My dog has a swollen bite. What is it and how should I treat it?

If Lila is having an allergic reaction to a bug or bee sting, the swelling will go away on its own within a few hours. It is an emergency if her throat is swollen and she has trouble breathing. If she seems really miserable, you can take her to an emergency vet for Benadryl and steroid injections which take the swelling down pretty quickly.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see that Savie is having a problem. This looks like a pustule or pus filled pimple. It could also be a cyst or other swelling. This could certainly be from an insect sting, spider bite, puncture wound, skin infection, etc. I would advise warm compressing the area 2-3 times daily with a warm cloth to see if you can get the area to come to a head and drain. You could also try placing some warm water and Epsom Salts in a basin and make her stand in the water for 5-10 minutes a few times daily. You may need to get her an E collar to prevent her from licking it and prevent the healing. If this lesion gets worse, spreads, or other signs develop, please have your vet take a look at her. They can get a detailed history and perform a physical exam. Diagnostics probably won't be needed unless the situation changes. Your vet can advise you on a sound treatment approach if needed. Good luck with Savie and I hope this resolves without complication

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Feliz and for providing a picture, it's very helpful Black fly bites look awful, as the one in the picture on him shows, but they are not dangerous and typically heal on their own with no intervention. Sometimes they can be itchy to the dog, but typically it just looks really bad but causes no pain or issues. I hope this helps.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Gracie. Yes they do look like black fly bites, but there is no treatment for them. To prevent them, you need to clean up your yard of anything that attracts flies such as dog poop. Pick up all the dog poop, and throw it away in a closed trash can. Keep the trash can closed and locked if possible to prevent flies from coming there. Use a fly spray to kill any flies in the home. I hope this helps!

This looks like swelling from an insect bite that Bella may have been rubbing. As it's not overly inflamed I would just monitor it. If it becomes bigger it may be getting infected and Bella will need a veterinary exam and antibiotics. As it's so close to the eye itself please do not use anything on it. I expect it to resolve in a few days. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bella.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! It appears that the pink target lesion is a black fly bite. If it is, it should fade in 3 days. It doesn't cause any pain and isn't anything to be worried about. If more areas pop up and he isn't outside then he should be seen by a Vet. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&catId=102899&id=7986755 Have a great day!

It is possible, though it looks more like it could be a bacterial infection. Ideally, take her in to the vet for an exam so that the proper treatment can be determined. If you want to try something at home, you can try this product: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-wound-and-skin-care-for-dogs However, if it is not improving within a few days, please get her in to see your vet. Thanks for asking PetCoach!