We (husband and I) realized he got into something and there was a patch of matted fur on his face around the jaw. We tried cleaning it (with dog shampoo, and then soap and water), brushing it, and couldn't seem to fix it for him. Then it started itching like crazy and he kept scratching at it despite us trying to stop him until it finally started bleeding as well. And now we don't know what to do because clearly it's bothering him and probably hurts. I gently brushed my hand across that area to see if at least most of the matting was gone after the cleaning and brushing, and realized there was blood all over my hand from his scratching the area. Also, his fur seems to be shedding a lot (I'm guessing from the wounds he's given himself...well, I hope that's the case, anyway). And he also got mad and started growling and won't let me anywhere near that area now, even to just clean the blood off with some water. We're going to call the vet as soon as they open to get their advice, but I'm worried and feel so bad for him and don't know what to do.
My dog had some matter fur around the jaw area and kept scratching at it until it started bleeding
1 - 2 of 2 Posts
Joined
·
4,087 Posts
You're doing the right thing - the vet and vet techs will either restrain or lightly sedate him and get a proper look at what's going on under his chin, then figure out what needs to be done from there. If you have one, it can help to put a cone on so he can't keep scratching the area in the meantime, since that might make things worse. Hopefully it's something minor that will only need cleaning and time to heal up, but getting your vet to examine it and make an informed diagnosis is absolutely the best thing you can do for your pup!
1 - 2 of 2 Posts
