Puppy cellulitis: Will outbreaks stop? Hair regrow? Can I breed her?

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What you are describing sounds like scar tissue, but I would have to see it to be sure. Scars will not grow hair, but tend to get smaller and less visible with time. Puppies will heal better than adult dogs, so the scar should be much less obvious within a couple of months. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to encourage hair growth in this area if it is a scar. It's also possible that the lump is due to a deep infection. If the lump grows, appears red, or starts to ooze fluid, then it's best to take her to the vet for an exam. I hope that helps and all is well with your pup.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The initiation of the healing process is the formation of a scab. It will eventually fall off and the hair grow back if this was just a simple infection. If you do not find any discharge and it does not smell bad, this is likely healing so it would be best to not take the scab off. Good luck and have a great day!

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 would agree that it appears their is an infection on the skin, but I could not say for sure if this is a Staph infection. These are somewhat common to the skin, but without a culture of the affected region we are truly just taking a best guess. If the condition seemed to resolve and is now coming back, the course of antibiotics that was utilized may have been successful but too short. Recommencing the antibiotics should be discussed with the veterinarian. I would also see about getting her on medication for the itchiness, as well as fitting her with a collar to prevent any self-mutilation. Another possibility is that we are simply dealing with a superficial puppy pyoderma. This is a fancy way of saying simply puppy skin irritation. Many times these can be annoying but will eventually resolve on their own as the dog gets older. Since you are seeing erupting lesions, I tend to lean more towards a true, treatable infectious process. Lastly, I would definitely stop using hydrogen peroxide. Although it may have antiseptic properties, this can actually delay healing in some cases. If you want to scrub the area, I would use something like dilute betadine or chlorhexidine solution. Hope this helps!

If it is a local demodex and resolves fully, you can likely still breed her. However, if she does not respond well to treatment or continues to have it as an adult I would not breed her. I hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for your request. This presentation is likely to be due to a mild bacterial skin infection. Disinfection with hibiscrub diluted 1:10 with water used twice daily would help to clean those spots. Common bacteria that live on dogs skin are responsible for these signs so, although they can be transmitted to other dogs, I would not take her away from the puppies.