Why does my older dog have a dark, metallic-smelling sore on his tail?

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.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately this lump looks like a mass and should be tested through your vet. Due to the fact that it has ulcerated, I would highly consider having it surgically removed entirely and then sent off for analysis so that we can determine what kind of mass it is, cancerous or non-cancerous. I hope that you get to the bottom of this mass soon with your vet. Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If these are Benign cysts, the best course of action if they are causing him discomfort is to have them removed. They may be able in this case to remove the tissue around it so that it stops bothering him. Another alternative is to treat it medically with antibiotics. I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the picture, I suspect that this is a pustule that ruptured and crusted over. This could be due to a localized skin infection or this could be a fungal infection such as ringworm. The vomiting is likely unrelated so I would not worry about that as long as he is improved. For the skin, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine the area so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. A topical and / or oral medication may be needed for treatment. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. About 99/100 times if a dog comes to the vet clinic with something like this they also have fleas. If you don't have him on a good flea prevention then he is likely scratching this location due to fleas. I do think I see some "flea dirt" in the photo. I strongly recommend you get him to the vet for an exam. If he has fleas you need to get a good prescription flea prevention. Also, this type of lesion almost always needs oral antibiotics and some type of oral antiinflammatory to stop the itch cycle for it to heal. As long as he keeps scratching it, it will not heal no matter what you apply topically. If you choose to try and treat it yourself at home, you can use this hot spot spray gel 3- 4 times per day. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/3-oz-3-fl-oz-hot-spot-antimicr-2877113 ) You will also need to get some dog boots to put on his back feet so if he tries to scratch the area it won't continue to traumatize the skin. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/search?query=dog%20boots ) If you do this at home for about 5-7 days and there is no improvement or it looks worse at any time then he needs to see the vet. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jack. He will need to see his veterinarian this week. The wound will likely be cleaned and the surrounding hair shaved to further evaluate it. Regardless of the cause, he will likely require antibiotics. In the meantime prevent him from scratching the area. You may check his ears as well. Some dogs with ear infections will cause self trauma from scratching itchy ears. Check for any redness or debris in the ears. I hope this information helps!

Any lumps/bumps/sores that you notice on your dog should be checked out by your vet. They are usually one of three things: * abscess (infection) * cyst * cancer There is no way I can tell you what it is via the internet especially without examining her myself. At her age I would be very worried about a tumor.