What to do if my puppy's face is swollen, lethargic, and shaking?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Blu. Poor boy. It could be an allergic reaction that he is suffering from, and my main concern is that his face looks swollen. If his face swells too much, it could cut off his trachea, leading to respiratory distress. I would take him into a vet immediately to get checked out. Best of luck.

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.

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!

These are signs of an acute allergic reaction and immediate check up would be required to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Steroids and antihistaminic drugs are very likely to be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor Bruno! I'd be concerned he could be suffering from an allergic reaction. It could also possibly be from the injury he suffered two days before. I would take him into a vet now to get this checked out. Best of luck.

I would keep a close eye on it, but she doesn't need to be rushed to an emergency clinic unless she's lethargic, refusing to eat, or the swelling is getting noticeably worse. This could be something as mild as a bug bite or previously unnoticed injury (particularly if she happens to live with a cat, but she could have scrapped herself on something a few days ago without it being obvious). It could also be the start of something more serious called Puppy Strangles. Because of the possibility of Puppy Strangles, I would recommend a check up at the vet tomorrow (or an emergency clinic tonight if you notice the changes mentioned above). Here is some additional information about Puppy Strangles: https://www.caninejournal.com/puppy-strangles-treatment-cost/

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Those images could either be a bite that is infected, or could be a very enlarged lymph node and a condition called 'puppy strangles' where the lymph nodes swell up. Either way, it looks very serious and requires medical attention. The treatment for these two different conditions is very different and treatment for one could make the other much worse. I recommend you bring your puppy to a veterinarian right away for treatment. Best of luck with your little one, I hope he feels better soon!