Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My dog has a small skin lesion. When should I take them to the vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Weimaraner | Female | spayed | 8 years and 4 months old | 50 lbs

My dog has a hole. It’s not deep and it’s not infected. It happened Thursday April 1st. How can I attach a picture??

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on April 4th, 2021

Thank you for sending the pictures! From what I can see, it looks like this lesion is only affecting the outermost skin layers, with the underlying tissue layers remaining intact. It's certainly possible that this lesion is from a traumatic injury, like the rubber bullet you'd mentioned, but it's equally possible that this is an infectious condition, like mange or ringworm. Since there is a good bit of skin damage that's bloody, it stands to reason that this type of lesion could become infected rather quickly, particularly if Crimson is licking at it at all. Even though we're now several days past the initial injury, I still recommend taking Crimson to her vet for an in person exam to thoroughly assess this lesion. Your vet may need to do some diagnostic testing to rule out infectious issues. Depending on their exam findings, your vet may need to prescribe oral antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatory medications to aid in the healing process. Until your vet visit, be sure to prevent Crimson from licking at this lesion at all by putting an e-collar (cone) on her. I hope that she's on the mend soon!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD
Veterinarian
I'm sorry to hear that Crimson has a hole or lesion. Pictures can be uploaded when your question is initially posted. However, since your picture did not load, please email it to customerservice@Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.com. I'll update this answer once I receive the picture.
0Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Health & Wellness

My pet has a skin issue on its arm. Is an emergency vet needed?

There is no need to go to the emergency room with this skin lesion. You may, however want to make an appointment with your regular veterinarian to examine this skin lesion. This may be a fungal infection or another skin condition that causes an itch or thickening of the skin. Your vet will also check your whole dog and may find more lesions like that or determine that it is just a localised lesion. Treatment depends on the cause of the lesion, and can be a medicated shampoo or an ointment.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog's face is bleeding from a wound. When should I see a vet?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. The hair will need to be shaved to see the extent of the lesion. If she does not have a history of a traumatic wound, she could have an infected tooth. This can create an abscess under the skin that can rupture open. Her veterinarian will examine her and determine the best course of treatment. I hope this information helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a bleeding lump on his skin. When should I see a vet?

Hello, and thank you for your question. This looks like it could be a lump on the skin, or a focal area of infection on the skin. It may be bleeding now because Spud has been scratching at it. I would have it assessed by a vet within the next few days to pinpoint what it is. If a lump is found, they may recommend a fine needle aspirate to find out the nature of the lump. If it is a skin infection, medication can be prescribed to treat it. In the meantime, I would suggest putting an e-collar on Spud to prevent him from further chewing or licking at the lesion. If it is on the body (not the legs) you can try putting a t-shirt over him to again protect the area from further trauma. I hope this helps, and that Spud gets better soon!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a weeping, recurring skin wound. When should I see a vet?

Ouch! Poor Bess! This area looks pretty infected and if she had one last week my suspicion is she had allergies or some other cause leading to these areas of bacterial dermatitis (hot spots). You can try to clip some of the hair away from the area and gently clean it but I think Bess will probably need to see a veterinarian to get oral antibiotics. I don't think she has to be seen right this instant but you should try to schedule within the next day or so. Use an e-collar to prevent her from licking the area and making the issue worse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Bess' skin recovers quickly!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog licks off ringworm medicine from his wound. Should I see a vet?

Skin lesions like this can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. I recommend making an appointment to have Archer seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesion you’ve noticed and to make sure it is treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can put an e-collar (cone) on him to help reduce the risk of scratching/licking at the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesion.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's back has a worsening, bloody spot. What should I do?

It's difficult to tell from your pictures what this is, but it does appear that it may be infected. Even if she can't reach it to lick or chew, if it is itchy or painful she may be scratching it with a foot or even rubbing on the ground or furniture to scratch it. I would recommend a vet visit to assess the spot and determine what it may be. If it is getting larger it could be a mass or growth, or infection/hotspot that requires antibiotics. The vet may clip away the hair from the lesion and possibly do a cytology to find out what type of cells or infection are present. From there appropriate treatment can be determined.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has an ulcerated skin growth. When should I see a vet?

Poor Summer! This lesion looks like a fairly significant ulcerated mass that could be either benign or malignant. The only way to definitively diagnose this issue is through a fine needle aspirate and microscopic examination of cells, or a surgical biopsy. Summer needs to go to her vet for evaluation of this lesion and will likely need surgical removal of the lesion and a course of antibiotics to treat any infection that may have developed as a result of the ulceration. I hope that she's on the mend soon!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share