My 6-month-old puppy has a wound. Should I take him to the vet?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You should take Murphy to your local vets for an appointment as this wound should be clipped, cleaned, flushed and potentially stitched up under sedation. It would take a very long time to heal if the wound was treated with antibiotics only. The symptoms of infection usually develops in the first 24hrs and include fever, discharge, swelling and pain around the wound.

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.

This is a large and deep wound that should have been surgically closed. It is going to take a very long time to close on its own without surgery. You will have to keep it clean and prevent him from licking or rubbing it. Amoxicillin is not a very good antibiotic for preventing infection in a wound such as this. If it begins to have drainage, odor, etc. I would highly recommend getting a different and more appropriate antibiotic. I’m not sure how old the wound is, but it does look like you have kept it relatively clean. It would be a good idea to get the hair away from the wound edges if possible. This will probably require weeks of wound management in order for it to heal. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a fairly superficial wound at least based on this picture. However, it would still be a good idea to have him evaluated by a veterinarian to look at it more closely in case it is deeper than what it looks like. Also, these can be painful and can get infected so your veterinarian could potentially start antibiotics and pain control medications. If superficial, these wounds tend to respond well to therapy and heal relatively quickly. Good luck and have a good night!

It's a bit difficult to tell from these pictures, but it does appear deep and wide enough that it will need stitches. It's best to take him to a vet soon, because the wound will heal better the sooner it is cleaned and stitched. For now, you can flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate water getting near their face. I recommend having someone help you with holding Wish to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. Your vet will be able to advise further treatment after evaluating it. I hope that helps and Wish gets better soon.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Dexter. If the wound is not healing, I recommend that he sees his veterinarian early next week if he is otherwise acting normal. I cannot tell from the picture if there is a scab across the wound versus material that can be expressed out of the opening. If you can express material out, he could have a ruptured cyst. These are common small growths on or within the skin of a dog. They can rupture open though and become infected. Based on his exam, the veterinarian will decide if he needs any medication. In the meantime, do not let him lick or scratch the area. I hope this information helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about Noddy. That wound is in a tough location. You should ideally have that seen by a veterinarian so that they can start treatment for it. It will likely need more than a spray to heal. Given it’s location, it may take several weeks to months to heal completely. There also seems to be a draining tract which should be explored for any potential foreign material. Hope this helps and best of luck.