My dog has a raw spot from rubbing his face. What should I do?

Question

My maltipoo has a bad habit of rubbing his face across the carpet, back & frth to the point that he has developed a raw red abrasion about the size of 2"x 2".on the side of his jawline. Should I clean it off & apply an antibiotic ointment? How do I get him to stop this?? Thanks. JL

Rebecca, DVM · Accepted Answer

I would clean the area, but do not apply any ointment. Oftentimes this is irritating and may make them more likely to rub or scratch more. An Ecollar may prevent him from causing any more trauma, but doesn't treat the underlying cause. If you are unsure why he is rubbing, a vet visit may help to determine the cause of his itchiness. He may have mouth pain that is causing him to rub, or allergies making his face itchy. If the underlying cause isn't found and fixed, he is lilkely to keep rubbing and may cause more sores.

My dog has a raw spot from rubbing his face. What should I do?

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