Dog bite: How to check for hidden injuries if my dog seems okay?

This requires immediate veterinary check up as disinfections, antibiotics and stitch up procedure are required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi. Good photo. It is hard to know if this is a bug/arachnid bite or something else. It does look very inflamed and infected. I would recommend getting him in for a check and some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

Oh dear, poor Jack! Dog bite wounds can become infected quickly and can cause far more damage under the skin than is visible on the surface. I strongly recommend taking Jack to his vet for evaluation since surgery can be necessary for many bite wounds to assure that the wound is clean, tissue is healthy, and that underlying organs and structures have not been damaged. The vet will also likely prescribe antibiotics (cephalexin, cefpodoxime, amoxicillin-clavulinic acid are typically used in these cases) and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (such as carprofen, deracoxib, or meloxicam) if his liver and kidney blood values are normal. The vet will also likely recommend an e-collar (cone) to prevent Jack from licking or scratching at the wound, unless the collar would directly rub on the wound and cause further irritation. I hope this helps and that Jack feels better soon!

Poor guy. Bite wounds often are left open in small areas to allow the infection to drain out before it then heals over by 2nd intention healing. I would only suggest covering this with a loose t-shirt for now. As long as there are no signs of infection (yellow or purulent discharge with a foul odor) and no large gaping openings (typically >2 cm), then it should be ok to wait until Monday to get him checked again by your vet. Based on the picture I don't see any majorly open wounds there. You can safely flush this area with sterile saline from your local pharmacy to help keep infection at bay since the wounds are slightly open. But again, dog bite woulds can be left often for the first few days to allow draining to occur before things heal up on their own with granulation tissue that the body will make itself. I do hope that Aussie's wounds heal up well soon! Best of luck moving forward and take care.

That looks like a deep infection and I recommend to have Lori examined by the veterinarian. Sometimes these infections are related to a bacteria or yeast infection. They can also be related to skin mites or an autoimmune condition. Generally deep infection require antibiotics. It’s very important to make sure you protect the area from any licking or scratching as this will make it worse. The doctor may recommend a few simple diagnostics to determine the cause of the infection and then provide appropriate treatment. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I am sorry to hear about your dog! I would recommend bringing him in to his vet to examine the wound if it is not improving. It probably needs to be shaved and cleaned (I cannot see the actual wound in the photo so assume it is covered in fur and the wet area on the cheek). Often bites are puncture wounds and are deep and sometimes do require antibiotics to treat infection.

I see that this question was posted 1 day ago, but can't see the exact time, so it's possible you've already been to the vet! In general for skin issues, if it's not actively bleeding, not causing intense pain, and not rapidly worsening, and not accompanied by other issues (such as vomiting, extreme lethargy), then it can wait until the next day for evaluation. I hope you and Leo have gotten all sorted out!