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Dog's nose wound keeps reopening. How to treat and prevent licking?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 70 lbs

My dog has had this little “rug burn” on the top of her nose for a couple of days it was getting better but today I saw it opened up again, anything I put on there to help it heal?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on February 16th, 2022

Lesions in this location can be a little tricky to treat with topical medications because most dogs are able to lick them off, at least to some degree. You can try to clean this area with an antiseptic chlorhexidine cleanser twice a day (Hibiclens is one brand), but take care to rinse it well and do not let Bella lick it while you are cleaning. Breaking open a vitamin E capsule and rubbing it on this area may be mildly helpful, but it won't hurt if she licks a little off. As Jessica mentioned, one of the most important things to do is to keep an e-collar on Bella to prevent her from rubbing at this area further. If this lesion persists for another week or worsens at any point, you'll need to take her to a vet for evaluation. It's possible that she may need oral antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications to help get this area under control. I hope that everything goes well!

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    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    Ouch! It looks like Bella may be rubbing it, or there is an inflammatory reaction now going on that is causing it to worsen. Your best bet at home is to keep the area clean and dry and to place an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Bella to keep her from being able to rub it. You can get these at your local pet store. That said, if it's worsening still after several days of home care, it's possible it's inflamed or infected, which requires care from your veterinarian. They can thoroughly clean it, rule out anything more serious, and provide you with anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics to help it heal (in addition to the E-collar).

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