My dog has a neck bruise after blood work. Is it from the jugular?

This doesn't sound unreasonable, it's not always easy to get blood from the first attempt if the dog is small and not cooperating. the Jugular vein (neck) is in many cases the first choice of many veterinarians, especially with small dogs.

I’m wondering if Friday also had blood drawn for a heartworm test - the jugular vein is often used for venipuncture and bruising can be common. A platelet problem or other clotting disorder could also cause bruising. I think seeing your vet is a good idea.

I am sorry to hear about Koda. It sounds like there may be some bruising from the blood draw, which can occasionally happen, especially in little dogs with tiny blood bessels. If he isn't bothered by it, you can just leave the area alone and monitor it for increased swelling or pain. If he has some discomfort you can apply a cold compress/ice pack to the area for 10-15 minutes every few hours. If the area becomes more swollen or increasingly painful then notify your vet, but this would be rare.

There should not be a bruise from a chest x-ray. Your dog may have struggled while being steadied for the x-ray but even then there should be no bruise. You will need to take Roy back to the vet and show him the bruise. Actually this may be a hematoma from taking blood from the jugular vein. But even for that this is too big and needs to be investigated. Your dog could have a coagulation disorder causing this after a needle stick for blood work.

For a urinalysis, we usually draw urine directly from the bladder by inserting a needle through the abdomen. It's difficult to see exactly where this bruising is, but it appears to be where the needle would have been inserted and is likely the reason for the bruising. The needle can cause some damage and leaking of local blood vessels, which will give this bruise appearance. If Wolfgang is otherwise acting normal, then I would not be concerned about this. If Wolfgang seems to be acting sick, or the bruising appears to be getting larger, then I would be more concerned and recommend a visit to the emergency vet. I hope that helps and Wolfgang gets better soon.

This could be a hematoma (when blood vessels burst and cause a blood-filled blister.) from being poked three times for blood. Typically these are not something to worry about and resolve on their own. Do not try to squeeze, and keep an eye on it. If it gets bigger or doesn't appear to be resolving over the next week, I'd take Oxley into the vet. I hope this helps!

Hello there, Did Casanova have blood drawn today while he was there? This could be a completely normal bruise from a common blood draw site. Another possibility is an insect sting to cause small swelling like this. It is difficult to appreciate the swelling and color changes from the picture, as many light furred pets have dark skin and this can be normal. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.