My dog was bitten by a bug and now has a swollen lump. What to do?

Hello. A mass as you are describing could be from a bug bite, and if so the swelling should go away in about 48 hours. If the swelling continues past that time then I would be worried about an abscess/cyst/tumor. If it isn't painful or bothering her, and it continues to get smaller then you can monitor it, however if it doesn't go away, gets bigger, gets hard, or becomes painful, then I would recommend you have it seen and tested with a "Fine needle aspirate". Good luck with Bella.

That snout does look swollen. It is best to take her to your vet ASAP as you are doing as swelling of the face, neck, or head can quickly get serious. Your vet can give her a shot to help reduce the swelling quickly while they help find the cause of it. Bee stings and other insect bites can definitely cause swelling that quickly, especially if Candy ate a bee or wasp!

If it is a bug bite, the swelling should go down after a few hours. If it does not, I would be more worried about a skin tumor or an infection. Keep Scruffy from licking the area by having him wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Have him examined by the veterinarian if the swelling persists. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Laika and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. I see what you mean about the swelling, it is quite pronounced! This could be from a bug bite or it could be an allergic reaction. Oftentimes Benadryl is not strong enough to treat these issues, and stronger drugs like steroids may be needed. The best thing to do for her is take her into a vet immediately to get this treated. I hope this helps!

That may be a black fly bite. If that is the case, it should not be itchy (normally), should not bother Lily and should resolve on its own without treatment. If the area is becoming swollen, enlarging or appearing to spread, then Lily should see your veterinarian. Otherwise, the areas tend to fade on their own. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=7986755 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Poor girl. Sometimes Benadryl can be tried in pets with an acute allergic reaction to insect bites with success. You can also try applying a cold compress on the swollen area for 5-10 minutes (if allowed) to reduce the swelling. As long as the swelling improves and does not spread over the next 24 hrs, and Sophia does not have any systemic effects (i..e lethargy, pale gums, heavy breathing, swelling around the neck), then she can potentially recover from this with antihistamines (i.e. diphenhydramine) alone. However some pets will require a steroid shot to stop the reaction, which your vet should be able to give Sophia if needed.

A sudden swollen face is usuaally caused by some allergy, either an insect bite or an environmental allergy, or could also be a rattle snake bite. Check for oozing little wounds, there would be a little blood oozing but not coagulating. If you find those on the head, your dog likely was bitten by a snake and needs to be seen by a vet right away. If your dog has breathing problems, vomits or is lethargic, he should also be seen by a veterinarian right away. If he is happy, eats and drinks, you can observe the swelling and it should go down within 24 hours. Of course you can also take him to the vet if he is not in distress. The vet will give him an exam and likely an antihistamine and/or steroid injection.