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My dog won't stop licking a sore. How can I treat it safely?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

This started with one sire, he's always tryibg to lick it. Cleared up some, then 3 to 4 spits came. Now its appears to be clearing up. I put a lil peroxide on it, then googled that and stopped using it. What can i do to treat this, please help.

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 19th, 2018

It's definitely good that you stopped the hydrogen peroxide, because this can make the wound much worse. These type of lesions can have many causes. Dogs often get these hot spots (aka acral lick granulomas) for a few different reasons, so it's difficult to say what's causing it. He may be over-licking the area because it's sore, or it has an infection. These types of lesions tend to develop infections in the skin despite the cause. I think it will be fine to try and treat this at home for now (even though we don't know the cause), but would recommend a visit to the vet if: 1) It doesn't get better in 2 weeks 2) It starts to bleed or the lesion continues to get worse Here are my recommendations: 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. Bandage the wound with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream (i.e Neosporin) to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping him 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 him 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 tend to take a long time to heal, so don't be surprised if its not completely healed until a month later. Once the skin looks normal and he stops trying to lick it, you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and he gets better soon.

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 13th, 2020

    Has the lesion been biopsied? That would be the next step. You need to find out the underlying cause of the problem. Just treating the symptoms is obviously not helping. No matter what, if he keeps licking it, it will not resolve. I really don't think this is something you can deal with at home.

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 19th, 2018

    These type of lesions can have many causes. Dogs overlick certain areas for a few different reasons, so it's difficult to say what's causing it. Cooper may be over-licking the area because it's sore, or it has an infection. In fact, these types of lesions tend to develop infections in the skin despite the cause. I think it will be fine to try and treat this at home for now (even though we don't know the cause), but would recommend a visit to the vet if: 1) It doesn't get better in 2 weeks 2) It starts to bleed or there is a break in the skin 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 twice a day. 3) Bandage the wound with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream (i.e Neosporin) to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping Cooper 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 Cooper 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 tend to take a long time to heal, so don't be surprised if its not completely healed until a month later. Once the skin looks normal and Cooper stops trying to lick, you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and Cooper gets better soon.

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