My dog scratched his head raw. Can I wash and treat the cut at home?

Yes, this is perfectly manageable back home as it looks very superficial. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths three times daily until completely healed. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching. If you notice more severe wounds or if the wound do not get better in the next 4 days a check up would be required as antibiotics may be needed.

No need to rush Sheru into a vet now. I would gently clean his wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

Poor Riley! I would gently clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

Generally, minor abrasions and wounds will heal on their own (just like humans). You may gently wash the lesion (rinse well) and inspect it to make sure it is not deep. If it is deep, if it gets worse or if it appears to bother Milo, he should be examined by the veterinarian. It should heal within two weeks. If it does not, he also needs to be examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps.

It is good that you have Harry wearing an e-collar to prevent further damage. It looks like he may have a hot spot. They can come up very quickly. To try at-home treatment, the first step is to clip the hair away from the skin so it will dry out, is easier to clean, and so you can monitor the progression. You need to use electric clippers, not scissors or a razor, to safely remove the hair. Second is to gently cleanse and disinfect the area. You can use a chlorhexidine wound scrub to gently scrub the wound, rinse thoroughly with water. It is important to keep this out of Harry's eyes as it is unsafe. Third is the treat the skin. You can use an ointment like neosporin or a medicated wipe like Dechra MalAcetic HC Wipes which is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. If you do this at-home treatment for 48 hours and the skin appears worse, Harry seems painful, or there is excessive discharge, I recommend that Harry see a vet immediately. Other possible causes for his skin issue that are not a hot spot include fleas, mange, lice, infections (bacterial or yeast), ringworm, allergies, among others. Here is a good article about hot spots, including information on when at-home treatment can be tried: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2714

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Keep the wound clean and dry. You can use just a damp cloth to clean the wound if needed. I would not recommend using any appointments or peroxide is that can cause worsening irritation. It will probably heal up just fine, but if you notice any swelling or discharge I recommend that does it to rule out infection or need for antibiotics.

Poor guy. I can understand your concern here. Apply firm pressure periodically with a clean sterile gauze from your local pharmacy as you cleanse the area antiseptically with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water or Chlorhexidine solution 3% diluted into a light blue mixture. This should be done for the first day to help prevent infection. And don’t allow your pet to roll around in the dirt or receive any baths of any kind until it is healed. After the first day you can continue to flush the area with sterile saline from your local pharmacy/drug store and this should help it heal well. It’s also a good idea to place an e-collar on his head to prevent Stevie from scratching the area. If things start to look like they are getting infected (yellow or pinkish foul smelling discharge), or if it doesn’t heal well within 4-7 days, then it’s best to have him seen by your vet. Sutures or staples may need to be placed to close the wound, antibiotics and pet friendly anti-inflammatory medication will likely be prescribed. I hope this helps and best of luck getting Stevie’s wound to heal well. Best wishes and take care.