My dog's face is swollen a day after distemper shot. Is it normal?

Swelling of the face and mouth/facial swelling are often initial symptoms of an anaphylactic/allergic reaction. These reactions can occur in dogs after vaccines, after exposure to a food or substance they are allergic to, or after a bite from an insect. As it is impossible to predict whether an anaphylactic reaction will remain localized or progress to trouble breathing, which can be life threatening, it is safest to contact a 24 hour vet for Bella at this time to have her seen. The ER may recommend a treatment plan including anti-histamines, corticosteroids +/- epinephrine and montitoring until the selling has gone down. They will also likely recommend an at home dose for Benadryl after establishing a valid patient/client relationship if this should occur again as it is uncertain at this point what Bella is allergic to. Wishing Bella a quick recovery!

It is only dangerous if the swelling is causing her to have difficulty breathing. Getting her to a vet is the best option but if you want to try something at home you can give Benadryl by mouth at 1mg per pound of body weight (example, if she is 25 pounds, she would get 25 mg). Always let the vet know when she is vaccinated in the future that she had a previous reaction.

A sudden swollen face is usuaally caused by some allergy, either an insect bite or an environmental allergy, or could also be a rattle snake bite. Check for oozing little wounds, there would be a little blood oozing but not coagulating. If you find those on the head, your dog likely was bitten by a snake and needs to be seen by a vet right away. If your dog has breathing problems, vomits or is lethargic, he should also be seen by a veterinarian right away. If he is happy, eats and drinks, you can observe the swelling and it should go down within 24 hours. Of course you can also take him to the vet if he is not in distress. The vet will give him an exam and likely an antihistamine and/or steroid injection.

Check and see if he has any scratches or cuts that need to be cleaned. If he does, clean them gently with a clean washcloth and tap water. Do not use hydrogen peroxide as this will be very irritating to the damaged skin and if it gets in his eyes it could cause damage to his cornea. You can use some dilute Betadine (available at any pharmacy-- put some water in a cup and add just enough Betadine so that it looks like tea) if you are wanting to use something that is an antiseptic (kills bacteria). You can give him some Benadryl, as the swelling could be due to an allergic reaction from the bush. See the attached article for dosing information. If he is pawing at his face, put an E-collar (cone of shame) own him so he doesn't scratch his skin or eyes. If he isn't looking better in the morning, or if he is getting more uncomfortable, more swollen, or starts vomiting or showing any other symptoms, seek emergency veterinary care. https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/benadryl/ Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Hello, thank you for your question about Norman. Based on the symptoms you are describing it sounds like Norman is having an allergic reaction. If he received his vaccinations on Thursday, it is unlikely that he is just now having a reaction to the vaccine. Most reactions occur within 24 hours after vaccination. However, some small dogs can be more sensitive when receiving multiple vaccinations. Based on what you've listed, the Lepto vaccine is the one that is most likely to cause a reaction because of the vaccine formulation. It is possible that there is something else leading to the reaction - such as something in his environment (insect, spider, etc). If he continues to have swollen and itchy eyes in spite of the Benadryl I would recommend having him seen by a veterinarian so that they can administer injectable medications to help with this reaction. Hope this helps, good luck!

If the Benadryl was effective, I would have expected to see a reduction in the swelling by now. Sometimes allergic reactions require stronger drugs to treat such a steroids, and it sounds like this may be the cause for Moose. Because the swelling hasn't reduced and the reaction appears to be progressing, it's time to see a vet immediately. Please take him into an ER vet clinic if your regular vet is closed; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Hello and thank you very much for your question. What you were most likely experiencing is an injection site reaction. D’s can sometimes go away within 24 to 48 hours for these can stay for months. Sometimes these reactions can also be painful and elicit other immune responses such as difficulty breathing, etc. My best advice is to contact the veterinary clinic that administered the injections and tell them what you are experiencing. What most likely will happen is that they may want to re-examine your animal and possibly give you some topical or oral or injectable medication to offset the inflammation. Generally, these appointments do not cost anything and be makers of the vaccine take care of the costs associated. But this all depends on the veterinarian and the clinic involved. So I Urge you to call the veterinary clinic and schedule an appointment as soon as possible to get this lump checked out. We really appreciate you using our service. I hope I have helped.