yikes - bit by something, face swollen, pics...ack

[Kristi]

I fed the dogs breakfast, we went outside, then I was working on baiting Charm and Leah...Oakley of course was there 'begging' and baiting in her own way and about 2 minutes into baiting I notice it looks like Oakley has something in her mouth?? So I pick her up and her face is swelling! Pretty quickly...I give her a 10 mg dose of benadryl because the swelling is fairly bad and it's around her mouth (she is 3.25 lbs but benadryl is pretty safe)...and call the vet...vet says if she is breathing okay give the benadryl 30-60 min to work...

I hope its not some kind of absessed tooth but it well could be...so we are keeping a close eye, so far swelling does not seem to be getting better or worse, its probably just a spider bite but I am freaking out!

Both sides are swollen but her right (on the left in the pics) is much worse...



















I hate it when things like this happen! She's acting fine and normal so at least she doesn't seem to be in discomfort...anyone else ever had anything like this happen?

[brodysmom]

OMG! That looks horrible! Poor baby! I would just go with the benadryl and give it some time to work. That dose should be fine. Look in there - do you see anything? Get a flashlight?! Maybe she bit a wasp or a bee? Although I would think most bugs would be gone at this time of year. Could it be a sticker?

Sheesh, it's always something!

[Kristi]

We have spiders all year -- I looked as best I could but I didn't see anything inside. I know she never got some of her adult teeth so it could be a tooth too, the vet said that the benadryl will STOP the swelling but it may not go down/away right away, it's been about 45 min since I gave the benadryl and it hasn't got worse/better...she's breathing fine thankfully, that is my biggest concern cuz its right on her face! If the swelling isn't gone by a 2nd dose of benadryl and tomorrow morning, the vet said we can think about it being a tooth then...but for now she said unless the swelling gets worse, to just keep up w/ the benadryl and not to worry - I was able to send a pic message to their office cell so she could see what was going on and she said the swelling is characteristic of a spider bite and its almost always on the face when a dog is bit because they bite at the spider trying to eat or play with it...but ack!

[brodysmom]

Bleh I hate spiders. I do think your vet is right though... if the swelling decreases with benadryl then you can assume it was a reaction to a bite.

Tooth abscesses can come on quickly and swell like that, but it's usually NOT bilateral. It would be unusual to have two teeth abscess at exactly the same time and cause the swelling on both sides of the face.

I would still get a flashlight and look in there and see if you can see a puncture?

[Kristi]

I did look as best I could - I took a little pen light but her mouth is SO tiny its hard to see anything - I think it might have bit on the outside? She is always sticking her nosey little head where it doesn't belong...I'm just glad its not getting worse...now she is sleepy from the benadryl. Vet said that if it starts to get worse after the benadryl dose to put ice on it and bring her in right away as she might need stronger antihistimines (sp?).

[Sarah]

Omg Kristi that looks terrible. Can you put a cold compress on it to try and help take the swelling down? I would also look to see if there is something in her mouth! Poor baby

[Kristi]

I tried but she didnt seem to keen on ice - thankfully it seems to have gone down a little...they really know how to worry us... its still definitely swollen and needs an eye kept on it but thank goodness its going down!

[Lowenchi]

awwwww poor Oakley, glad its going down!