Bug bite (gross photo)

[PearlHeart3]

Hi all - I've posted this once before but it seems it disappeared after sending, so here goes again!

The night before last, I noticed my dog was licking his tail. I had a look and there was a rather large, hard lump. We'd just returned from his evening walk and I thought he might have been bitten by a bug during our walk. He went to bed shortly after but the next morning he was still trying to lick it.

I made him wear his cone of shame for the whole day and the lump hardened and the swelling went down. I went out for a couple of hours earlier this evening and because he hadn't paid his tail any attention today, I left his cone off before I went out. Unfortunately, on my return this evening, he'd had a proper munch on his tail. It's a bit bloody. I cleaned it with salt water and put his cone back on him. I am going to be taking him to the vet tomorrow to get it checked over.

It looks like there might be something inside the lump? It reminds me of a really heady spot.

Does this look like a (rather munched) bug bite/sting? A wasp or something like that? He'd been bitten by a tick before but it looks nothing like that. He's been fine otherwise, food, toilet, play. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.a

[RaptorWhiskers]

If my dog has anything like that I generally stick a bit of Sudocrem on it. Stops the itching so the dog doesn’t bite.

[PearlHeart3]

I don't have any sudocrem - I feel like this is missing from my bathroom cabinet.

[login12gh]

My dog has something similar on his right hind paw at the moment! I bought the Johnsons tea tree skin cream in hope that it becomes less irritating for him!

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

It looks as though this has a central bit, so probably a bite or sting. Just in case, consider a "hot spot" (pyoderma). My previous dog got hot spots a lot, usually summer/autumn times and always on her tail or buttocks. They flare up in about 2 hours from nothing and, if you don't notice them quickly enough, dogs can bite through the full thickness of their skin in an attempt to quell the irritation. As I said, I don't think this looks right for a hot spot but they are good to know about, in case your dog ever gets one. Treatment for a hot spot is 1) immediately put cone on - you might need to keep it on for up to 3 wks day and night 2) SHAVE fur over affected area and with a good margin around 3) clean with hibiscrub 4) apply Fusiderm or whatever the equivalent is now (I think fusiderm was stopped) - this I could only get from a vet. The hot spot will scab over but still be infected under the scab. The first scab has to come off (still continuing twice daily treatment as above) before it will actually start to dry up and mend properly. They are an absolute nuisance and need to be dealt with speedily. Retrievers are supposed to be particularly prone (mine wasn't one though!).

[kamillaw]

Could be an abscess?