Why is my stray dog panting and hot with a leg wound after a fight?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bolt. You will need to stop him from scratching the wound. He can wear an E-collar if the wound is near his face. A tshirt may be useful if it is on his body. I would contact his veterinarian today as panting can be a sign of pain. He may require adjustments or additional pain medications. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

If thick brown puss is coming from a wound I would recommend bringing him to a vet as soon as possible. If it ends up being nothing major at least they can provide him pain medication to help him feel better. I would want him to get some care tonight since it sounds like the incision may be infected and he may be in pain. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

How lovely of you to take in this dog! This panting could be due to stress, pain, or a medical condition like heart disease. If you don't want to keep her, take her into the shelter in the morning; otherwise, have her seen by a vet tomorrow should you want to keep her.

Normal temperature in dogs can be up to 102.5 degrees so I don't think he has a fever, but the heavy panting and increase in water intake can indicate he is in pain or has an issue such as metabolic disease causing distress and symptoms. It would be best to bring him to your vet, especially if he also has sores or skin issues in addition to these symptoms. Your vet will likely want to do some tests such as bloodwork to help determine the cause of all his symptoms and get him on the right treatment plan.

It looks like he sustained a wound into the chest which may be why there is trouble breathing (pneumothorax). Damage may have been done to the lungs. This is not something you can treat at home. He needs to see a vet. ( https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/pneumothorax/ )

I can understand being worried about Buddy. It sounds like there are a few things going on with him. Constantly licking his paws could be due to something such as allergies, an injury, infection, parasites, anxiety, or even boredom. The heavy panting could be due to heat, pain, or a severe medical problem like heart disease. I'm not sure how old he is, but heart disease can be a common problem in older dogs, and when the heart isn't pumping properly due to heart disease, it leads to fluid build up in the lungs, consequently leading to panting. Without seeing him in person, I can't say what is going on for sure with him, but I agree it does sound worrying. I think it's best you have him seen by a vet now for a health check to be safe. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Storm! I wonder if the medications Storm was put on for the hot spot are causing the panting. Steroids are commonly prescribed for hot spots because it reduces the inflammation, itch and dries them out. Prednisone definitely makes dogs pant! If Storm is on steroids then the panting should resolve as the steroids are tapered. I hope this helps!