My dog's cheek is swollen on one side. Is it an injury or allergy?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is very hard to tell from the image if the face is swollen on one side or not as we can't see both sides and don't know what his normal face looks like. That being said, if there is generalized (not a specific or discreet area) swelling of the muzzle, +/- around the eyes, +/- the ears, this is more consistent with a bee sting or insect bite and allergic reaction. This can be itchy as well. I would look for areas of hives or raised bumps on his body elsewhere. Ideally he would go to a vet to get a couple injections, one of a steroid (depending on how bad the swelling is and what other medications he is on, steroids can be very dangerous) and an anti-histamine. Without an exam by a vet, you shouldn't give any human medications to dogs, as the drugs may interact with medications he is on or conditions he might have. You vet might prescribe an anti-histamine (Benedryl is a common product used in the US. You MUST make sure diphenhydramine is the ONLY active ingredient as other human medications that are sometimes in anti-histamines can be very dangerous to dogs. The dose for a dog Hercules' size would be about 50-100mg by mouth up to three times a day). Other causes of swelling/lumps would be a bump or hit and swelling, infection, he could have something in his mouth, etc. If it is small lump/swelling and he doesn't seem bothered by it, the best thing to do might be to just monitor it for now. If it doesn't get bigger/more swollen or the swelling doesn't spread, then you can just keep an eye on it. If it isn't gone by 24-48 hours have it seen by a vet. Best of luck with Hercules, I hope he feels better soon.

Oh wow that is very swollen. This could be due to a dental problem or it could be an allergic reaction. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain what is causing it. I can say it's swollen enough to need an immediate vet visit. I strongly urge you to take her into a vet right away to get this diagnosed and treated. Best of luck.

This sounds like an allergic reaction to possibly an insect bite or some other allergen. If your dog has respiratory problems (breathing difficulty) she needs to be seen by a veterinarian or in a Pet ER for an exam right away. If she has no trouble breathing you can observe this and the swelling should go away within 24 hours. However if it does not, take Dimond to a veterinarian tomorrow.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Based on the swelling's location, this is possibly due to a tooth root abscess. This is something your veterinarian could check for on an examination and treat if confirmed. This is something that is treated with local therapy including drainage, debridement and antibiotics. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. Many bite wounds can lie quiet for a couple of days until an infection sets in. Then, things seem to get worse in a short period of time. Once your vet gets the area cleaned up & antibiotics are started, Alfie should heal very quickly. In the meantime, you can try applying warm compresses to the swollen cheek. The water should be quite warm & if you can do this for 5-10 minutes a couple of times a day until his appointment, this will be helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is definitely suspicious of an abscess. I've also seen trauma (hit their face on something hard) cause fluid swelling that looks the same, so hopefully this is the case rather than an abscess. Either way, it's not an emergency and he is safe to wait until morning to see the vet. I hope that helps and Ace gets better soon.

Your dog may have an injury caused by some of the chew sticks, or a broken tooth. Other possibilities could be an abscess, or an insect bite, allergy or trauma. If the swelling does not go down by itself within 24 hrs, you should take your dog to a veterinarian for an exam. Please do not give aspirin to your dog as it could cause gastric ulcers, bleeding ulcers and coagulation disorders.