My dog was bitten in the mouth. How long to heal & avoid infection?

Great question! There would immediately be bacteria in the wound from the bite due to bacteria in the mouth. The antibiotics should prevent the growth and spread of the bacteria. Keep the wound clean and dry and it should heal quickly. Good luck and kisses to Pepper!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That wound looks deep. I don't know if oral antibiotics and topical medications will be enough to treat them. This wound may take weeks to heal but oral antibiotics will not be necessary the entire time. I recommend taking Cutie to a vet to explore the wound and see if surgical repair is a better treatment option. Also, not all oral antibiotics are treated the same so the ones you are using may not be beneficial for this wound. A vet can help determine the best treatment. Good luck and kisses to Cutie!

It is possible it is a bite or sting, or an infection. A veterinarian would also need to look inside her mouth at her teeth and the inner surface of the lip. For what it is worth, there should not be leftover antibiotics unless the veterinarian told you to stop giving them. And I definitely do not recommend giving them without being instructed by your veterinarian. Antibiotic resistance is a big problem that can be made worse by giving them when they aren't needed, or stopping them before they have been finished. If Roxy is pawing at the face, rubbing the area, I definitely recommend having it looked at to determine if it seems more likely to be infection or allergic reaction. If this just popped up and doesn't seem to be distressing her, you could wait 24 hours to see if it goes away. If she will let you, an ice cube can be rubbed over the area to decrease inflammation.

If the mouth sore is caused by a bacteria than the antibiotics should help to heal the sores. Typically, antibiotics are used for 10 to 14 days. If the ulcer is still persisting after the 10 days than call your vet and give him an update. If it is not caused by a bacterial infection than the antibiotics will probably not help. Your vet could get a biopsy if needed to determine the exact cause of the lesion.

Clavamox is the most commonly used antibiotic in the world for dog bites (also in humans by the way). it's rare but sometimes clavamox won't work in such a case, my next antibiotic choices would be Metronidazole or Cephalexin. you will still need to get them from your vet though.

Oh dear, poor Jack! Dog bite wounds can become infected quickly and can cause far more damage under the skin than is visible on the surface. I strongly recommend taking Jack to his vet for evaluation since surgery can be necessary for many bite wounds to assure that the wound is clean, tissue is healthy, and that underlying organs and structures have not been damaged. The vet will also likely prescribe antibiotics (cephalexin, cefpodoxime, amoxicillin-clavulinic acid are typically used in these cases) and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (such as carprofen, deracoxib, or meloxicam) if his liver and kidney blood values are normal. The vet will also likely recommend an e-collar (cone) to prevent Jack from licking or scratching at the wound, unless the collar would directly rub on the wound and cause further irritation. I hope this helps and that Jack feels better soon!

No, it's not safe to give Rex your other dog's medication, as it may not be the correct antibiotic for the bacteria in the dog's mouth that bit him. If the laceration isn't big or deep and the bleeding has stopped, you can wait to take him into the vet until the morning. The vet can examined the laceration, and give an appropriate antibiotic. If the laceration is deep, or the bleeding isn't stopping, you will need to take Rex into the vet now.