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My dog has a painful, infected leg hole. Is it an emergency?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 7 years and 11 months old | 80 lbs

My dog has a hole on her top back leg. It looks like the pictures below. It appears to be infected. She is in a lot of pain.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 15th, 2018

I agree that hole in Chanel's leg looks infected, and if she is in a lot of pain, she needs to see a vet as soon as possible. Unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications you can give her, many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck!

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7Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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