My dog's back leg is swollen and bleeding. Is it an emergency?

The fact that it is swollen with a yellow bump has me concerned that it is becoming infected. You could clean the area with a wound wash but he really should be examined and treated by a vet as he may need an antibiotic.

This sounds like Prada may have an infection or abscess on her leg. This needs to be assessed and treated by a veterinarian, who will also prescribe antibiotics and pain medicine if indicated. Please take Prada to a veterinarian ASAP.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Bite wounds are very dangerous, particularly, when a large dog with powerful jaws bites smaller dog. The main damage is under the skin, the extend of trauma cannot be appropriated by only looking at the punctures. What's is more bite wounds are painful and almost always get infected. Please, take Buddy to your local vets as soon as possible as he may be in serious trouble.

Please have Ann examined by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER today. That wound will likely need to be explored and debrided surgically. This will require anesthesia. A culture/sensitivity and biopsy of the area should be submitted as well. The C&S will identify any bacteria as well as the best antibiotic to use in treatment. Even though she was on antibiotics, if the bacteria was not susceptible to them, they would be ineffective. A biopsy will rule out neoplasia (cancer). Either can cause delayed healing or non-healing. If infection gets into the bone, it could turn into a life threatening condition. Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking until she sees a doctor.

I can see the swelling from the pictures you posted. It appears the swelling goes form the foot all the way to the knee. I see that you live in an area where snake bite is possible. I would check thoroughly for any punctures along the entire leg and see if Diamond is painful in any particular area. If not, other causes of swelling like this could include infection, allergic reaction, trauma, cancer, among others. Sometimes swelling in an entire limb can be caused by decreased lymphatic flow - this can be caused by damage to lymph nodes or a structure under the skin or inside the body that is impinging on the lymph flow. I have also seen swelling like this with a flare-up of a mast cell tumor elsewhere on the body. I agree with your vet; if the medications prescribed to not make a difference, additional diagnostics are warranted. They may include bloodwork, abdominal x-rays, tick testing, or sampling of any small masses found.

I would recommend that you make an appointment for your veterinarian to examine Tyson and in particular this area that is worrying you. They will be able to determine if it is a mass and if further investigation is needed. This may include a fine needle aspirate of the mass (using a needle to obtain a sample of cells that can be looked at under the microscope), an incisional biopsy (where a small part of the mass is removed and examined by a pathologist) and an excisional biopsy (where the whole mass is removed and examined by a pathologist). It is always better to get lumps checked whilst they are still small to make removal easier and less invasive if that is deemed necessary.

Wow, Demi's leg is quite swollen in the pictures! She could have broken a bone, torn a ligament or muscle, or have a severe infection in the leg. Based on the amount of swelling, this is an emergency and she needs to see a vet now. please take her into one immediately to get this diagnosed and treated. Best of luck.