My new puppy hit her head. Is a bump a concussion or just swelling?

Head trauma is always a cause for concern. Since this happened yesterday, there should have been some improvement with your pup if he suffered an injury such as a mild concussion. Sleeping a lot is not so much of a concern since young puppies normally sleep most of the day, but if you also see signs such as unresponsiveness, a head tilt, circling while walking, unequal pupil size, twitching of the eyes, ataxia (wobbly gait) or [vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/vomiting-1/) then he should be [seen by a veterinarian immediately](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-handle-a-pet-emergency/). If there is a bump, it may be a seroma (blood filled sac). This can treated by your veterinarian by either draining the area or trying a veterinary anti-inflammatory medication. Do not medicate him with anything OTC without the advice of your veterinarian as [many OTC drugs can be toxic](https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-human-medications-that-are-dangerous-for-your-pet) to dogs.

It is usually cause by hitting the head on something hard or bu an insect bite. monitor it for 3-4 days to make sure the swelling is going down, if it doesn't please take him to your vet in order to get it checked.

First, great pictures and highlighting of the lump! This appears to be a fluid-filled lump. Usually puppies get these when they bang their head on something and then fluid accumulated under the skin. However, I do worry about congenital defects that could cause accumulation of CNS fluid under the skin. If Thor is otherwise acting and looking normal, then either way, it's not an emergency. If he is acting weird, then best to have a veterinarian check him out. If it was just a bump, then the swelling will start going down within a couple of days. If it continues to grow, then it would be concerning enough to make an appointment with a vet. An easy way to detect growth or shrinking is to draw around the edge to the swelling with a magic marker. It will look silly, but it's really easy to tell if the border of the swelling has moved. I hope this helps.

My concern would be that the other dog may have bitten Hope on the head. Keep an eye on the swelling. If it is getting larger, if it starts to leak fluid, or if she isn't going back to a normal attitude when she wakes up from her nap, she needs to be examined by a vet right away as brain swelling could be fatal.

Hi I can see the swelling on Deijah's head. There are a few possibilities in a young dog : could she have bumped her head and now has a bruise swelling? Some skin cysts can look like this also. occasionally I see spider bites that develop into abscesses that can appear quickly. Does she seem painful when it is touched? If it's not going down in 1or2 days, you should take her to your vet for an exam.

Vomiting after an head trauma might be concerning. I recommend to bring her to the vet for a physical and neurological examinations to exclude brain damages (i.e. concussion). Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

One of the most common causes of these harder swellings, particularly in rambunctious puppies, is a subperiosteal hematoma (aka "coffee table bump"). The vet will likely recommend skull x-rays for Nala to assure that there is no damage to the bones of the skull. If a subperiosteal hematoma is diagnosed, these fortunately tend to improve over time without any significant intervention. In the future, avoid using aspirin in Nala because it can cause bleeding issues and stomach ulcers in dogs. If Nala needs pain medications, her vet will be able to prescribe safer alternatives. I hope that all goes well!