My dog's bite wound is swollen and hot. Should I take her to the vet?

Hello. Many bite wounds can lie quiet for a couple of days until an infection sets in. Then, things seem to get worse in a short period of time. Once your vet gets the area cleaned up & antibiotics are started, Alfie should heal very quickly. In the meantime, you can try applying warm compresses to the swollen cheek. The water should be quite warm & if you can do this for 5-10 minutes a couple of times a day until his appointment, this will be helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear this. Dog attacks can be quite stressful. The main problem with bite wounds is that you have to let the wounds declare themselves before knowing exactly what is going to happen at the end. It sounds like Zara's wound got infected and has now formed an abscess. She can develop a fever from this and this can make her feel quite sick. Also, it would be ideal to know the true extent of her injuries. For this reason, I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Your veterinarian would be able to prescribe medications for pain control and also antibiotics to treat her infection which is the only way it can resolve. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

Antibiotics and anti inflammatory medications are needed to speed up recovery time and resolve the swelling completely. Dinsifection must be provided as well with hibiscrub or betadine diluted. I would recommend an immediate check up at your local vet practice.

Oh no, poor Amanti! He needs to see a vet immediately. If one of the puncture wounds is oozing and the other is hot, it sounds like they are infected which requires antibiotics from the vet to treat. He needs to have these wounds cleaned and treated. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pogo. You can try applying warm compresses such as a warm washcloth to the wound for 3-5 mins up to 3 times per day if he will tolerate it. The swelling may be the result of local tissue damage or it could be from an abscess starting to form under the skin. This is a common side effect with bite wounds. The teeth inoculate bacteria deep under the skin when a dog is bit. The bacteria become trapped as the overlying skin rapidly heals. This will create the abscess. I hope this information helps!

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.

Poor guy. The fluid that you describe certainly sounds like infection. I would try to schedule a sooner appt with your regular vet to get Louie on another stronger type of antibiotic to help resolve this. For now you can flush the area with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water to help reduce the bacteria load until you can get him seen by your vet. He should be able to heal well after changing antibiotics. Best wishes with Louie moving forward. Take care.