The American Beagler Forum

My Max dog was running the other day and when we unloaded him at home I had blood on my hand. When I investigated I found a hole under his left front leg the size of at least a dime if not slightly bigger. Took him to the vet they said it looked clean inside and gave him a shot for pain and one for antibiotics and gave me antibiotics for home for 10 days also pumped opening full of ointment. That was on the 20th. The hole is still the same size and looks like I would expect inside(raw muscle). It has a knot around part of the hole. What are your thoughts on this. Should it be healing faster? Thanks, Hunter

It needs to heal from the inside out! The worst thing would be for it to "seal over" and get infected!!!!!!!!!! Vets rarely "sew up" a wound unless they are absolutely certain it is "fresh" (within 24 hrs) and "clean". I hate "open wounds" but they are a fact of life with the ocassional punctures beagles receive in the field. I treat open wounds with a product called "Granulex V" which according the the manufacturer "removes dead tissue and stimulates the growth of epithelial tissue". Seeing "muscle" would not be a concern to me as long as it looks "clean" and free of "pus". My Lab cut his leg once so that the deep tissue was showing. The vet insisted on treating it as an open wound. It looked "raw" for over a week but I treated it daily as the vet prescribed with the Granulex. To my suprise, the hair grew back and you could not even tell it happened a month later! I am not sure what you mean by "a knot". How big is this "knot" and is it hard or soft.? If you get too uncomfortable with what you are seeing , call your vet or take the hound back in ! The peice of mind is worth an office visit at times. Good luck with him!