My dog has a small, skin-colored bump on his nose. Is it an infection?

This could be from an insect bite or a wound. I would clean it with a damp cloth and then apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. Give it a few days to see if it's drying up and healing. If it's getting bigger then I would take Pierce in for a veterinary exam. It could be a mass but it's more likely a small area of infected skin and it will heal in a week or so. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Pierce.

I don't like the look of this. With it so round and well demarcated I would guess it's from a spider or insect bite. You can clean this with a warm cloth and a mild shampoo or soap. Rinse it well and when it's dry apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. I would have this examined in the next few days as it could be a fungal infection from rooting in the ground also. If there is any question as to the cause your veterinarian can do a skin scraping of it and get a diagnosis after looking at the cells under the microscope. Then they can treat it with the appropriate medication. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Taz.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal infection). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

A lesion like that could be several things including an ingrown hair, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or a skin tumor/mass. 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 does not start 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.

A couple of things come to mind as possibilities. This could be an acute hypersensitivity reaction to something - bug bite/sting, perhaps - or possibility a severe bacterial infection called furunculosis. There are also some immune-mediated/auto-immune diseases that attack the top of the nose. See your vet about this. An appropriate treatment plan might be to start antibiotics and if no improvement after 2 weeks consider a biopsy to obtain a definitive diagnosis.

This looks like she had an infected area under the skin (an abscess) that has ruptured to the surface. That is good as the infection will drain. Clean the area with antibacterial soap, rinse well and you can apply a thin film of antibiotic ointment. It should heal in a few days. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Applejack.

I am sorry to hear about Asher! This could have been a small bug bite or wound. If it is not painful you can try washing the area with a mild soap or antiseptic such as hibiclens (available at most drug stores) and apply a topical antibiotic such as Neosporin to the area twice daily. If the area increases in size, becomes painful or starts having a discharge, or more spots arise then a veterinary exam would be recommended.