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My dog has a ruptured lump on his back with pus. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dog looked like he had something on his back so I rubbed it and pus actually came out so I showered for him and it looks really baf

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 9th, 2017

This looks like a little abscess. These can happen for a few different reasons, but it's often due to something like a thorn getting stuck under the skin. However, this could be due to a parasite, resistant infection, or even a tumor. My best advice is to schedule an appointment with your vet in the next day or two, so they can have a better look at this and make sure it's nothing serious. In the meantime, it's best to flush the wound with clean water for five minutes twice a day. I do not recommend putting any creams or antiseptics on the area at this time, because it may complicate the healing process more than it helps. Once the cause of this is identified and removed, these usually heal well within a week or two. I hope that helps and this gets better soon.

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    Answered By Maria DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    With the photos it looks like it could be a ruptured infected cyst. I would recommend an ecollar if your dog is bothering with it, that way they can't make it worse. I would also recommend calling your veterinarian to schedule an appointment. There can they determine if that is truly what is going on and if so you can discuss options of removing it. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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