My dog has cellulitis. How long until his infected leg fully heals?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would agree that if Trick is not getting better by then it would be very important to have him evaluated by your veterinarian. The main reason is that cellulitis needs to be treated and re-evaluated promptly as these lesions can worsen very easily and it is always better to be cautious. Good luck!

I am sorry to hear about Scooby. It is difficult to say how long it might take for swelling to go down because we do not know the cause. We can have swelling due to an abscess, cellulitis, edema (fluid buildup in the leg), a tumor or mass, trauma and development of a seroma or hematoma, or swelling due to a fracture. If the swelling is still present I would consider additional testing such as an x-ray of the leg, or ultrasound of the leg. If the vet is fairly certain it is due to infection then it could take longer than 4 days for the swelling to resolve but he may need to continue the antibiotics longer.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Dudley. It can take a while for antibiotics to make a difference. I would continue with the medication as prescribed. If you have seen absolutely no improvement by tomorrow, then he should see his veterinarian again. There can be other causes for a swollen leg aside from infection. Vasculitis, for example, is possible. However, it is always important to start antibiotics first as other medications could make an infection worse if not treated. These can be challenging cases! I hope this information helps!

It seems your vet did and prescribed all what was necessary as a first approach. How long has been on treatment for? It might be too early to see any improvement though. Difficult to guess any possible cause other than a traumatic injury without seeing at least a picture of it. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That wound looks deep. I don't know if oral antibiotics and topical medications will be enough to treat them. This wound may take weeks to heal but oral antibiotics will not be necessary the entire time. I recommend taking Cutie to a vet to explore the wound and see if surgical repair is a better treatment option. Also, not all oral antibiotics are treated the same so the ones you are using may not be beneficial for this wound. A vet can help determine the best treatment. Good luck and kisses to Cutie!

Hello. It appears that Bruno has a pretty significant & chronic inflammatory reaction going on in his skin. I would suspect that this may require oral medications rather than topical ointments or creams, but knowing how long this might take to clear up really depends on the underlying cause. If he has a bacterial infection, treatment can last 6-8 weeks, a fungal infection, 2-4 months, & if this is due to an allergic reaction, unless you pursue a desensitization protocol, treatment is lifelong. It is best to have your veterinarian examine Bruno to determine the best course of action. If your vet is unable to help, ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. Hopefully with time, Bruno will go great. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You will first need to determine the type of infection. A recheck with your veterinarian would be recommended. Samples can be submitted for fungal culture as well as for bacterial culture and sensitivity. If it is a fungal infection, your vet can dispense an antifungal. Some of these infections can take weeks t months to resolve. If it is a bacterial infection, the sensitivity panel should determine the most effective antibiotic to use in treatment. Allergies should also be ruled out as an underlying cause. They can be frustrating to diagnose since they have multiple causes (food, environmental, parasites). Discuss allergy testing, food elimination trials, hydrolyzed diets and antihistamine use with your veterinarian. Legally, we are prohibited from recommending a medication in the absence of a physical exam. Any prescription medications will need to come from your vet.