Should my dog's wound get antibiotics or can I treat it at home?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor girl! This actually look more like a scab from some mild trauma. While I do not see evidence of a bite in that picture, that is still possible and an examination would be needed to determine that for sure. Because it is small and mild, I think it would be ok to treat at home. You may apply a thin film of triple antibiotic ointment on the affected area twice daily for 5 days. If this does not improve or resolves, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. There is a very good chance that this will improve quickly. However, if you notice any signs of worsening, like severe swelling, have her evaluated. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Superficial wounds around the face are usually treated with topical antibiotics (creams or ointments) or antibiotics tablets. Larger wounds need to be stitched up, but if the would you found is not fresh, most likely your vet would not want to stitch it up. Please, clean the would twice a day with 4% chlorhexidine solution (you can buy it at pharmacies) for a few days and it will hopefully heal up. However, if it starts to bother Aimee or becomes painful you will have to take her to your nearest vets possibly to get a course of antibiotics.

This is a large and deep wound that should have been surgically closed. It is going to take a very long time to close on its own without surgery. You will have to keep it clean and prevent him from licking or rubbing it. Amoxicillin is not a very good antibiotic for preventing infection in a wound such as this. If it begins to have drainage, odor, etc. I would highly recommend getting a different and more appropriate antibiotic. I’m not sure how old the wound is, but it does look like you have kept it relatively clean. It would be a good idea to get the hair away from the wound edges if possible. This will probably require weeks of wound management in order for it to heal. Thank you 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. Based on the photo you provided, it appears as though Stitch has an abrasion that may be secondarily infected. It does not look very deep based on the photo. If you are unable to get to a veterinarian to have this looked at right away, you can use a diluted solution of betadine and saline (mixed together until you have a light brown liquid) and use this to clean the abrasion of any contaminants. Once clean, you can then use a topical cream such as Sentry Topical Wound cream (applied to the area twice daily until resolved) found at your local Petco. I would also recommend that you use a plastic cone around his head to help prevent him from rubbing his head, which would further worsen the area. If this does not improve or it worsens, I would then recommend having a veterinarian examine Stitch so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns ad I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A small skin abrasion or hot spot like you are describing may require topical antibiotics to heal. If it does not resolve or worsens, I would recommend she be evaluated by her regular veterinarian. In the meantime, I would keep it clean and if you have grooming clippers try to carefully shave the fur in that area to allow it to heal (do not use scissors!). Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a fairly superficial wound at least based on this picture. However, it would still be a good idea to have him evaluated by a veterinarian to look at it more closely in case it is deeper than what it looks like. Also, these can be painful and can get infected so your veterinarian could potentially start antibiotics and pain control medications. If superficial, these wounds tend to respond well to therapy and heal relatively quickly. Good luck and have a good night!

Thank you for providing pictures of Zephyr's wound! It looks like there may be some scab formation already on the wound, so I would leave it be for now. My concern is that there are some areas on the wound that look a little red and I would have it checked out by a vet on Monday to be safe. The wound could be infected, and she would need antibiotics to treat it if it is. Keep her from licking at the wound by putting an Ecollar on her. You can get one at a pet store or you can make one at home: http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html I hope this helps!