My dog has a swollen bump on his head. Should I ice or see a vet?

Ice the swelling area for 5 minutes three times per day for the next 2 days. You can apply a topical antibiotic ointment to the wound. If the dog is off balance, had a head tilt, won't eat, etc. then he needs to see a vet. The swelling could be a blood clot or an abscess that the vet needs to drain.

Well that's pretty odd! It could be a bug bug, a minor trauma outside while running around (so basically a big blood blister), or even the start of hives from an allergic reaction (but it would be an usual hive). A mass wouldn't show up so quickly. I would recommend monitoring Reggie closely for the next few hours to make sure it's not getting worse. If no changes, call your vet in the morning to schedule an appointment, but if keeps getting bigger or you notice any more changes in Reggie, head to an emergency clinic.

A bump can be any number of things from an insect bite to infection/abscess, cyst or adnormal growth. If it is growing rapidly, is painful or changes in color or size quickly I would have Skookum checked by a vet.

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.

Hello. A localized swelling like this in a relatively young dog is probably just some kind of allergic reaction. I agree with you that it is probably from an insect sting or bite. If Buddy will allow it, you can apply a cool compress or an ice cube wrapped in a wash cloth for as long as he will tolerate it. If it is not significantly down by tomorrow, you may want your vet to take a look, but there does not seem to be anything very worrisome about this. Just watch for any changes over the rest of the evening. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

Ouch, poor Ruthie! It could take from a week to two weeks for the bump to go down fully. Keep an eye on it, and if it doesn't go down or gets bigger, I would take her into the vet. Best of luck, I hope this helps!