My dog was bitten, face swelling spreading. Is his airway at risk?

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.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Oh my, that is quite swollen, and I'd be concerned that this swelling could increase and affect her breathing. This is a medical emergency and cannot be treated at home. Please take her into a vet immediately to get this treated. Best of luck.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Those images could either be a bite that is infected, or could be a very enlarged lymph node and a condition called 'puppy strangles' where the lymph nodes swell up. Either way, it looks very serious and requires medical attention. The treatment for these two different conditions is very different and treatment for one could make the other much worse. I recommend you bring your puppy to a veterinarian right away for treatment. Best of luck with your little one, I hope he feels better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend having this treated sooner rather than later and get in as soon as you can to have this taken care of. This appears to be an abscess and has ruptured. This needs to be drained and flushed out with an antiseptic solution as well as having him placed on oral antibiotics. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the picture, this could be a mass of some type or due to an insect bite. If this does not resolve within 24-48 hours, then I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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.

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!