My dog has open wounds on his back. Should I clean or bandage them?

Poor Bubba! I would gently clean his wounds with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep him from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on him. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep the wounds clean and dry, and monitor them for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it.

Ouch! In some cases where wounds are on areas that can't be closed by suturing or are constantly being agitated, keeping the wound covered to prevent increasing infection/debris from entering the wound may be needed. I've seen success with using manuka honey for treating large infected wounds and increasing healing, (usually with bandage changes every 12-24 hours) as well as using hydrocolloid bandages that protect the area by acting as a sort of skin barrier, allowing the wound to breathe but continue to heal/allow for new tissue growth underneath without allowing debris into it. There is also progress being made with using fish-skin bandages to create another fake skin barrier and allow healing underneath. If you're not currently, I'd recommend speaking with a veterinary dermatologist who can better instruct you in these procedures and monitor progress over time.

He needs to be taken to the vet as it looks infected, he will need a course of antibiotics, i don't think this will require stitching but a bandage with a local cream may also be needed to help it heal faster.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Takoda! I would try to shave all the fur away from the area and check closely for other wounds. Then clean the skin with water and a mild soap. Avoid hydrogen peroxide as it can damage the skin. Then apply a triple antibiotic ointment twice daily. If there is a large full thickness gash or puncture it is best to have Takoda seen by a Vet to see if surgery is warranted or oral antibiotics. I hope this helps and I wish Takoda the best!

Poor guy. Bite wounds often are left open in small areas to allow the infection to drain out before it then heals over by 2nd intention healing. I would only suggest covering this with a loose t-shirt for now. As long as there are no signs of infection (yellow or purulent discharge with a foul odor) and no large gaping openings (typically >2 cm), then it should be ok to wait until Monday to get him checked again by your vet. Based on the picture I don't see any majorly open wounds there. You can safely flush this area with sterile saline from your local pharmacy to help keep infection at bay since the wounds are slightly open. But again, dog bite woulds can be left often for the first few days to allow draining to occur before things heal up on their own with granulation tissue that the body will make itself. I do hope that Aussie's wounds heal up well soon! Best of luck moving forward and take care.

It may be helpful to remove the hair from this area and keep it clean and dry. It could be a resistant faction or even something like a fungus. If removing the hair and he didn't clear and dry is not helpful then Bear needs to be seen by a veterinarian.

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.