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My dog has a painful abscess. When should I take her to the vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

what do i do when my dog gets a Abscesses? i cut down her fur to keep an eye on it.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 7th, 2018

Abscesses are pockets of infection, and they are very painful to the dog. You will need to take her into a vet as soon as possible to have it treated. The vet will need to drain and flush the abscess, and will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 5th, 2018

    Your poor pup! That looks painful. This is something that needs to be treated by a vet as soon as possible. She needs to be sedated so the abscess can be flushed and drained sterilely, and she needs antibiotics to treat the infection. The vet can also prescribe her pain medication. Please do not give her any human pain medication, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Please take her into the vet right away for treatment. Best of luck.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog has an abscess which may have spread to her blood given the severblood. What if I can't get her veterinary attention. Is there anything I could do at home?
If she has an abscess than she will need an antibiotic to treat the infection. You clean the area with an antiseptic wound cleaner but it would be best if she saw a vet for an antibiotic. Depending on the abscess, she may need to be sedated and the abscess may need to be flushed and she also may need a drain to help with healing. Hope she gets better soon!
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it looks like coco has an absese by her behind what can i do about it thanks
This could be an anal gland abscess. You need to take Coco to your vet or a petER today, as this is a very painful condition. The vet will check both anal sacks, evacuate them and flush the abscessed one. He will instill some antibiotic ointment and prescribe pain medication for your dog.
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My dog has a puss filled knot on her ear, it is about the size of a quarter. Blood and puss come out when the are is touched. I have been putting ointment on it and keeping it clean. The hair has fallen out in the area that is inflamed.
Unfortunately this sounds like an abscess and needs to be drained by your vet followed by oral antibiotics to successfully treat this area. When an abscess is present the body has walled off the area of infection with a thick layer of skin, and although this is beneficial for the pet because it prevents the infection from spreading to the rest of the body, it also doesn't allow topical medication to penetrate the area either. Which is why oral antibiotics prescribed by your vet are ultimately needed here.
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My Chihuahua/Shitzu has an Anal sac that looks like a hole right next to butthole, there's so blood and pus. When I try to squeeze the pus out like told, she squeals in pain, but pus does come out, what should I do?
I am sorry to hear the Bell is hurting. It sounds like she has an anal gland abscess and these are very painful. I would make an appointment with a veterinarian tomorrow as they often need to be treated with oral antibiotics and pain medication. Until then, you can try a warm compress on the area for 10-15 minutes to encourage drainage. Please do not give her any human pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen or Tylenol as these can have serious side effects in animals. If you feel like she is too painful, then please seek veterinary care tonight.
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I take in all disabled animals so I am always asked for advice on what to do from people. I told her my opinion.. But what do you think the owner can do until she gets to a vet, and what does this look like? Thanks in advance guys!!! ☺
This looks like this can be a ruptured abscess, but without seeing it in person, I can't say for certain. The dog needs to see a vet as soon as possible. They can gently clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap. I do not recommend putting any cream on it, as dogs will lick these off and human ointments typically contain ingredients that are not safe to ingest. I would put an Ecollar on the dog to keep them from licking at it, and you can make one at home. I will put a link below on how to do it. The dog needs to see the vet as soon as possible for treatment. I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html
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My dog has an abscess that just drained I cleaned it and gave her amoxicillin that I had but I only have one more dose. I’m going to go to the vet tomorrow if I can find one that’s open. If not what should I do?
If you can, flush the abscess cavity with a mild disinfectant. Your dog might not need any more antibiotics. Take Scruffy's temperature on Monday morning. If she has a fever (higher than 102.5F) take her to a veterinarian for an exam. If she has no fever, this may heal by itself without antibiotic treatment.
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Hello I was just wondering if my dog was okay or if this should be treated right away. I also would like to know if this is normal and what exactly it is. She is scheduled for an appointment tomorrow but please let me know if immediate action is need
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My shih tzu has what I believe is an abscess on her back. it drained and scabbed over but started to drain again. How can I treat this? What could have caused it? She's never had anything like this and is very healthy.
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My jack russlee, is old, he has a quarter size abcess just above his anus. Is this cause for comcern
Yes. Abscesses are infection and require treatment. Abscesses can become chronic or even turn into something like septicemia. It’s best to get them taken care of quickly. Make an appointment with his veterinarian. You also need to prevent licking and he should wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. I hope it heals quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.
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So I think my dog has an anal gland abscess. It went from nothing to this in 24 hours. It is on the right side of his anus. He is obviously in a bit of pain, and it's extremely swollen. Is this something that needs to be seen about tonight, tomorrow,
Hello. You are correct that Tucker probably is in some pain. Having him seen sooner would certainly allow us to start him on some pain medications. He also would be started on antibiotics. However, if you cannot have him seen now , sometimes sitting them in warm water with some Epsom salts is very soothing and will allow the abscess to go ahead and rupture. This will cause some bleeding and you may see some discharge, but he should feel better at the same time. I think you should have him seen as soon as possible, but I would not wait until Monday. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
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