Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

My dog was bitten in a fight. What first aid can I give for the wound?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Toy Poodle | Female | unspayed | 10 lbs

hello. ok this poodle is my roommates dog. has 2. anyway last night the 2 of them got into a huge fight. and Misty girl has a bite on her front shoulder it looks like a slice. it's about 1/2 inch long and its pealed back top skin loose. how can I help this heal up? it's to late for stitches ect.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on June 5th, 2017

I am so sorry that Misty girl got into a fight. It sounds like the wound is large enough that it likely needs stitches and likely isn't too late. I would strongly recommend contacting your vet for an exam and treatment. If it is small enough, they may be able to place staples and help it heal. But she will likely also need oral antibiotics to help it heal as wounds from other dogs usually get infected because dogs have a lot of nasty bacteria in their mouths. Until you can get her to the vet, I would also recommend that you keep her from licking or scratching it. You can use a small t-shirt (depending on its location) or an e-collar (the lampshade collars found at a pet store). I hope she starts feeling better soon!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 25th, 2019

    Ouch, poor Princess! That doesn't look deep enough to require stitches, so I'd keep an eye on it for now. Wash it with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep her from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on her. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and she will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

    Vote icon

    2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My two dogs have been play fighting (he's a recent patterdale terrier that we got, 1 year old) and a 6/7 year old saluki and the patterdale (chase) has wounded the saluki (daisy). Her chest has an open wound on it and her paw is sliced open, I'm no
Ideally they appear they can benefit from stitches but it may be too late for that. It does need to be seen for antibiotics at the least because an infection can take longer to heal. If you can shave the hair around the cuts it will be easier to keep clean. You can apply neosporin to the cuts to help with an infection and get an e collar from the pet store so she can't keep licking her foot and making that one worse.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Bones has been bit by a street dog when he went out for walking...and it's a deep cut from the looks of it...He seemed to normal but licking the wound frequently...What precautions should be taken now? I'll consult a vet tomorrow
Ouch! Poor Bones! I would try to clean it with a mild soap and water. I would put a cone collar on him to prevent him from licking it and put some Neosporin in the wound twice a day. Your vet will be able to shave the hair and close the wound with sutures or skin staples if needed. They will also be able to prescribe him the proper antibiotics and pain meds. I do not recommend giving him any human pain meds as most are toxic to dogs. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dogs fought over a toy and one ended up with this bite. Will he need stitches? My husband and I just had a baby, and we are right on money until the 5th when he gets paid.
It would heal better and faster with stitches. If you cannot afford to have that done then just keep it clean with this wound spray linked below. DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide on it - that will actually delay healing. If after a week it is not looking better or if it gets red, swollen, has pus coming from it then you will need to get him to the vet. If he is licking it, it will not heal so you will need to get him a cone collar to wear. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-wound-and-skin-care-for-dogs ) ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-e-collar )
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My pet was injured by another dog while playing.
This is a quite deep injury and underlying tissues seem exposed. A stitch up and antibiotics are needed. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my dog has a 1in tear on is skin on the back side of neck, my other dig, for some reason bit him,n tire his skin, not much bleeding at all, needs stitches i, i think, ..but absolutely no money for vet, i cleaned it with peroxide and put antibiotic c
There is not much more you can do from home. I would keep the dogs separated for now until you can figure out why they got into a fight. If you are unable to take your dog to the vet to be stitched up, continue to keep the wound clean and dry and try to keep it from getting infected. It will obviously take much longer to heal if stitches are needed. There may be scarring and permanent hair in that area as well. If Gizmo seems to be lethargic, feverish or stops eating, this could indicate that the infection has spread into his bloodstream. If you notice any of the symptoms you need to take him to the vet immediately. I hope this helps. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Trying to determine if my 15 year old dachshund needs stitches. The wound is on her neck, it’s not bleeding but you can see tissue. She got into a fight with one of my other pups. Both are current on their vaccinations.
Poor Faith! Depending on how recently this happened and how clean the wound is now, it's very possible that it would be a good idea to stitch this. At the very least, it's deep enough that it looks like it will need antibiotics to prevent infection. I would recommend taking Faith to the vet today to have this checked, if you can. He/she can trim the hair away from the area and flush out the wound, and will determine if it needs to be sutured or not based on how things look at that time. Your vet can also prescribe antibiotics and pain medication if needed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog was bitten by our other dog this evening. She isn’t bleeding anymore but the wound is open. What should I do?
Poor Gracie! Depending on the size and depth of the wound, it may need to be stitched shut. She will also need antibiotics to prevent infection. In this case, I think it's best that she is seen by a vet right away. The vet can stitch the wound if needed, can check her for any internal damage from the bite, and can prescribe antibiotics as needed. I recommend taking her into a vet now. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Dog fight - puncture wounds to the nose and lower lip
Hello, and thank you for using Boop by Petco. Poor Gracie! It’s tough to be certain of the severity of her wounds without examining myself, but fortunately those wounds don’t appear to be too serious from the photos. I think it’s unlikely that she’ll need stitches. However, bite wounds tend to get infected, so I would bring Gracie in to your vet when they open tomorrow, as they’ll likely want to start her on antibiotics. In the meantime, keep those wounds clean by gently washing them with warm soapy water (Dawn dish soap works well). I hope this helps and she feels better!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi presley here my dogs got into a fight and give one has lost a bit of blood and i doubt have any money for vet cost.I've been giving her Motrin and trying to keep her wrapped to stop the bleedingthis happened on the 22 please help i don't want my d
Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Unfortunately, without an exam (or at least pictures), I'm a bit limited on what advice I can give. Where the wound is would be important to know. I am less concerned about a bite to the leg than I am to the belly or neck. How deep is it? How is Della Reese feeling? Is she eating and running around or lethargic and not eating? My concerns and recommendations -Infection - very common in dog bite wounds - if there is a hole or deep wound anywhere, it needs to be flushed very thoroughly with dilute iodine or hydrogen peroxide. This is possibly the MOST important step. The wounds need to be left OPEN to drain. If you cover them up tightly you will be trapping the bacteria inside and cause an abscess. They will drain some blood-tinged fluid for a few days but it shouldn't be pure blood. If the mess is a problem, put a t-shirt on her (if wounds are on the torso) or keep her on tile/laminate surfaces. Warm compress the wounds twice daily to encourage tha
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My friend's dog was injured today and she's worried about the wound but is scared she can't pay for it. Would it be possible to have an estimate for this wound?
You need to get an estimate from a local vet. We are not a vet clinic. Prices vary depending on your location and prices also vary from clinic to clinic. Now, that being said, that looks like a bite wound and if it is, usually vets will not stitch them closed for fear of trapping bacteria in the skin. So, if your friend wants to try to just keep the wound very clean for the next 5-7 days it may heal up on it's own. It may also get infected even if she tries to keep it clean and if that happens she will need to get her to a vet for treatment at that time. For wound cleaning I suggest DILUTE betadine or chlorhexidine solution. You can buy them at any pharmacy. Mix a 1:10 dilution of cleaner with water. Clean it 2-3 times a day. After cleaning, dry it thoroughly and apply a thin layer of Neosporin (or generic comparable). DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide. Hope this helps. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored