My senior dog has maggots. Can I treat them at home safely?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be happening secondary to a severe infection. This requires therapy as soon as possible for the maggots and the likely underlying infection. This is not something you can get over the counter and this requires a visit to a veterinarian for further assessment and local and systemic therapy. Have a great day!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m sorry to hear about Snuffy, he sounds like he has a really infected wound that is painful. If he is not eating and has lost control of his bowels, it may be time to think about his quality of life. I know veterinary visits can be expensive, and he would likely require an extensive amount of care to get better. In this case, it sounds like opting for humane euthanasia would be a viable option for him, to eliminate his suffering. I’m very sorry; I hope this is helpful.

Capstar will kill maggots, but the maggots will continue to come back since they are caused by flies laying eggs in a necrotic wound. The maggots are not the issue here, the wound is the problem, and it should be addressed first with a vet.

These maggot wounds are treatable, but turpentine and Betadine won't kill them all and will actually make the wound worse. They are best killed with camphor powder, but the maggots need to be pulled out from in the wound, or they will cause a severe infection. In order to pull them out, the dog often needs to be sedated. For this and other wound treatment, I highly recommend you take him to a vet doctor. For now, you should flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with normal, clean, warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate this and will try to run away. I recommend having someone help you with this and holding Brando to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound and a bandage. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. I hope that helps and Brando gets better soon.

I'm so sorry to hear that! I am very concerned that the tissue under the skin (connective tissue, muscle, etc) is becoming "necrotic" meaning that tissue is dying. I am also concerned there may still be a maggot issue, as the area is spreading (you said there is a new wound forming). She needs to be evaluated by a vet, and it will probably be necessary to have surgery to debride (cut away/remove) the unhealthy tissue. She will need antibiotics as well. Please take her to a vet who can care for her. Unfortunately there really is not a home solution that is going to be effective. Best of luck with her, I'm sorry I can't recommend a way for you to treat this at home.

The pictures are not very clear but I would be afraid with a deep wound that maggots may be present which can be life threatening. If at all possible a vet visit would be recommended. If absolutely unavailable, bathing the area with 3% hydrogen peroxide can help flush maggots out. I would bathe all of him with a mild shampoo and cool water to remove as much sanitiser as possible. I would alsorecommendan oral flea preventionsuchas simparica or bravecto. If he develops a fever, antibiotics will be required.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From this picture at least it almost looks like maggots or some kind of worm. This type of infestation can be seen with necrotic wounds or an underlying infection of some sort. It may be something else like a growth but it is hard to tell just based on a picture. An examination would help tremendously in being able to tell these apart. Maggots will actively move while a growth would not. I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If these are maggots, your veterinarian will likely choose to clean that area further and get rid of them. Good luck!