Why aren't my dog's skin sores healing properly? What's the cause?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Krispy. I worry that he has a mass on his leg. If so, the skin will not heal unless the mass is surgically removed. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. In the meantime, place an E-collar on him to prevent any further self trauma. I hope this information helps!

Wounds on the skin can be caused by a number of things including injuries, parasites such as fleas or ticks, allergies, or even excessive licking. If Coco was licking the area a lot, it is possible that a hot spot has formed causing the wound you see. It is best to prevent him from licking the spot with the use of an Elizabethan (cone) collar. If the spot doesn't heal, worsens, more spots appear, or you see parasites or infection (pus, hot to touch, pain, etc), it is best to seek veterinary care.

These rashes and sores can be caused by various reasons such as fleas, ringworm, mites ,fungal infection, bacterial infection and allergies. the first 4 needs to be ruled out before we start treating for allergies. in order to do that first de-flea Canelo with a high quality flea treatment such as advantage spot on, if it doesn't help - take him to the vet in order to check for/treat the other possibilities. If everything is ruled out, then an allergy treatment can be started. Usually an hypoallergenic food is a good way to start together with anti histamines. if it doesn't help - the best solution is a medication called Apoquel which treats allergies with great success and without side effects.

Sores on the paws can occurr for many reasons. If it is a chronic issue, underlying allergies or a thyroid disorder are likely the issue. These conditions weaken the skin’s natural defenses and allow bacteria and yeast to set up opportunistic infections. The photo of Sammy‘s foot shows a round, pink lesion. It almost looks like some sort of a mass from the picture. I recommend to have Sammy visit his veterinarian to check that area out. If it is a mass, it should be aspirated as skin masses that look this way are suspicious for a cancerous skin growth called a mast cell tumor. However there are benign skin masses that look very similar as well. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bogart. The only thing at home you can try is having him wear an E-collar. This will prevent any licking causing further damage from self trauma. It may allow the skin to heal. If this is unsuccessful though, he will need to see a veterinarian. The area could be a mass on his leg (benign or cancerous) or he could have what is known as a lick granuloma. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for the question. If Admiral can wear a cone or e-collar, or a t-shirt to keep from licking the area it might have a chance to heal. As long as he keeps licking it, the healing will be slow. If it is not getting better in the next couple of days, he may need to go back in to see the vet for antibiotics. I hope it resolves quickly.

Yes, the bleeding from the sore is likely due to her licking at it. You can get an Ecollar from the pet store or you can make one at home to keep her from licking at it. You can also cut a shirt to fit her that may cover the sores and prevent her from licking at them. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html