Need advice on my dog

[These Eyes]

I had my dog boarded for two days while I went out of town. I picked her up late yesterday afternoon and noticed she was kind of quiet. She slept for most of the evening but I noticed she was licking her hip. I noticed a small lump where she was licking but it wasn't hard and she didn't seem to act as if it hurt when I touched it. This morning I noticed that there is a cut under her fur (maybe a dog bite?). I touched above the wpoound and some slightly bloody fluid ran out, along with some pus. She doesn't appear to have a fever (I checked her noes, still cold and wet). However, she is pretty quiet compared to her usually rowdy self.

The question is do I really need to take her to the vet? I normally would, but I am so broke I can barely pay attention. Is there some home remedy I can use, or is a vet visit mandatory?

Thanks!!

[MajorChode]

1. You should probably take it's temperature

Feeling the nose isn't all that reliable. Just use a thermometer in whatever orifice they will take it in. IIRC, the temp should be about 101. They do sell animal thermometers at pet stores, but most people ones work fine, although you probably want to mark it for dog use only afterward. If she doesn't have a temp, it's probably not a serious infection. Just keep monitoring the site of the wound.

[These Eyes]

2. Thanks for the advice!

[KurtNYC]

3. Bite or cut, if it is not closed and has pus then it needs

to be cleaned out and closed. Ask the boarding facility what happened and get her to a vet or a clinic.

Not sure what kind of boarding facility you used but they need to provide a safe environment or pay the consequences.

[flvegan]

4. Vet visit.

If she's got a lump/bite/cut and is lethargic, you need to take her to the vet.

If she's got an abscess, you can treat it at home fairly easily, but you'll want your vet to diagnose it.

[seemunkee]

5. Tiredness might not be related

My dogs always need a few days to recover from being boarded, but I would take her to the vet about the cut.

[MajorChode]

10. That's been my experience when my dogs were younger

They get very anxious when boarded and I suspect they didn't eat well, especially if the boarding facility feeds them a different brand of food. One of my dogs acted so strangely once that my wife took it to the vet and was told it should be expected for a day or two until the dog got used to being home again and eating right.

It's also possible that the dog got injured from simply trying to get out of it's cage. I've never had it happen at a boarding facility, but one of my dogs used to get injuries because she was continually trying to escape from our fence. If they lick at it too much, sometimes you have to put the satellite dish around their neck.

[These Eyes]

6. Thanks everybody…

I just called the vet. She told me to clean the wound with soap and water, trim the fur around the wound and apply a thin layer of Neosporin. I won't be able to see the vet until tomorrow, but if my dog doesn't seem to perk up, I'll take her to an emergency vet tonight.

[flvegan]

8. Is the dog eating normally?

This is usually the benchmark indicator for us here. If she eats her dinner but is still lethargic, you may not need the emergency vet visit (and expense). Monitor her activity tonight, and if you think you need to take her, then I would do so. Just be sure to keep the vet appt for tomorrow if you decide not to take her to the e-vet tonight.

[MineralMan]

11. There ya go. Calling the vet was a good move.

[Blue Diadem]

7. Listen to flvegan. He knows about dogs. I'd also talk with the boarding facility

to find out how the injury happened.

[frogmarch]

9. She needs to see the vet.

It sounds as if she has infection.

When they were pups, my shih tzu nipped my bichon while playing, and she got an infection that made her very ill. I'm glad I took her to the vet that afternoon. He put her on antibiotics, and that is what saved her.