My dog's tail is raw and irritated after bath, what should I do?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Oh that’s not good! It’s quite concerning the skin is exposed, and it may be infected. You did the right thing by putting a cone on him. I would have him seen by a vet on Monday for this issue. Best of luck.

Poor Tiger. Wash the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep him from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on him. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it.

Tail wounds are difficult to heal. You are doing a good job but need to place her in a cone to stop the licking and chewing. The wound can’t heal with constant irritation. I also would check her for fleas to make sure that isn’t the reason she started the chewing, and also you may want to have her anal sacs checked since if they are full they can cause itching in this area. Your veterinarian can also prescribe medication to control the itch and inflammation and antibiotics if they feel the area is infected. Be patient and continue with your treatment and this will heal in time. A tail amputation is a serious surgery and she would probably chew the incision and make a sore so you wouldn’t be any better off than you are now. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Leia.

Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further licking or chewing. Sometimes, there can be some clipper burn after a grooming which can cause some irritation. The image attach shows what appears to be a small mass or lump. To determine what it is, you will need to have Pepper physically examined by your veterinarian. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. In the meantime, the cone may be enough to allow for healing. Your vet can dispense antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatories if indicated.

Yes, place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent chewing or licking. The cone should extend at least 2" from the tip of her nose to be effective. You can remove it at mealtimes, just watch her closely and replace as soon as she is done eating. Keep the area clean and dry as well. You can use a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution for daily cleaning. Keep it well padded to prevent trauma if she bangs it against objects when wagging.

Hello. Unfortunately, unless you can get to the bottom of the problem, these type conditions can be very difficult to cure. Bandaging while wearing a Elizabethan cone can help for a while, & if it can heal, the problem may be solved. But if this a recurrent injury, allergy, neurologic or even a compulsive-obsessive behavior, treatments are often a bit more complex involving long term medication & sometimes even amputation of most of the tail. The first thing the tail needs is antibiotics as the tail does look infected. I think you really need to see your veterinarian with Ramces to see why this has happened & what is the right direction to go in to heal things up. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Barrett so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. It sounds as though he is dealing with severe allergies and needs relief. There are multiple medications that can help with allergies. You should also consider the below products to aid in relieving the discomfort associated with a potential allergy: 1. Douxo PS Calm shampoo (found online) 2. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules (found online or at your local Petco) 3. Pramosoothe spray (can be found online) I hope these help! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.