My dog's genital area has painful, infected wounds. What should I do?

Oh my. I would definitely recommend an oral antibiotic prescribed by your vet and then a cream such as Silver Sulfadiazene. This is a deep pyoderma infection, so it requires both topical and oral antibiotics. I hope that Luna's skin infection clears up soon! Best wishes and take care.

Ouch! Poor Dylan! This looks like a little local infection that he has been licking. I would place an e-collar I him to prevent licking. You can clean it with mild soap and water. And I would also put some neosporin on it twice a day. If it is not improving in the next day or two then I would definitely take him in to see your veterinarian for an exam. Your vet will be able to prescribe some oral anabiotics and some stronger topical medicine if needed. If at any point he is not eating or is lethargic then I would also take him to your vet. I hope this helps!

Hello. The area is definitely irritated & probably infected. Clean the area with a skin antiseptic, one with either chlorhexidine or benzoyl peroxide as the main ingredient. If Wangu is licking the area, pick up an Elizabethan cone or collar to wear so he cannot reach the spot. Do not administer any medications until your vet has had a chance to examine the area. To help with pain & discomfort, take a bag of frozen vegetables like peas, wrap in a tea towel & hold against the area for 10 minutes several times during the day. The cold will numb the area giving him some relief. Once your vet sees this, I am sure he will start antibiotics & possibly advise other treatments. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This presentation could be due to a trauma initially or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). For sure there is an over infection due to scratching or licking. A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. 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.

Oh my. Poor guy. This infection is severe. I would have cultures taken of this skin immediately if the broad spectrum antibiotics that your vet gave aren't working. I would also consider getting biopsies of this thing. The area may need surgical debridement as well, because there is some diseased and necrotic (dead) tissue there that will prevent this from healing well if it isn't removed. I am so sorry your pet has such an aggressive skin condition. This certainly will need further medical management from your vet for sure. With the suggestions above, you should be able to get a better handle on this thing. Best of luck and take care!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bree and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. I agree, that sore looks very painful and sore, and I'm concerned it could be infected. This should not be treated at home. I would take her into a vet immediately to get this treated. If it is infected, the vet can prescribe antibiotics. Please take her into a vet now. Best of luck.

From the pictures, the skin appears red and inflamed. It does look like it is infected. While this may not be a true emergency, I would recommend getting in to see your veterinarian very soon. Pookie will need the area shaved and cleaned up. Your vet may prescribe an antibiotic for this as well depending. Until you can get to your vet, you can keep the area clean and dry and use a mild soap and water to clean the wound. If Pookie is licking it, you can put on ECollar on her to prevent licking.