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This guide is a home-care support tool. It does not replace personalized advice from your veterinarian. For any questions, contact us at 514-223-1197.
Why a treatment on the skin?
Creams and ointments are prescribed for various reasons, most often a bacterial or fungal skin infection. The treatment is very easy to do at home. The key: keep the medication in contact with the skin for the whole prescribed duration.
Bacterial infection
The most common reason for a cream on the skin.
Fungal infection
Skin fungi, such as ringworm, often contagious.
Another skin condition
Irritation, a wound, or a lesion your veterinarian wants to treat locally.
Contact is everything
The medication only works if it stays in place. Your veterinarian often shaves the hair around the area so the coat does not mat with the cream and contact stays optimal.
What you need
Your veterinarian will provide the essentials. Here is what you need to work cleanly.
Cream or ointment
The medication prescribed by your veterinarian.
Exam gloves
Latex or equivalent, to protect you.
Gauze pads
To clean the area if needed.
Antibacterial solution
Diluted and warm: chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine, or a mild soap.
An Elizabethan collar
Or an anti-lick device, to prevent licking.
Why gloves?
Exam gloves (latex or equivalent) protect you from contact with any bacteria or fungi on your pet, and protect your skin from the medication too. Wash your hands right after.
Before you start
The skin should start to heal within the first few days. For a more serious problem, it can take longer. Contact us promptly if you notice:
- Discharge appearing or increasing at the treated area.
- More marked redness, swelling, or heat.
- Pain that is increasing.
- A lesion spreading to other parts of the body.
- Being unable to apply the medication properly.
Is your pet resisting? Stop.
If your pet struggles or becomes aggressive, stop and call us. The area may be too painful without additional medication. Do not risk a bite or scratch; resistance can also signal a worsening that deserves a prompt reassessment.
Applying the medication
Allow about five minutes. Work calmly: your confidence reassures your pet.
Set up the session
With a calm or sleeping pet, one person is enough. With a young, very excitable animal, have a second person distract and hold it while you apply. If the handling stays too difficult, talk to us: there are alternatives.
Clean the area, if needed
If the area is dirty, clean it first with a warm, diluted antibacterial solution (chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine, or a mild soap), at the dilution your veterinarian specifies. Soak a gauze pad and gently wipe away debris. For crusts that stick, hold the moist gauze on the spot for 5 minutes to soften them, then remove them gently. If the area is already clean, move to the next step.
Prevent all licking
This is essential: some medications that work on the skin are harmful if swallowed. Put on an Elizabethan collar to protect the area while the medication absorbs. For a paw, a sock can help; for the trunk, a t-shirt.
Apply the right amount
Press onto your gloved index finger the amount for one application, like toothpaste on a brush: from a hazelnut for a small area to several strips for a wide one. The goal is a thin film. When in doubt, check the amount with our team.
Spread gently
The ointment is colder than the skin and can surprise, especially on a raw wound. Spread with a light touch, in small circular movements, without forcing. Aim for a thin film over the whole area, for gradual absorption over several hours.
After the treatment
A few simple steps to finish cleanly and safely.
- Throw away the leftover antibacterial solution, the gauze, and the used gloves.
- For each treatment, start fresh with new solution and new gauze, to avoid any contamination.
- Wash your hands.
- Close the medication and store it out of reach of children and pets.
Your questions, our answers
What owners ask us most about treatments on the skin.
My pet is with me all day. Why put a collar on it?
How often should I clean and apply the medication?
Should I stop as soon as the area looks healed?
Can I catch what my pet has?
Are there any restrictions for my pet?
A simple gesture, contact that counts
A clean area, a thin film of medication, and a collar to prevent licking: that is all it takes for the treatment to work and your pet's skin to heal. At the first doubt, pain, or resistance, set the treatment aside and call us.