Dog fight: Swollen face & peeing accidents. Is vet needed?

Poor Bow! If she was bitten in the face and throat, she could have developed an abscess (a local pocket of infection) from the bites. This commonly happens from dog bites. It's quite serious that these areas have swollen up so much they look like a big balloon, and it could negatively affect her breathing. She absolutely has to see a vet today for this issue so she can be treated. Please bring her into a vet now. As for the fighting, if they both are not spayed, it could be related to hormones. I recommend discussing spaying both of them with your vet. I hope this helps!

These are signs of an acute allergic reaction and immediate check up would be required to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Steroids and antihistaminic drugs are very likely to be needed. 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.

Cats can definitely inflict damage in a fight. cats can also carry and cause disease to the animals that they do injure. Because of the swelling, especially in the throat area, I urge you to take your dog to a veterinarian as soon as possible so that they can start appropriate treatment. I am worried that there may be a large abscess that is accumulating around the throat area and it may impair breathing. I believe it is simply too risky to wait to see if this will just pass. I hope this helps and that you were able to see the vet as soon as possible.

I am sorry to hear about Stitch. Based on your description I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. I would be concerned about possible head trauma/brain injury, injury to the eyes which can be very delicate and if left untreated can result in permanent damage/loss of vision. It also sounds like she has significant swelling of the face. This is likely very painful even if your cat is not showing obvious pain (cats are very good at hiding pain) imagine if you had been mauled as your cat had. The vet can prescribe pain medication to help Stitch feel more comfortable, antibiotics if needed to prevent infection, and may also booster Stitch's rabies vaccine if it has not been done recently and this dog is of unknown vaccine status.

Since this is still going on and not getting better, you need to take her to the vet as soon as possible. There are a number of injuries she could have, including fractures to her head or neck that are likely responsible for the pain and the droopy face and swelling. She could have a broken or displaced jaw that causes pain, making her reluctant to eat. This doesn't seem to be improving so she needs medical attention right away. Your vet will do an exam, x-rays, possibly additional labwork, and based on these results, will be better able to tell you what is going on and how best to treat it.

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!

I am sorry to hear about Pepper! A swollen face can be caused by a variety of issues, including an allergic reaction, a bite from an insect, or an abscessed tooth to name a few. These are all treated with different medications, so it is recommended to bring Pepper in to the vet to examine her to determine what is causing the swelling and how best to treat her. If the swelling is increasing in size or she is struggling to breath it is a medical emergency and she should be seen immediately.