My dog has a sudden, unexplained sore on his neck. What should I do?

That heavy discharge generally indicates infection. Your pup will heal the fastest if he goes in to see his doctor. The doctor may give him a systemic antibiotic or may only give him topicals if the lesion is very small. Sometimes these pets can be itchy as well and will get medication for that too. You definitely want to make sure that he cannot itch or lick at that area as it will make it worse. The doctor will also shave the hair as it needs to be exposed to the air to dry up. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It appears jack has a sore on his tail, but without an exam it's impossible to know what is causing it. You can gently scrub it with warm water and mild soap. If it is very weepy, has a bad odor or is very painful Kack should see his vet. Otherwise keep the area clean and prevent him from licking or chewing it and it may heal on its own. If not he may have an infection that should be addressed by a vet visit.

Poor Lucky! I'm glad to hear that his vet will be checking him out tomorrow. From the picture, the skin lesion looks most like a hot spot (aka acute moist dermatitis). If you have clippers on hand, you can try to carefully trip the hair over and around this skin lesion to allow for better air flow. You can also gently clean his skin with an antiseptic solution, such as diluted chlorhexidine or diluted betadine, but be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly. If Lucky is scratching at his neck, it would be best to put an e-collar (cone) on until his appointment. The vet may need to prescribe antibiotics, steroids, or topical sprays to help this lesion to heal. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Ouch! That sore does look pretty large, and if you suspect it was food-allergy related, switching back to his other food (or a different bag) is a good idea. I would continue to keep it as clean and dry as possible, and if it's not healing, or has already been there several days, bring Bear into your vet. Your vet can carefully trim the hair in the area to see how large the sore is, thoroughly clean it, and provide you with antibiotics and pain meds as needed to help the area heal and Bear feel more comfortable. In the meantime, keeping the area clean and dry, keeping Bear from rubbing or pawing at it with an E-collar or T-shirt, and keeping the site monitored is best.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jax. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian soon. He appears to have a significant infection on his cheek. The hair surrounding the wound will be to be shaved to reveal the extent of the problem. Depending on the findings, he may need a cleansing solution and oral antibiotics. In some cases, skin tests are performed to determine the underlying cause of the wound. If he is pawing at the wound, place an E-collar on him to prevent and further trauma. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jack. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will need to be examined. The swelling may be aspirated with a small needle. The cells are then evaluated under the microscope to determine if it is a lymph node, infection, salivary gland or a mass. Based in these results treatment can be recommended if necessary. I hope this information helps!

It sounds like your dog has a skin infection so he should be examined by a vet to determine the exact cause. It could be secondary to an injury or possibly allergies. He may need an oral antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory to help treat the problem.