An abscess is a pocket of pus caused by bacteria, a foreign object or an animal bite. When a dog's wound becomes infected, its body may build a capsule around the wound to prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of the body. This capsule often develops into an abscess and if left untreated can cause serious complications such as tissue death. Proper wound care and early detection are essential to heal the wound.
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Visit Your Veterinarian
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If your dog develops an abscess, take your dog in to have it evaluated by a veterinarian. An abscess may require antibiotics to heal. If the abscess is minor, your vet will clean out the wound, administer antibiotics for the infection and possibly steroids for inflammation, and will likely send you home with an antibiotic ointment to apply daily to the area.
More serious abscesses will require surgery to drain the pus and remove dead tissue from the area. In some cases, your vet may need to leave the wound partially or completely open to facilitate drainage after surgery, and you will need to care for these wounds daily to facilitate proper healing.
Home Care
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After bringing your dog home, apply antibiotic ointment to the area around the wound to keep it clean and prevent further infection. Holding a warm compress over the wound each day also can help increase the blood flow to the area.
Do not allow your dog to lick or scratch at the wound; it may break the wound open and introduce more bacteria to it and the surrounding skin. If needed, fit your dog with a cone collar to prevent this behavior.
Watch your dog and take it back to the vet if it appears to lose its appetite, becomes lethargic or if the wound does not appear to be healing properly. These wounds can be difficult to treat and may require more than one trip to the vet to completely heal, but most will heal in about two weeks with proper care.
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