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My dog has shock collar wounds. How do I treat them at home?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has open wounds on his neck from a shock collar being on for too long. I have washed him, but what else can I do to treat his wounds?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Debi Matlack

Veterinary Technician

Published on February 13th, 2015

If the wound is superficial (just on the skin), I suggest washing the area well with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution. Apply a warm washcloth 2-3 times a day for 5-10 minutes at a time to soothe the area and promote drainage. After washing and the compress, dry it well and apply a small amount of an antimicrobial preparation to the wound. Confirm the product does NOT contain hydrocortisone. Steroids may slow healing. If the wound does not show signs of healing within a few days, have him seen by your veterinarian right away. Antibiotics and pain medication may be indicated. Other symptoms to monitor for include fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, redness, swelling or discharge.

109Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Davis
Veterinarian
Published on October 15th, 2017
Clean the area with antibacterial soap and rinse it well. Trim the surrounding hair so you can keep an eye on the wound and so it is open to the air which will allow it to heal more quickly. When it's dry you can apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. Please don't use any type of collar on Koda until this is healed. You can use a body harness for walking. The wound should look better everyday. If it's not drying up and healing Kona may need antibiotics from your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kona.
7Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Davis
Veterinarian
Published on January 30th, 2018
Please trim the fur around the wounds and clean them with antibacterial soap. Once rinsed and dry apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on them. If you need to use the collar again it needs to no looser around the neck. This should heal in a few days. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ares.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

My dog has neck wounds from a shock collar. Can I treat them myself?

Many corporate animal hospitals such as VCA and Banfield offer free first exams which can save you a $50-$85 office visit fee. In addition, many local ASPCA’s and humane societies offer low cost veterinary care. I strongly recommend calling around and making an appointment for Angel to be seen. Topical over the counter neosporin may not be adequate and would not be recommended if the holes are deep. Cleaning/flushing of the wounds with dilute chlorhexidine antiseptic and a course of oral antibiotics such as Simplicef will likely be prescribed. Pending the appearance of the skin, a topical steroid/antibiotic ointment and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Rimadyl (carprofen) for pain may also be dispensed. Do not administer ibuprofen or acetaminophen as they are toxic to dogs. Good luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a neck wound from a tick collar. What ointment helps?

It's difficult to tell the extent of the injury (the photo is quite blurry), but the wound appears rather deep. Here are my recommendation: 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesions. 2) Flush the wound with clean water a syringe using high pressure. Use a clean cloth to gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. Do not use any antiseptics like iodine, because this can be irritating and delay healing. 3) Apply an antibacterial cream to the wound and lightly bandage the wound. Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FQ0JopKfY0&t=93s 4) Leave the collar off until the wound is completely healed. 5) Repeat flush and bandage every day. You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely healed. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian exam it. Also, if it appears to get worse, then it would be best to take her to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and this gets better soon.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has a small wound with blood. How can I treat it at home?

This presentation could be due to a trauma (bite wound) and/ or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be continued at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths (twice daily). I would recommend to shave fur around the wound (clippers are best as if you do it with scissors you may injury him) to be able to clean the area best as possible. After cleaning you can dry it up and apply any cream containing zinc oxide (like sudocream). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. 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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a wound on her skin. How do I clean and treat it at home?

Sorry to see that sugar has a lesion on her skin. My recommendations for that would be to get a hair clipper and remove all the hair on and around the affected area. Once this is done I would pain either a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine solution and scrub the area until it is pretty clean. After having done this I would have obtain a triple antibiotic ointment or something with an antibiotic and steroid in it and apply it generously to the area one to two times a day. In addition I would obtain an Elizabethan collar to prevent sugar from performing any sort of self-mutilation which will ultimately delay the healing process. In some cases these lesions can require systemic antibiotics in which case it will not clear up and you will have to take sugar to the veterinarian to be seen. Hope this helps take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Dog's collar caused neck wounds. What's the best home care?

That regimen maybe enough for this to heal. However if the redness does not go away or it starts to have an older or discharge then Coal needs to be seen by a veterinarian. Triple anabiotic ointment is unlikely to cause any harm. However if it is put on too thick can cause irritation. If Coal acts uncomfortable, has increasing redness, or develops a discharge then he needs to be seen by his veterinarian.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has open sores on his neck. Could a shock collar be the cause?

It is sure possible. I would recommend an examination with a veterinarian. They will likely want to shave the fur under the neck to visualize the extent of the trauma as well as to establish a clean area for healing. Antibiotics may be needed. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

What else can I use to help my dog's collar sore heal at home?

I think your treatment plans sounds good for home care. Wash the lesions once daily and rinse it well (you don't need to wash his whole body, just the spot). Protect the area from scratching. The only other thing I can think to do is add a dab of coconut oil that you rub into the lesion well. You will want to separate it from the other topical medication by a few hours. If the spot is not looking significantly better in the next week, then I recommend for Hendrix to see his vet. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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