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My dog has a black skin wound, looks infected. Can I treat it myself?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | neutered | 3 years and 4 months old | 185 lbs

What can I do to help Sam with this might be hotspots and the idk if the black part is infected or not I have no money to take him to the vet

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 28th, 2018

This looks much worse than a simple hot spot. The black part is an area of necrosis (dead skin/tissue) and the rest of the pink area looks fairly deep. This could be an insect bite like from a spider. You can try to apply Neosporin or another type of topical antibiotic ointment/cream few days to a week to see if it gets better. If it doesn't or it gets worse then I suggest you find a way to get Sam to a vet. Do not put hydrogen peroxide on this wound - that would delay healing. I found these clinics in your area that may be affordable for you if needed: ( http://www.valuepetclinic.com/ ) ( http://www.puyallupvalleyvet.com/ ) ( http://www.thehumanesociety.org/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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