

Lesions like this could be for many things including fleas, trauma or bacterial infection. You must protect the area from licking and Allura should wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. You can wash the area and let it air dry. Otherwise no action is generally needed. If she continues itching, have her examined by the veterinarian to look for underlying causes. I hope this helps.

It could be an allergic reaction to an insect bite or a traumatic wound. Itchy bumps are almost always allergic in nature however. You can try topical soothing creams (sold at your local pet store) for allergic reactions, and cleaning it with chlorhexidine solution 3% or iodine diluted 50:50 with warm water. This will help some with the inflammation. If it still isn't better after 24-48 hrs then it is best to have your vet take a look at it and potentially give her stronger medications to treat it.

Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further licking or chewing. Sometimes, there can be some clipper burn after a grooming which can cause some irritation. The image attach shows what appears to be a small mass or lump. To determine what it is, you will need to have Pepper physically examined by your veterinarian. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. In the meantime, the cone may be enough to allow for healing. Your vet can dispense antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatories if indicated.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Otis Lee. He will need to see his veterinarian for a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This will ideally give you a diagnosis for the bump. A histiocytoma is common on the extremities of a young dog. This is a spontaneous growth usually goes away on its own. However, a cancerous mass known as a mast cell tumor has the same outward appearance. In the meantime, place an E-collar on him to prevent any further self-trauma. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Moka. I recommend placing an E-collar on her to start. This will stop her from licking the wound. Then she will need to see her veterinarian. You want to make sure that the entire tick was fully removed. The veterinarian will decide if any treatment is necessary. I would start her back on flea and tick prevention when you are able to do so. I hope this information helps!

I am very sorry to hear about your dog. Unfortunately at home treatment is definitely not adequate or appropriate for the severity of this lesion. It is difficult to tell without seeing this in person but I would be concerned about a potential tumor. You can refer to the article on this link http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html for ideas on paying for the vet bills/trying to find a vet you can afford for Brusky's care. In the meantime, I would put an e-collar on him if he is licking the area and keep him indoors except to use the bathroom because we would be concerned about flies causing maggots in this wound if the dog was outside for extended periods.

That lesion on Lily could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesion once a day (not her whole body, just the lesion). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesion is not improving within a week or if it is getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.