My dog was attacked by another dog, now his bite has swollen severely, what do I do, what can I do?

Question

He was attacked and I took him to the vet, they didn't put a drain in his bites and now it has swollen to almost the size of a baseball. It's filled with liquids and looks horrible, although it doesn't seem to hurt him. I am planning on taking him to the vet in the morning, but I would like to know if this is common, what the vet will do, etc.... THANKS

Answer 1

Wow it sounds like it is infected. The vet will most likely get the dog on antibiotics and possibly drain the fluid from the bite site! Poor dog.

I would do nothing uintil you get the dog back into the vets.
Good luck!

Answer 2

ok so this sounds like the bite wound has turned in an abscess. This is not uncommon and it doesn't mean the vet did anything wrong. This has to be treated by the veterinarian. That fluid you are seeing is probably pus which usually indicated infection.

Not all vets treat these the same so I will just tell you what my veterinarian does. They sedate the dog and open the abcess to drain the fluid. Depending on the wound, the vet may put in a small plastic drain. Then the dog would be put on antibiotics and maybe even pain medication for the next week or so.

For the night, you can use warm compresses with a warm washcloth. But please take him to the vet in the morning asap.

Answer 3

Do nothing tonight, you said yourself it doesn't seem to hurt him. Bites will swell, so that is not unusual. They often become infected and the vet will have to go back in an and drain the wound. Your vet should have put your dog on antibiotics immediately. Did he give your dog a shot when you had him in there? Did he send you home with a prescription for antibiotics? If not, I think I might take him to a different vet tommorrow. Antibiotics is standard procedure for any type of bite.

Tonight just try to keep him calm and resting. If he has a crate, use it, to keep him from too much movement. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Answer 4

Sounds like it turned into a abscess (filled with blood, puss and fluid). Yes, it IS normal. The Vet will likely put a drain in this time and put him on antibiotics. Hopefully you reported the bite, the owners of the other dogs can be held responsible for Vet bills. If they were decent people, they would have already offered. ALWAYS report all bites to your local animal control.

Answer 5

It could be a number of different things. As long as your dog is acting ok and you are taking him to the vet in the am he should be ok and there isn't much you can do. If the dog starts acting like the wound is hurting him, call the vet (some have a 24/7 emergency line) and ask them if there is anything you can do or give to your dog till morning.
Just try to keep him comfortable and not too active so as not to injure himself any further.

Good Luck and I hope your dog gets better soon.

Answer 6

It sounds like an abcess filled with pus/fluid. The vet will have to lance and drain it, then flush it out. Hopefully your dog is on antibiotics. He may need to be on them for several weeks. The dog may need to be sedated for this procedure as well. Bacterria from a bite wound gets pushed below the skin, where it multiplys rapidly, often causing severe infection.

Answer 7

Good for you, taking the dog to the vet!

So many people here post "what do I do" and never bother with the vet. That seems totally clueless.

Dogs are very stoic, and often show no discomfort at infections or injuries that would frighten a person. I hope you pup recovers quickly

Answer 8

If he will let you, place warm wet compress on the swelling......soak a small wash cloth or wash cloth in very warm tap water, place on your skin - its good to use if it is not really hot. Lay it on the swelling and leave it there for 10 min.....you can repeat it as often as you and your dog wants it.

If its infected, they vet may place a penrose drain to allow the pus to drain. If your dog has been on on antibiotics, it may be serum collected in the traumatized tissues. Its good you are taking him to the vet tomorrow.

Also, call and check on the vaccine status of the other dog involved in the fight. Your dog is covered, right?

Answer 9

That doesn't sound good...it's sounds like some kind of infection or reaction....it's best to take your dog back to the vet to find out what's wrong....hope your dog gets well soon.

Answer 10

Infection, call your vet, if not open call an er vet now, needs antibiotics to keep from getting really bad......

please call....and make sure other dog has had all of its shots, has your dog also...