My dog's swollen wound looks infected. How to treat without a vet?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 5 months and 16 days old | 20 lbs
My dog has a wound that I have tried to keep clean, but it is swollen and I am afraid that it will become infected or that it already is. I want to know if I can give her Cephalexin in a low dose. I have read that I can, but I want to get advice from a vet. I don't have money at this moment to take her to the vet and just want her to get better.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 4th, 2017
Unfortunately, we cannot (legally and ethically) advise giving prescription medication for a condition that we can't fully evaluate through this service. It's difficult to know how bad the wound is without seeing it, but I'll give you some general wound care advice: 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the sore skin. 2) Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least twice a day. 3) Bandage the wound (if possible) with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream (i.e Neosporin) to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping Zoe from licking it will be the most difficult part of the treatment. You can help keep the bandage on by placing a good (really sticky) tape above and below the bandage. You can find sprays in the pet store, like bitter apple, that are meant to deter licking. This can be sprayed on the bandage (not the wound) to help keep Zoe from chewing it off. NOTE: Be careful not to bandage too tight around legs, or it can cut-off the circulation. If you notice that the toes/foot starts to swell, then remove the bandage and leave it off until the swelling goes down. It's difficult for me to know how severe this is without evaluating her, but in severe cases it's recommended that she gets professional treatment, or she can have life-threatening complications. I understand that money is an issue, but there are often various options in these cases and I recommend contacting a local animal rescue for advice about affordable veterinary care. If you have further questions or need further clarification, then you may consider having an online consult with one of our vets on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This way, you can send unlimited pictures and have a text conversation with a vet. I hope that helps and Zoe gets better soon.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on September 12th, 2017
The good news is that you really don't need to put any of those painful meds on there, because they are probably doing more harm than good. The best things to do for a wound is keep it clean and keep it covered. Here are my recommendations: 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the sore skin. 2) Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least once a day. 3) Bandage the wound with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream or honey to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping Sadie from licking it will be the most difficult part of the treatment. You can help keep the bandage on by placing a good (really sticky) tape above and below the bandage. You can find sprays in the pet store, like bitter apple, that are meant to deter licking. This can be sprayed on the bandage (not the wound) to help keep Sadie from chewing it off. NOTE: Be careful not to bandage too tight or it can cut-off the circulation. If you notice that the toes/foot starts to swell, then remove the bandage and leave it off until the swelling goes down. Another strategy to keep the bandage on, is taping a clean sock over the bandage. These types of lesions should heal within a week with good care. Once the skin looks normal you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and Panda gets better soon.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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