Dogs have sudden open wounds needing vet care

“i came home from work today and when greeting my pets (as one does) i noticed that one of my dogs has something that looks like burns near her eyes. i can’t think of any explanation for it, but sometimes she tussles with one of the others, and we did have someone come to spray for ants today, but she was in her cage, it’s been the same bug guy for years, and none of the other dogs have it. pls help i dont have money for a vet right now. trying to attach a pic but i cant figure it out, might be a”

“Hello! My dog and I were on a run two days ago and she hit her leg on the curb. She is 45 lb, 3 yr old, Pitt mix. The wound is very small but seems relatively deep... (like 1/3 of a finger nail I'd say? 3-4mm?). She is not limping and I have not seen it bleed at all. Not sure if I can attach pictures but I'll try. Let me know what I should do and if a vet visit would be worth it!! Have been cleaning it with salt water and wrapping it when we go outside. submitted by /u/Dog_lv”

“My dog just came inside from being outside in the fence with her sister for a few minutes, and i saw a small red mark in between her toes. It looks like one puncture mark not two. When I tried to look at it she kept pulling her paw away and kept licking it. I know for certain she was digging while she was outside, because she had mud on her paws when she came inside. She might have a puncture wound her paw from the fence wire. She's not bleeding on her paw. She's not limping or acting le”

“Appeared about two days ago, has gotten progressively larger. Appointment first thing tomorrow. 15 pound miniature dachshund. https://imgur.com/a/B67sYNG • Species: dog • Age: 1 year 11 months • Sex/Neuter status: male not neutered • Breed: mini dachshund • Body weight: ≈15 pounds • History: n/a • Clinical signs: red spot on top of right paw has gotten significantly bigger in size over 48 hours • Duration: 2 days • Your general location: west coast / northern Cali submitted by /u/w0r”

“https://i.imgur.com/vzPDvhF.jpeg Hi all! My dog, border collie 5 years 20kg, has this wound on his front leg since months. We live in the country side, during the day he stays out, and he sleeps at home. It already happened that sometimes he had small wounds, but all of them healed normally. This one won't heal. There aren't other animals, I specify this just to say that the wounds are caused maybe from some sharp rocks or other similar things that can happen while he runs, not from figh”

“Hey all! Let me preface by saying that we already have a biopsy scheduled but just trying to get some ideas as to what this could be. Male aussiedoodle 1.5 y/o. I can't think of any specific event that would've cause this if its just trauma and he doesn't get bully/ chewing sticks typically. He is happy and playful as always with no signs of lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, or obvious signs of pain. His breath is very bad and he is licking himself more in general but not in a”

“Pit/terrior mutt got bit by my parents great dane, it was my dogs fault(my fault). He has a small lacerations on the loose skin of his neck from the bite. All the way through the skin.. It's smaller than a dime. There is a small amount of blood, but not pooling or dripping blood. Doesn't look like any tissue damage beyond the skin. I can touch it, he's unfazed. I want to wash it and take him in tomorrow cause all the vets are closed, im struggling financially. submitted by &#32”

“I don't know what to do about my dog; he has had a wound on his neck for weeks. At first, it was just a normal, small wound, but over time it hasn't healed on its own. Now it looks like a "crater"—reddish and occasionally oozing fluid. It doesn't seem to be pus or an infection as such, and he shows no signs of fever, pain when touched, lethargy, or anything like that. My dog ​​is a 13-year-old Labrador. My family doesn't have enough money, a vet maybe will do examens re”

“Our three year old Schnauzer has a strange looking nail. About three weeks ago, he had the nail next to this fall off while getting them trimmed at the Vet. Is this something that could have been overlooked when he was at the vet? We had to sedate him while our Vet trimmed the quick next to this nail. submitted by /u/Young_Clayvo [link] [comments]”

“My dog suddenly started whining early this morning. I noticed two small circular marks on his back leg that look like possible bite/puncture marks. They’re about 3 mm in diameter, closed and dry, with a pinkish color. There’s no bleeding or discharge, but the area feels warm( the whole body actually). He is limping/avoiding that back leg and repeatedly licking the spot. I’m worried that it could be from another animal or possibly a venomous/poisonous animal. I’m not sure when the marks happened,”

“My dog got bit in the face yesterday afternoon (about 12 hours ago). I’d say it was somewhere between a puncture and laceration type wound. We went to the vet ER and they cleaned it up, shaved the area, and gave us pain meds, rabies shot, and antibiotics. Since the bite my dog has not been able to relax and is constantly licking himself, the cone helps that but he even will lick the inside of the cone. And his breaths are pretty short and shallow compared to his normal breathing, he just seems s”

“My dog had a bump on his head that I think was a bite from a play session that went too far. It was small to start (maybe a dime size) but slowly began to get bigger (size of a nickel) as he began itching it. We started to put a donut on it so he couldn’t scratch but he still bumped it and the scab would reopen. It’s been about 3 weeks since I noticed the nickel scab and put the donut on. It’s the same-size scab but now there’s raised skin under the scab like it’s swollen. Could that be from the”

“Hey! My boys paw seems to be slightly cut. I don’t see any blood, or abrasions but it does look like a bit of a flap on his paw is showing. I just took him to the groomers so I’m wondering if it’s that or maybe something happened at the park. I included a picture. Not sure what to do, or if there is anything to do. I tried to add a picture, but it doesn’t seem like I can submitted by /u/PathExternal507 [link] [comments]”

“Last thursday we noticed a wound on Mario's (1.5 yo Dachshund male 10kg) cheek after he spend a few hours at friends place who owns a dog which Mario likes to scuffle with sometimes. Its a little swollen spot under his left eye/on the cheek. The hair is stuck together so its hard to see but +- 1/1.5 cm wilde. Our friend didnt notice anything happening between them but we decided to let it get checked if it needed to be cleaned or anything. The vet told us it was a superficial infection becau”

“my 3 month old golden bit me while she was having zoomies. she bit my arm and i got 2 scratches and they are bleeding but not flowing out. she is still not finished with her vaccines. should i be worried or not? i already washed it with antibacterial soap and put alcohol as first aid submitted by /u/Medium_Flower7456 [link] [comments]”

“My girlfriend’s chihuahua was bitten by another dog last night on the eye. We took her to an emergency vet where they did a dye test and an eye pressure test of some kind. They said there was no scratches or punctures to the eye, and prescribed anti biotic and anti inflammatory eye drops. This morning when we woke up her eye had a film, and puss/eye matter forming on the water line of her eye. We returned to the vet, where they did another dye test and assured us she is okay and to continue the”

“A little over a year ago, a swelling appeared on my dog ​​(a French Bulldog, 9 years old at the time); it was warm and painful to the touch, and the next day a wound opened up and pus began to drain. We took him to the vet, and they said it looked like an infection caused by a bite. We had actually acquired a chinchilla shortly before that, and it is possible the chinchilla bit him; we haven't let them in the same room together since. The vet expressed the pus, and we were given instructions”

“We took our dog to the vet on September 4 for a red eye and third eyelid showing. They did an exam/stain and prescribed Tobradex. We were on that for 10 days when they asked for updated photos - see photographs titled September 14th. They told me to stop the Tobradex and book a recheck for the mild third eye prolapse. The next day, this little growth peaked out . The recheck with the vet was today, and they think it’s a tumour and sent photos to a specialist. I have to wait a week to hear back.”

“Was snuggling my dog just now and found this odd bump in her gum, maybe half the size of a pea right beneath one of her front teeth. I've never seen anything like it, so I'm freaking out a little. Does this require a vet exam, or is this normal? Species: dog Age: 2 Sex/Neuter status: female, spayed Breed: bernedoodle Body weight: 45 pounds History: 3-4 ear infections, managed with regular cleaning Clinical signs: large bump on gums Duration: unsure, just noticed Your general location: ut”

“My all white biggest of the litter has small wounds on his back. They’re dry and don’t seem to bother him. None of the other pups have any marks or anything wrong with them. Just wondering if it’s from litter mates crawling on him? Species - dog Age - one week old Sex/Neuter - male not neutered Breed - Jack Russel/chiweenie mix Body weight - unknown History - newborn Clinical signs - small scratches on back Duration - two days General location - Michigan submitted by /u/Appropriate_E”

“My dog is an estimated 3-year-old Pit Bull mix that we recently adopted. I noticed a new growth on her arm approximately two weeks ago. Since then, the growth has increased in size and has recently blistered and developed a scab. I can feel a lump underneath the scabbed area. I am concerned about the growth because of the changes in its size and appearance, and I am worried that it could potentially be a skin tumor or cancer… submitted by /u/Any_Outside_6856 [link] [comments]”

“Hi folks! Yesterday our two dogs got in a tiff over a toy. Dog 1 (shepherd mix, 70 lbs) Dog 2 (pit/boxer mix, 60 lbs) Dog 2 got a small bite on her leg (to the side of her carpal pad), which did bleed a bit. She was licking it last night (we stopped her) and she's leaving it alone today. However, she's definitely favoring the leg and not wanting to put much weight on it, and there's a bit of swelling in the area as well (nothing crazy, but definitely noticeable if you're looking)”

“WARNING as I’m going to be describing a large wound. My dog currently has a large wound on her shoulder and we genuinely don’t know where it came from. I wasn’t able to notice it for a while since she has thick fur, but i recently took her to the vet and we found out just how big it is. It’s like something carved out a chunk of her shoulder, and it’s constantly draining of pus. There also appeared to be an enlarged vein running through it? Some backstory as well; she’s a 12 year old golden retri”

“We had our dog neutered today and my wife just sent me a pic, it looks like possibly the stitches popped or something but idk what I'm really looking at. It's not bleeding so wondering if it's something to go to the emergency vet over or if it can wait till tomorrow morning He is a 2-year old lab submitted by /u/OMFG_BEEZ [link] [comments]”

“My dog has a growth that I assume is pretty fast growing because I’ve never noticed it until now. He’s 10-11 years old and this is on the back of his leg. I will link a pic. Is this just a large wart or something or could it be a potential cancerous growth? Thanks in advance. https://imgur.com/a/KwQM5lJ He is 10-11, male, mixed breed dog, 30 pounds. submitted by /u/Jbridg87 [link] [comments]”

“I can’t get to the vet until Wednesday and I do not no what this is I am very worried. It seems he has scabs on his head down to his neck and moving down..what could this possibly be ? He doesn’t seem to be in any pain but I am very worried. Is there any over the counter medicine that will make him feel better ? I know it’s not fleas or anything because he just went to the groomer and he can’t scratch that far back…..HELP !!! submitted by /u/Adventurous_Boat_794 [link] [comment”

“My 4-year-old male Pomsky dog has a bloody, swollen/open area directly at his anus. His tail has been down for about 24 hours and he’s painful when I touch the area. I can no longer clearly identify the normal anal opening. I don’t know whether this is a ruptured anal-gland abscess, rectal prolapse, or an injury. He was chasing a mouse yesterday on country land running thru bushes, etc. I haven’t been monitoring his stool because he’s been roaming outside, however the last still I saw a few days”

“I just adopted a two, two and a half year old mix from the Humane Society, and he was fixed the day before we got him. We noticed last night that he has a couple of raised, red spot at the base of his penis area. The other male dog I own was fixed when he was still a puppy, so I don't know if this is normal healing or something I should be concerned about. He doesn't seem to be bothered by it a good deal, but he's scratched a time or two, and last night he peed in his crate right aft”

“We had a flea infestation start when neighbors moved in. Now that it’s under control one of our dogs has a spot she will not lay off. It almost looks like she got bitten or sting by something. She’s been acting totally normal. https://imgur.com/a/cZStpbU • ⁠Species: collie mix • ⁠Age: 4 • ⁠Sex/Neuter status: spay • ⁠Breed: collie mix • ⁠Body weight: 30 lbs • ⁠History: nine • ⁠Clinical signs: leg chewing on spot • ⁠Duration: 1-2 weeks • ⁠Your general location: SE USA • ⁠Links to any test results,”

“Our dog is nearly 14 with a blood blister on his eyelid. He seems content and not in pain - what would be the best course of action? We don’t want to put under general anaesthetic as he is so old! Photo: https://kommodo.ai/i/0ikkev4mT2LlH4XOrEdL Thanks for any help! submitted by /u/tgshaw97 [link] [comments]”

“My 10 year old bischon (5kg, neutered, fairly healthy except for some hip pain sometimes) has this random wound on her neck that she kept scratching until it bled. When we saw it first (yesterday) we brought her the same day to the vet who gave her an injection and prescribed an antibiotic 2dd (1st gen cephalosporin). She was really lethargic the first day (before going to the vet) and my mom had to tape a towel around her neck (tape only on the towel that is also secured with a safety pin) so s”

“At first it was small and I thought it was a scab, it fell off a bit and sometimes he would scratch at it and make it bleed. It grew a bit after but I thought it’s just cause he is breaking the scab over and over but scratching his face. Should I take in for testing just in case? Could it be cancer? Better to see in pictures than explain I guess Species: Dog • Age: ~2yrs • Sex/Neuter status: boy fixed • Breed: pitbull mix • Body weight: 50lbs • History: stray got at 6 months • Clinical signs: •”

“Yesterday (09/16/2026) I get home and come home to see my dog has a swollen left eye along with tracing to the back of his head, a small gash underneath his eye and scrapes above his eye, eye is partly closed too. I have no idea what caused it, there is five other dogs in the house one big one who doesn’t fight and two small chiwawas who can’t do anything to my dog his he’s a Jack Russel Terrier and then a corgi mixed with a shepherd who has had altercations with my dog before expect this doesn’”

“Dear vets of Reddit, can you help me understand why we shouldn't treat a dog's wound with triple antibiotic ointment and cover it with gauze to heal? My vet said we should just leave it open to air to heal. My dog had a benign tumor removed from one of the toes on his front paw. He's been wearing his cone but he's also very talented apparently. He pulled out the stitches on the 5th day after surgery when I left him alone in the kennel with his cone on for the 1st time. I took him”

“Hi 👋, Discovered a wound on the left side of my dogs chin/neck area, left from the mouth. It is possible that she had it for 2-3 days and we didn’t notice bc she is acting completely normal. picture is here As soon as I saw it I cleaned it off with warm water and tried to remove some fur around it. I scrubbed a little around it and she didn’t flinch once, was relaxed and happy. Took her to vet and she wouldn’t let them examine her, they tried to look at it while I held the dog but they couldn’t”

“Our dog is a male terrier mix 2 years 8 months old. He had some horrible swolen sores appear on the base of his penis this summer. He is very sweet but becomes hostile at the vets and couldnt see his favourite vet as she was fully booked. So the vet couldn't properly examine him but prescribed steroids which helped bring the inflamation down. Now its re-appeared smaller and more dark red than before (not allowed to attach photos on this reddit). We're giving him the rest of his steroids”

“Hello! My boy (greyhound, 4 1/2 y/o) was bitten by presumably a black snake yesterday. I noticed the mark & some sensitivity around the area and took him to the vet. He had no symptoms when we got there. They run some tests and determined it was sa black snake as I didn't see the snake that bit him and we treated right away. He was given two viles of antivenom (that's not the word the vet used in reference to them but I forgot what she called them). He reacted a little at the time an”

“Guys my 11year old pitty he’s just got some new lumps on his face/head He’s a lumpy old man but these came within hours randomly any idea what they look like or could be? He has a lot of allergies maybe he ate something out side but he didn’t leave our fenced in yard. He’s roughly 60 LBS can I give him any meds to help Thanks in advice submitted by /u/Novel-Bat4831 [link] [comments]”

“My dog cut his paw open while at daycare on the 9th. He spent the night chewing the paw and tore off a lot of the layer. I caught it the 10th and began washing daily and re-wrapping with bandages, while keeping my dog in a cone. As of today the 13th, it's gotten a little more red/bloody. Does he need antibiotics or a vet visit? Thanks for the help! Pics from yesterday and today: https://imgur.com/a/NhYeLB5 submitted by /u/PomeloParking4995 [link] [comments]”

“I’ve disinfected it and it stopped bleeding after 5 minutes but he’s holding it up in the air and hopping around (he’s also a greyhound so naturally a bit dramatic) Info: Greyhound, 7 years, cut leg running in forest, now holding it up and not weight bearing photo of cut submitted by /u/western_degeneracy1 [link] [comments]”

My dog had his back end ran over last week by a truck. He spent a week at the vet and his degloving turned into most of his inner thigh/leg being open…

“Signalment: Dog, ~1.5 years old, Male (intact), German Boxer, approx 30kg Short history: Neighbor's dog, noticed an open wound on his side recently Clinical signs: Open wound, flies gathering around it Length of time: A few days Links/Reports: None Location: Europe My older neighbor loves his dog but is having trouble managing this wound on his side. Flies are constantly around it and I'm worried about complications like maggots or infection. Since I cannot afford a full vet visit myself”

“About 10 months ago, a lump suddenly appeared below my dog’s eye, which burst open into a wound. We took him to two vets who treated him with antibiotics and injections—it healed temporarily, but keeps reopening and draining. Despite this, he eats well and remains active. I suspect a tooth root abscess. However, he gets extremely aggressive at the vet and wouldn’t let them touch his mouth. When the staff tried to restrain him, he panicked so severely that he went into respiratory distress and ne”

“Hello. Looking for a second opinion just in case I need to look for different vets in my area. He lives with my parents so I don't see him often and didn't realise he had this bump until a couple days ago. I posted in a different sub, got one comment about the colour, which I'm aware is weird and that's why I'm asking, but nothing else, I would appreciate some more insights. I put a picture in the other post. Can't do it here, but it's in my profile in case. My dog sc”

“4lbs 5 year old Maltese Hi everyone! My Maltese got groomed on Monday 9/7. The groomer told me he accidentally nicked her skin but he cleaned the wound, applied medicine, and she should be ok. I do not know what ointment he applied. Tonight is the first time I’ve noticed her licking it and this looks like a more significant wound. I don’t know if I’m overthinking this, but it almost looks like it’s gaping inward/a little too deep? I am obviously ordering her a cone immediately to stop her lickin”

“My pup has a swollen toe that just started having some raw skin, I believe due to irritating it further from digging a bit roughly after going potty. He is on an antibiotic and anti inflammatory from urgent visit over the wknd. He seemed to be getting better Monday with no limping until he irritated it again. I’m trying to avoid even more pet fees - but will if necessary. So my question - do I give the meds a few more days to see if it clears up or do I take him in again and spend close to $1k :”

“Pic of the growth I have a 13 year old Puggle that is blind and has a slight heart murmur (vet said 2 out of 5), but otherwise healthy. He has a large fleshy growth on his face that he scratches at least a couple of times a day, that gets blood all over him and wherever he is in the house.(sofas/beds all have blankets on to minimise this but it’s ruined a couple or rugs and the carpet we have in the house). I then clean him up but it’s inevitable it will happen again as the growth seems to still”

“Hi vets. About an hour ago my dogs were attacked by a neighbor’s dog on our walk. They are okay, but one of my dogs did get a scratch by his eye. It’s not bleeding profusely nor was it at the time of the incident. I have already spoken to his vet and sent them this picture of the injury. They suggested I clean the spot with hydrogen peroxide and dab some neosporin on it and continue monitoring the injury. He has an appointment with the vet at their earliest available time which is tomorrow after”

“Poor lil rescue came to me with 1 eye. Had an accident 3 weeks ago & punctured her only eye. She got a graft asap, but is totally blind right now and may never regain functional vision. She's the sweetest but smoothest brain ever, couldn't do stairs even before the loss of vision. She's never liked toys and the walks that were her only source of stimulation are impossible atm. Shes (reasonably) restless and scared; cries when I leave the room, howls when I leave the house. Breaks”

“So we just recently got a new dog from a shelter they neutered him a week ago and today his incision opened up a little bit it seems I’m not sure what the white part is in the middle should we go go this looked at or just watch it and see if he still heals good it’s not actively bleeding which is good I hope He is a 7 month old black lab as well submitted by /u/Spirited_Spot_5104 [link] [comments]”

“He’s got what looks like a boil of sorts forming on his head. It’s fairly small but definitely growing slowly. It doesn’t seem to be bothering him. Not sure how to attach a picture otherwise I would. submitted by /u/xeni44 [link] [comments]”

“I took my dog out to pee today for the 3rd time today around 5pm. 2 hours later, I noticed blood splatters while cleaning. Some blood spots and smears. His penis looks inflamed towards the end, and he winced at the touch of the tip of his penis when cleaning. We cleaned it with Castile soap. His temperament remains the same and he isn’t lethargic. Should I be going to the vet immediately or can I wait to go in the morning. Don’t let him in. Don’t let him lick his penis. Attempting to upload pics”

“Hi everyone my dog got spayed 8 days ago and yesterday her wound started weeping. Today it looks like the stitches opened and now she has a cm or so opening. When I brought her in yesterday for the weeping they basically said don't worry about it and since I was working and a family member brought her in they asked no follow up questions. Now I'm here wondering if I should phone the vet up again? Photos included are from yesterday and then today at the end. Thank you https://imgur.com/a/”

“I was petting my dog and felt some little scabs on her upset left front leg/chest. I have no idea what it could be from. She’s 6 years old 20ish lbs pugapoo (poodle pug). She has no symptoms and went to the vets for annual check up and some shots just a few weeks ago. (I’m in Ontario) I will attach the picture of the scabs —-> here submitted by /u/Pineapplechickens0 [link] [comments]”

“Hello everyone, I'm waiting for my vet to open in a couple hours. I've been checking her wound every morning and up until today it's been fine. This morning there was really watery blood surrounding the wound which I dabbed off and no more has seemed to come out. She's acting normal otherwise, good appetite and has been pooping and peeing normally. I'm just nervous while I wait for the vet to open so wanted to see if anyone on here had any insight! Thank you Here are some ima”

“My 9 year old rescue dog Bart woke up and has this on his paw. We called our vet immediately. They can’t get him in until tomorrow morning and a vet tech has yet to look at the image we sent to tell us how to help him be more comfortable. Any general advice? To help clean it and keep it protected? Or should we try to find an emergent care alternate vet? Thank you 🫶 https://imgur.com/a/vRORcOZ for posting. submitted by /u/Get__tipsy [link] [comments]”

“I noticed blood coming from my dog’s back left paw last evening, and have since rinsed the wound with water to clean and have kept the area under wrap to avoid licking + have had my pup wearing a cone. I’ve changed out the bandage and while there’s no fresh blood, the area seems glossy. Does the wound indicate a vet visit is needed or would we be okay with home care until a more critical symptom is noted? Photo Reference of wound: https://imgur.com/a/XcnMetJ submitted by /u/alcarasc”

“Just freaking out a little cause i wont be able to see a vet until monday. Shes had a bump on her since ive had her but came home tonight and saw this Imgur link to a pic not sure if it could be a bug bite or what? Species: Dog Age: 4 Sex/Neuter status: Not neutered Breed: Chihuahua mix Body weight: 12ish pounds History: No medical history Clinical signs: Duration: Just saw this today Your general location: Mexico submitted by /u/Hulahoopinwalrus [link] [comments]”

“My dog has a little redness in the corner of her eye (front corner). It has a small amount of white pus on it intermittently, and it looks like a cut? I catch her rubbing her eye with her arm sometimes (I stop her), and she squints/twitches when she is staring at me. This started ~2 days ago, I have been flushing it with sterile saline every 4-6 hours. I'm not sure what this could be from? I have a vet appointment scheduled for Monday but has anyone seen this? She's a Corgi if that means”