Dog bite: Jaw still swollen after antibiotics. Should I see vet again?

It should resolve with the treatment described. If not, recheck with your veterinarian. If it is an abscess, it may need to be lanced and drained. You should also confirm the entire tooth and roots has been removed. A bit of tooth root left behind may cause infection.

I wouldn't say that you can rule out an abscess, on the contrary, if it got better after antibiotic treatment, it's likely to be a tooth abscess. the antibiotic may solve the problem but you cannot know in advance, you need to finish the antibiotic course and wait a few weeks to see if it comes back or not. if it comes back he will need a dental procedure, and by the way he is nowhere too old for anesthesia, a few weeks ago one of my oldest patients, a cat 23 years of age, went through a small procedure under general anesthesia without any issues.

This swelling is likely edema from the inflammation or infection, You should finish giving the antibiotics prescribed by your vet. If the swelling is still there when you have finished the course of antibiotics, you should take your dog back to the vet for a recheck. This actually does not look very bad, as it is neither red, nor painful nor looks abnormal other than the edema/swelling.

From the photo, it does look like there is a slight reduction in the swelling but this seems like a slower response than expected. Keep in mind every pet is different and every pet responds differently but I recommend to call your veterinarian. Ask about sending in the photos and describe what you are seeing. They may want to examined Stormie again. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If there is swelling and it feels hot to the touch and painful then these are signs that infection is present (bite wounds/punctures are unfortunately prone to infeciton) and oral antibiotics are likely needed. I would make an appointment with your vet to get the wound examined. In the meantime, applying an ice pack to the area for 10 minutes every few hours may provide some relief to the pain (be sure to wrap the ice pack in a thin cloth/towel so it isn't directly on the skin).

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.

Thank you for submitting your question. I'm sorry to hear about the dog fight. I'm concerned that her face is still swollen this many days after the fight. There is a chance an abscess has now formed. Bacteria are introduced under the skin with the bite. The skin tends to heal over the wound trapping the bacteria under the skin. If the infection grows, a swelling known as an abscess forms. This will likely require antibiotics, if not surgery to heal. Your dog will need to see a veterinarian. In the meantime, you can try warm compresses at home. Apply a warm washcloth to the swollen area for 5 minutes three times per day. I hope this information!