My older dog has an open wound on her tail. What should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Chessie! It looks like either a bite wound or an anal gland abscess. Either way, the area needs to be cleaned with a mild soap and water and she needs antibiotics. I would take her to the vet to have the area checked and they can start her on medications. Good luck and kisses to Chessie!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Cali. Unfortunately this cannot avoid a vet visit. This will be very painful to her, and there are no OTC pain medications you can give her. Many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. She really should see a vet for this for pain medication, but to also make sure her tail isn't broken. Please take her into a vet now. Best of luck.

Unfortunately, treatment is antibiotics and cleaning of the wound, so she will need to be handled to do so. If you cannot handle her, and she is a stray, it is best to contact your local animal control or shelter so they can safely catch her, sedate her, and treat her with a long-acting antibiotics and wound care.

Poor Lilo! You can try to gently clean the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do for her pain, many human pain medications are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. Do not let her back outside, and keep her in a small, quiet room to herself so she can hopefully relax. Put food, water, and a litter box in this room. I would suggest putting an Ecollar on her to keep her from licking at the wound and making it worse. You can get one at a pet store, or I can put a link below on how to make one at home. Definitely have her seen by a vet as soon as possible. Best of luck! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M

I am so sorry to hear that Felicia had this wound on her leg. I am sure it is very unsettling for you both. From the pictures you have provided it looks as though the wound may be deeper than appears, and thus may require a trip to the veterinarian. The wound appears to have been caused by a puncture, such as a bite, or perhaps if Felicia got caught In a Fence. These types of puncture wounds are often deeper and have caused more tissue damage then can be visualised from the surface. I bet would start by examining Felicia, and the wound itself. The wound would be cleaned and disenfected, the vet may need to sedate Felicia to debris even the wound, if necrotic or unhealthy tissue is present. The vet may chose to surgically close the wound with sutures or leave it open to drain and heal wiith scar tissue. The vet may also prescribe pain relief, anti-inflammatory medictaions and antibiotics to treat a possible infection, or prevent one. I would advise the seeing the vet within the next 24 hours. In the meantime you can continue keep Felicia as calm and rested as possible, and do not use any over the counter medications without the direct advice from your vet. I hope that this answer was helpful, and more importantly that Felicia feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

It's difficult to tell how bad this is, because there is a lot of hair in the way. If it's really deep or wide, then it's best to have a vet evaluate it for possible stitches. It's best to have the wound seen sooner rather than later, because the wound can become contaminated if left for too long. It's not an emergency, but if you think it looks like a deep or wide wound, then most vet offices open around 7-8AM and usually have drop-off appointments for these sorts of things. Here's what to do in the meantime: 1) Clip the hair (if possible) around the area and expose all of the sore skin. 2) Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least once a day. 3) Bandage the wound with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream (i.e Neosporin) to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping Matilda from licking it will be the most difficult part of the treatment. You can help keep the bandage on by placing a good (really sticky) tape below the bandage. You can find sprays in the pet store, like bitter apple, that are meant to deter licking. This can be sprayed on the bandage (not the wound) to help keep Matilda from chewing it off. NOTE: Be careful not to bandage too tight or it can cut-off the circulation. If you notice that the end of the tail starts to swell, then remove the bandage and leave it off until the swelling goes down. I hope that helps and Matilda gets better soon.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. First of all, you need to stop Biscuit from licking the wounds. Head cone usually works best. You should clean the wounds with warm, boiled water twice a day until they scab up. If Biscuit becomes lethargic, off food or you notice that the wounds are hot to touch, painful or swollen, you will need to take her to your local vets.