12 year old male golden retriver

Question
Please Help, I have a 12 yr old retriever that has a cyst by his ear.  It is starting to have a discharge that has an awful odor.  I've been using bag balm to stop the dry skin irritation, but what antibiotic can I give to help the infection.  He is still playful and happy but the cyst is hurting him.  I don't want to lose him he is my life.  I just lost my job and I can't afford the office call.  Please help me Please

Answer
Hi Anne,

Hopefully, if your child had an infected cyst like the one your dog has, you'd get prompt medical care.  A dog is no different than a child, and occasionally it requires professional medical care. This is one of those times for your dog.

Having tried to treat the problem on your own, and seeing that you haven't been successful (in fact it's getting worse), it's not time to do what you should have done a long time ago, and see your veterinarian. By putting it off, you may be complicating the treatment.

There are ways to pay for veterinary care, even though you're having financial hardship:

Contact your vet and ask if you can pay the bill off over an agreed upon period of time. Call your local animal shelter or Humane society, and ask if there is a reduced cost vet clinic in your area, or ask a friend or family member to lend you the money. You could apply for CareCredit, which is a line a credit you can get especially for paying for medical/veterinary bills. Go to CreditCare to read more: http://www.carecredit.com/

Best of luck,
Patti