My dog's bandaged tail wound is leaking. Is it blood or infection?

Aww poor Beau! The good news is that this tail looks pretty good to me. I can’t say for certain without looking at it but this could be normal healthy granulation tissue filling in his wound/surgery site. It could possibly be a small suture reaction or incision infection. If you can keep Beau from licking it (E collar), you can apply a triple antibiotic cream (Neosporin, etc) once or twice daily. Do not bandage the tail. Best of luck and hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. From the pictures, it appears as though there is a solitary reddened lesion on the skin. This could be a wound or an infection. I would recommend cleaning this using a solution of diluted betadine and water (mix until a light brown color) and monitor for signs of worsening. If the area does not resolve or it worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine the area so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made.

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.

I'm sorry Samantha's tail was slammed in a dog! First off, you did exactly the right thing by taking her into the vet. The problem with tail wounds is that dogs wag their tails, putting the wound at risk of opening back up. If Samantha is wagging her tail, that's probably why you are still seeing a bit of blood. If it's only a bit of blood, then I wouldn't be concerned. If it's a lot of blood, I would be concerned, and then you should take her back into your vet. It's impossible to get a dog to stop wagging their tail, so I recommend putting a bandage over the wound where it's bleeding in an effort to stop the bleeding. Don't put the bandage on so tight that it restricts blood flow to the tail. Samantha may want to bite and chew at the bandage, so I would get an Ecollar from the pet store to prevent her from doing that.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bo! I swelling below the wound can be from inflamed and thickened tissues, from the bandage being too tight, from fluid build up under the skin (seroma) or infection (abscess). Ideally Bo should be seen by your Vet. If you can't do that then warm compress the area twice daily and if it doesn't resolve in a few days have him seen. I wish Bo the best!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is very hard to say if the wound is infected or not without examining your dog in full. In general, infected wounds are discharging, smelly, hot and painful to touch. Many dogs with infected wounds are generally unwell. A visit at your local vets is recommended to assess the wound and decide on the best treatment for Oreo. I suspect he may be prescribed an antibiotic cream or ointment to speed up healing.

It’s hard to say if he tail is infected since it just looks crusty now with the treatment. It does look swollen. Test it for pain or being able to feel heat as this can indicate infection. If that is detected, try to get him into the veterinarian ASAP. Applying sterile petroleum jelly can also help condition the skin and promote healing. The biggest component is to prevent more trauma. He ears do not appear red or seem to have an excessive amount of debris so I would say that look normal to me. Definitely keep an eye on the ears for redness, odor or shaking the head as this indicates a problem. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.