My dog has a severe burn on his back. What's the best home treatment?

Ouch! Poor Rocky! Burns are really high risk to get infected and are usually very painful. If possible, I would have your vet look at it so they can properly clean the wound and get him started on antibiotics and pain meds and topical treatment to have the fastest recovery. If you are unable to take him to the vet, you can try to gently clean it will a mild soap and water. I would also make sure he doesn’t lick it. You can put a Cone collar on him to prevent this. You can put neosporin OINTMENT on it twice a day to help it heal. I would also confine him so he doesn’t get the area dirty. This method may not work so watch the wound closely. If at any point there is pus from the wound or he stops eating or becomes lethargic, I would strongly urge him to see a vet as the infection could go systemic without oral antibiotics. I hope this helps and he feels better soon!

This presentation could be due to a localized trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and eventually antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths.Oxide zinc cream (sudocream) can be applied when the skin is completely dry. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. 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.

Cold water is the best remedy in the first couple hours, after that i recommend a special cream for burns with Silver sulfadiazine in it, you can usually get it from any pharmacy over the counter. if it becomes severe and very painful a vet visit will be require urgently.

A definite NO on the hydrogen peroxide! 1. It is best to shave the hair around the affected area if at all possible. If you don't have clippers you can use scissors to shorten the hair - just be careful you don't cut him. If you can't shave or trim the hair don't stress too much about it. 2. You can clean and treat all in one step with these medicated pads. Twice a day. ( https://www.chewy.com/pet-md-chlorhexidine-antiseptic-dog/dp/146635 ) 3. If he is really itching you can also apply this topical hydrocortisone spray after the wound is dry from the using the pads. Once a day should be enough. ( https://www.chewy.com/zymox-enzymatic-topical-spray/dp/125742 ) If no improvement after about 5-7 days then you should have your vet check him out. Sometimes oral antibiotics are needed to clear these up if they are bad enough. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

These look to be burns but it could also be an autoimmune disease, fungal disease, cancer, bacterial infection, etc. There is no way for us to diagnose him over the internet just based on some photos. Obviously the home treatment is not working so it is best to have him evaluated by a veterinarian. This needs some testing and some more intensive treatment.

Poor Diesel! Thank you for providing a picture of his wound, it helps me formulate my answer. It looks like it may be starting to heal, I think I see a scab formation starting, and I will give you some advice for general wound care at home. I would gently clean the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep him from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on him. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. 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. Hopefully it heals without problem!

It would be very helpful if you could take some photographs of the affected area so that I can better answer your question. In general, large open wounds should be treated with some sort of daily cleaning (namely a dilute betadine or chlorhexidine solution, do not use hydrogen peroxide as it will delay the healing process), and then something such as raw, unpasteurized honey or white sugar. I would really need to see pictures of the wound to advise you on how best to dress it. Covering the open wound will be very important in keeping things clean and free of insect migration. In applying bandage material to a wound, you need to know how much is appropriate, and how much pressure is acceptable. However, if you feel Sissy is in a great deal of pain, there may not be any way for you to safely and effectively treat it at home with at least some pain management, anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics to get things moving in the right direction. If you are finding there are fleas on Sissy, you should treat with one of several different over the counter products if getting into a veterinarian is not possible. Hope this makes sense.