Found a stray puppy with something in its leg. What should I do?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could potentially be due to trauma, infectious or neurological. If you are able to, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do without know for sure what this could be. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. You could take him in your house and make sure he is cage rested in case this is an injury and see how he does with cage rest.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can rest her as much as possible to try to prevent further injury. Aside from that, she should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible to check if there are any fractures and to see what would be the best therapeutic step for her. At the very least pain medications can be started right away. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Apple! Apple needs to be examined by a Vet to be sure no bones are broken. He should be evaluated to see if he needs antibiotics and since he is in pain appropriate and safe pain medications. We can not prescribe medications on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach we can only offer advice. It is against the law to diagnose and prescribe drugs because we are unable to examine the pet which is required to have a valid Veterinary-Client patient relationship. I hope this helps and I wish Apple the very best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sounds terrifying, but that isn't a normal parasite of dogs and I think it was just a bug that got on her in the car or outside. I think she will be fine! I wish you the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to an ear condition such as ear infection or ear mites for instance making him itch and cause self-trauma. However, this could also be something like allergies. This cannot be diagnosed just based on a picture and would require a veterinary evaluation. I recommend you consider taking him to a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. The issue could be identified and treated. Good luck and have a great day!

She does seem to have a lot of scarring around her neck. My guess would be from fighting. The wound with the hole in it looks to be like it was (or is) from a cuterebra (skin parasite). Without examining her myself I don't know that for sure but that is what it looks like. The parasite may or may not be in there. https://www.doghealth.com/parasites/cuterebra-infestations-in-dogs The skin protruding out of her is the vulva and it appears normal to me. I suggest you get her to a vet if you are planning to keep her. She may need treatment for the wound. She probably needs vaccines and if she is not spayed (fixed) she needs that as well. I would suggest you have the vet scan her for a microchip to see if she actually belongs to someone. Hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to post again.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Olive is most likely having some inflammation between her toes from what you are saying. At her age, the most likely causes would be a penetrating foreign body or an insect/spider bite. If it is a foreign body penetration, it would most likely be something such as a sand bur, fox tail, or a piece of something sharp which can occasionally be stuck in the skin. Without being able to see it in-person, it is difficult to say for sure if this is the case or not, so I would recommend having Olive examined by a veterinarian to determine the correct course of action. I recommend not allowing her to lick at the spot as it will cause the inflammation to worsen and not do anything to help. She will likely need an e-collar to prevent her from licking the spot, something the vet can help you with when you go. Hope this helps!