My nursing dog has a breast wound not healing. What should I do?

You can use a clean washcloth to gently remove any debris and keep the nipple clean. Monitoring the puppies and moving them to a different nipple when they try to nurse is also best to help the area heal. If it becomes infected, oozing debris, smelling, red and hot to the touch, etc, it needs to be seen by a vet to be more thoroughly cleaned and treated with antibiotics.

The black skin is dead tissue, and the hole underneath is the exposed mammary gland. Sometimes these types of mastitis can heal without surgery, but sometimes the dead tissue will need to be surgically removed to make it easier for the body to heal the wound. I would recommend that you have Daisy re-checked by a vet since this new wound appeared. I would usually start using special bandages on a wound like this to help remove remaining dead tissue and bacteria, include pain medications, and start hydrotherapy. Since these types of wounds can be very painful and irritating, Daisy should be wearing an e-collar 24-7 to avoid self-trauma.

It looks as if Fluffie has a pretty severe infection of her mammary glad. She will need antibiotics and possible a surgery to debride the dead tissue so it can heal. I’m sure this is painful and uncomfortable for her as well. I would recommend getting her to a vet as soon as possible.

Ouch, poor Omi! Gently wash the wound warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep her from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on her. 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 she will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

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.

I’m so sorry to hear that. Clean the wound now with water and mild soap. Get some saline wound wash (PLAIN SALINE) from a pharmacy and use the wound wash to thoroughly wash the wound twice a day. I would recommend that you use a [wound care product](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-pet-wound-and-skin-hydrogel) daily as well. It would be best to keep momma dog from licking it, and the only way to do that is to place an e-collar (cone) on the momma dog so she can’t reach to lick it. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything you can safely give over the counter for pain. Please do not give aspirin or any other baby formulated pain relievers. This wound is at high risk of getting infected, and at such a young age that could become very serious very quickly. I understand if you need to try to manage the wound at home for financial reasons, but if the skin around the wound is getting increasingly inflamed, or if the puppy isn’t eating or is acting lethargic, you need to try to arrange to get the puppy seen by a veterinarian somehow. Otherwise he could become septic and this could result in death. As long as the pup is eating, is vocal and alert, it is reasonable to manage as described at home, but please keep a very close eye on this puppy. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Poor pup! If the wound isn't healing, it's likely that it is infected and will need prescription antibiotics to treat it effective. Because of this, I would recommend taking your dog to the vet tomorrow morning for an exam - he/she can take a look at the wound and determine what is needed to treat it. In the meantime, if you're able to gently clip the hair and matted discharge from over the wound, this should be fine to do. You can also gently clean the area with some warm water and antibacterial soap. I would not recommend using peroxide, as this may sting and often causes additional tissue damage and irritation which can make healing more difficult.