My dog has a worsening scab. When should I take him to the vet?

It is never wrong to have something checked out to be on the safe side. That said, if the scab is superficial and there is now swelling around it then I think it would be ok to monitor for 24 hours or so for any changes. If it gets larger, swollen, or tender to the touch then she should be seen as soon as possible. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Anytime there is an injury to the skin, a scab should form and should stay in place until the skin underneath is completely healed. If the area of Tula's scab was deep, it can take a while for the skin underneath to completely heal enough for the scab to fall off. If the area around the scab is red or oozing or the scabbed area is enlarging, then I would recommend having Tula examined by your veterinarian. Otherwise, it may just take a little longer to heal on its own. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Kato! This area could be the result of a variety of things, such as an insect bite, a wound that has becomes infected, an ingrown hair/area of folliculitis, and more. If Kato is acting normally otherwise, you can try cleaning the area with a mild soap and applying a topical antibiotic like neosporin to the area. If it is enlarging in size, if it starts to have a green or yellow discharge, if it isn't getting smaller over a few days, or if Kato starts having lethargy, decreased appetite, pain, or other lesions arise then a trip to the vet is recommended.

If he doesn't seem to be bothered by it, you could try to clean the area with an wound wash and see if that loosens up the scab. Shaving the hair with a pair of clippers may also help. If the scab persists and/or he has other lesions, then he should be examined and treated by a vet. He may need an antibiotic and allergy medications to help treat.

Ouch! That does look pretty irritated, so if it doesn't scab over or continues to look weepy, it's a good idea to have your vet take that look on Wednesday as it may need some anitbiotics. What you're doing at home currently is perfect! I'd continue to use the E-collar to prevent pawing at it, and keep the area clean and dry. You can use a clean compress to gently keep it clean so as to not cause more irritation by rubbing at it or accidentally bumping the scab as excessive cleaning may actually be slowing down the healing process. It should be fine to wait until Wednesday to have it looked at unless it massively swells up, becomes painful to the touch, or starts to ooze any cloudy or green discolored debris (all signs of infection).

Hello. If things are pretty static it is best just to leave the scab alone. Chances are at some point it will fall off. Most likely another scab will form & the process will repeat itself. The scab is somewhat protective, so I agree with your vet & leave the scab alone. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It looks like it was healing under the scab, however I am a little concerned about the area on the leg where this lesion is. THis is very close to the knee joint, which may mean that your dog had pain in this area and therefore was gnawing on it. I recommend you have this examined by your veterinarian a there may be a problem with his knee joint.