HELP! my dog is suddelny terrified to go outside and i have no clue why!

[arose124]

thank you for all the replies!. i got home from work today and he only seems to be worse! i took him outside on his leash and had to practically drag him out and he just kept running for the door to go back inside but i kept him out forawhile and tried walking around the yard to show him not to be afraid and telling him it was ok and to go potty, but no such luck!

i may have figured out what his problem is though, i noticed him licking himself alot on his side so i took a look and saw some kind of wound, its almost like a hole. im not sure if this is a tick bite or what?. i got a flaslight to get a better look at it and its just a round open fleshy looking wound, so im just taking a guess and saying whatever did that to him must be why he is afraid to go out. i cleaned it and the area around it and i dont think its infected, and it doesnt seem to bother him when i was touching it he didnt whine or flinch a big as i rinsed it off and felt around the area with my fingers, i even sqeezed the skin together to see if maybe a tick would pop out or if i could atleast feel one but i didnt see or feel anything in the skin. but now im not sure what to do about this wound he has because i am not sure what gave it to him, some kind of bug i assume. im attatching a picture of it so if anyone has any idea as to how he got this or what kind of bug may have bittten him, please let me know what you think and if i should take him to the vet!. its to late to even call the vet tonight, but im going to see what responses i get to this post and what kind of advice everyone gives me in the morning before i go to work and then i may call the vet to see what they say. im in my early 20s and live on my own, and i love my dogs very much, but i am broke and if i can avoid going to the vet and spending money when i can possibly take care of his wound on my own i prefer to do so rather than having a huge vet bill for a bug bite. let me know what you all think! and if i should take him to the vet or if its something i can take care of on my own!

and again thanks for the replies!

[pomtzu]

What you're describing doesn't sound like a bug bite, but I see no pic to get an idea what it looks like. I don't really think a bug bite wold have him scared enough to not want to go outside - however an animal bite certainly would. I would get him to the vet and find a way to make payments if you don't have the money up front. I don't mean to be an alarmist, but it could be serious, and I wouldn't take the chance that it isn't. Good luck, and keep us posted please.

[Taz_Zoee]

I hate to say this, but could it be a BB or pellet gun shot?
I think he should go to the vet. If it is a BB or pellet shot the item may still be in there and could become infected. Or there may be some other damage internally.
I hope Jack can once again feel comfortable in his own backyard soon.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Does't look like any kind of bug bite.... it does look like a puncture wound though. No one can give you any advice if they actually seen the wound, so you're best bet would be to get him to a veterinarian.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Poor little guy!!! Awwww....I feel so bad for him and you. I hope this gets cleared up soon.

[sana]

I have a few questions. I have kept many dogs and many stupid and many nice, so...Is your doggie good friends with Bella? If, he is then there is something in your garden which disturbs him, some animal or bug which he is spooked of and so can't go outside. If he isn't good friends r just ok friends with Bella, there might be a chance that Bella bit him, but, don't mind me being rude. I said that because I used to have a little lamb or goat kid, whatever.. She used to be in our garden and somehow our dog opened the door and came in the garden and bit her which caused an exactly same mark on her body. It looked ALOT like the mark on your doggie. Try it out, just to see if I'm right:
Oneday, don't let Bella out and just open the door for Jack to see if he goes out or not, if not then there is alot of chance that he doesn't go outside because of something or someone who is disturbing Jack. Try looking around your garden for some signs. And does Jack go outside during the night? Because if he does, he might have got this mark by a night creature, like a badger or something. You check as well just in case you find something.

[sana]

God bless Jack and give his owners enough patience to go through this problem. I hope he gets well soon.... Please keep us posted so we know if he's getting better. Best of Luck, may God's help be with you.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

A sudden change in behaviour clearly needs investigating and you seem to have found the cause. If you can afford to get it looked at by a vet that would be the best course of action although there are some great antibiotic powders on the market to help wounds heal.

It sounds like it is going to take a lot of time and patience to get Jack's confidence back in the big wide world again. Just a few minutes each day with lots of praise and treats so he associates going outside with good things not something nasty happening to him. Poor little fella - hope he feels better soon