My dog has a bleeding, circular wound on his forehead. What is it?

This looks like a typica skin wart/skin tumor or cyst. Since it has been present for so long and has not grown at all, it is probably benign (non cancerous). It looks as if the area has been irritated somehow, probably by your dog scratching at it, and is now bleeding and may be infected. Or, if it is a cyst, the white material may just be cystic exudate. I would recommend cleaning the area with some dilute hydrogen peroxide then applying some antibiotic ointment to help prevent infection and to help it heal more quickly. Occasionally these need to be removed but only if they are a constant source of irritation or infection for the dog. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Given his age, the most likely problem is something such as an infection from a penetrating foreign body. There could be something still stuck below his skin if this is the case. Other possibilities include a bot fly larva or even a tumor of some kind. I would recommend having him seen by a veterinarian as soon as you can to have it checked and addressed. Hope this helps!

This presentation could be due to a trauma (bite wound) and/ or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be continued at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths (twice daily). I would recommend to shave fur around the wound (clippers are best as if you do it with scissors you may injury him) to be able to clean the area best as possible. After cleaning you can dry it up and apply any cream containing zinc oxide (like sudocream). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I cannot help you discovering how it got there unfortunately, it could be a trauma to the head, a fight wound, an infection or a self inflicted wound. keep an eye on it in the next few days, you can put an antiseptic cream on it twice a day if you want, if it seems to be getting worse- take him to the vet in order to get it checked and treated.

If this just appears to be a crusted area and is not raised, it is possible this was an insect bite that got irritated or a small scratch/wound. If the lesion is raised (I can't really tell from the appearance) then we sometimes get warty skin growths that can get traumatized and bleed/crust over. I would wash the area with a mild soap or Hibiclens (available at most drug stores) and apply a topical antibiotic like Polysporin or Neosporin a few times day. If she is scratching/rubbing at the area she may need an e-collar for a few days to stop self-trauma. If the lesions isn't improving after several days of this or it starts to get larger/other spots appear then these would be reasons to seek veterinary care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like it could be a sebaceous cyst that got infected and ruptured. These are benign but sometimes they do keep opening and become bothersome to the pet until you surgically remove them. That being said, in a dog of this age, I always recommend seeing your vet for a closer inspection and a needle aspirate if needed- just to make sure it’s something benign. For now, I recommend an E-collar for Hank so that he can lick/chew at it. Then clean the wound with some hydrogen peroxide. Best wishes to you and Hank!

You can continue disinfection at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily for the next 4 days. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. It is best not bandage as the healing will be much quicker. If the lesion do not resolve in 4 days time a check up will be needed as antibiotics may be required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.