Why are my dog's hard sores oozing a very smelly discharge?

Ouch! That sore does look pretty large, and if you suspect it was food-allergy related, switching back to his other food (or a different bag) is a good idea. I would continue to keep it as clean and dry as possible, and if it's not healing, or has already been there several days, bring Bear into your vet. Your vet can carefully trim the hair in the area to see how large the sore is, thoroughly clean it, and provide you with antibiotics and pain meds as needed to help the area heal and Bear feel more comfortable. In the meantime, keeping the area clean and dry, keeping Bear from rubbing or pawing at it with an E-collar or T-shirt, and keeping the site monitored is best.

Thank you for your question. From your photo, it appears that Bear has a small skin infection. I recommend cleaning it with warm soapy water. You can carefully trim the hair around the lesion to make it easier to clean. Since you just noticed this, it is hard to say if it is something that has been there and is healing, or if it will get worse. I recommend keeping it clean through the weekend and using a cone or e-collar to keep Bear from licking the area. You can apply a triple antibiotic ointment once or twice a day. If it isn't getting better, you should call your veterinarian on Monday to have it evaluated and see if antibiotics are needed. Make sure you wash your hands after you have touched the wound. I hope this information helps, and that Bear heals quickly.

Hello, thank you for your question about Bear. Based on Bear's relatively young age and the photo that you have provided I would be suspicious that Bear is experiencing a mild bacterial or viral infection in this area. Puppies are often more susceptible to viruses such as the papilloma virus more than adult dogs, this virus typically forms cauliflower like growths in/around the mouth, but certain forms can be more mild and not lead to these signs. It is possible that Bear has a bacterial infection, these are usually fairly benign and self limiting. Another possibility is that Bear is experiencing sensitivity or an allergy to something in his environment leading to this lesion. Some dogs are very sensitive to certain types of food bowls or toys, and can develop these lesion secondary to this. I would recommend having Bear evaluated by your veterinarian so that they can examine the lesion and Bear's mouth. They can discuss the need for additional diagnostics such as an impression smear or gentle sampling of the area. Depending on these findings they can then make recommendations for necessary treatments such as antibiotics. Hope this helps, good luck!

That heavy discharge generally indicates infection. Your pup will heal the fastest if he goes in to see his doctor. The doctor may give him a systemic antibiotic or may only give him topicals if the lesion is very small. Sometimes these pets can be itchy as well and will get medication for that too. You definitely want to make sure that he cannot itch or lick at that area as it will make it worse. The doctor will also shave the hair as it needs to be exposed to the air to dry up. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This is very concerning and appears to be a moist dermatitis, likely caused by a bacterial infection. Your dog needs to be seen by a veterinarian asap for an exam, clean up of the lesion which includes shaving the hair off all the way into healthy areas of the skin to see the extent, a possible skin swab and, depending on the diagnosis, prescription antibiotics in tablet or ointment form.

I hate to hear that Bear is having this issue. The sores aren’t likely there from licking but certainly the licking doesn’t help anything. Trauma from rubbing the nose, ringworm (which humans can get) and less likely, an autoimmune condition can all look like this. It looks pretty wide spread on his nose and I recommend to have him seen by his veterinarian to test for make sure there’s no sign of an autoimmune disease. The doctor may recommend to test the lesions as well. Hopefully it’s something that will clear up quickly! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It could be an allergic dermatitis and/or a bacterial skin infection. You could bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo and clean that area with an antiseptic wound cleaner to see if that helps. Otherwise he will need to be examined by a veterinarian for treatment. Your vet can prescribe an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, and/or other medications to help treat the problem.