Dog health problems.......Advice?

[DagmarK]

Hey, I have a 9 year old mix (to say the least, he's a mix...he's just a big red dog).

He was doing great last night.

When I let him in this morning, I noticed he was a little swollen above the right eye. Kind of thought it was pink eye or maybe he irritated his eyelid or something.

It stayed the same all day.

Then I took him for a little walk and a jog (easy) and by the time I got back to the house, the swelling was over BOTH eyes.

Within an hour, his eyes were mostly swollen shut (looks like a pitbull now).

And the swelling is in his nose as well...and even further back from the eyelids on the top of his little head.

I gave him some vit c and some baby aspirin (about 200 mg).

He is eating and drinking.

After 1.5 hours, it hadn't gotten better, so I gave him some kiddy benadryl. That was 3 hours ago. The swelling is a little bit better.

Now.....I checked him head to toe, and there was a TIC on him and removed it.

But ALSO......where his gonads would be (if I hadn't of taken his manhood!), there is a swelled pinkish boil like thing (no leakage point at this time) about the size of half a golf ball.

I am a little worried about this......

Does this seem reminiscent of anything you guys have seen?

(I will take him to the vet first thing in the morning if ALL swelling isn't gone......but if it's just a bug bite or a bee sting.....maybe it will run its course. He is eating and drinking and asking for dog treats as usual. But he does seem to be panting a little more than is normal -- which could be the benadryl).

I get really tortured when I think something is wrong with the puppies!

[proud patriot]

1. Sounds like an allergy , the tick or a Bite from a spider

If he's eating and drinking and otherwise his normal self
I might give it another day . If he seems at all not himself
sleepy less active , I'd take him in ASAP .

[Maddy McCall]

2. May be from the tick...

did he perchance get into a wasp nest? My pup was stung by wasps last week, as I was cooking on the back deck. The left puss-filled boils on her, and she was relatively immobile for a day. She was swollen in the region of the stings. I removed the stingers and put caladryl on them, and she was fine.

Can you give him some benadryl? Or can you put neosporin or caladryl on the boil thing?

One final thought...do you have any snakes in your yard? A shar-pei I had many moons ago was bitten by a snake, and it left a huge boil on him, and puffed up his whole body. Could he have been bitten by a poisonous snake?

[DagmarK]

4. Oregon, land of no poisonous snakes.....and the only bad spider

Is a black widow......and they aren't too common......

[alaine]

3. Man, that sounds scary.

I don't think a sting would cause swelling in areas as far apart as nose and gonads, but I don't know. I would call a 24 hour emergency clinic ASAP and ask them what to do. I don't think you want to mess with it cause if it's an allegic reaction it could cause his breathing passages to close up. He could suffocate while you're sleeping. I'm not trying to scare you but an emergency clinic could tell you more and whether or not it was related to the tick, please keep me posted and good luck.

[DagmarK]

5. eeek, you're right Alaine........

If it was just the swelling in his face......I could wait it out.

But with that weird gonad thing.....THAT freaks me out. I just noticed THAT right before I posted here.

And he is panting more than he should......could be having trouble breathing.

Okay...I am going!!!!! THANKS!!!!!!!

I will keep you posted!!!

[Maddy McCall]

6. Good advice, alaine

my pup was stung twice...once on the neck and once on the butt. It could if it got popped by a couple or more wasps. BUT...you are right, the dog needs to be seen immediately by a doc.

Good advice.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. I agree that you should call an emergency clinic

You just don't want to take any chances. My dogs have experienced nothing like this. They can probably tell you what it is and if it's reason for real concern. I have a wonderful emergency clinic near me that I've had to call twice. Once my dog ate the other's pill and the other time my mother left chocolate around and my other dog ate it. That was really scary. Both times they were able to give me advice over the phone and I didn't have to bring them in. Good luck and keep us posted. I really know how it is!:hi:

[AnnabelLee]

8. I'm glad you are taking him to the vet

Please keep us posted.:hi:

[baffie]

9. Colloidal silver!!!!!!!!!

My cats had the same thing, and it cleared up in three days with one drop in each eye of colloidal silver, 3 times a day. Apparently, it kills germs and boosts the immune system too.

[DagmarK]

11. Oh yeah, colloidal silver!

Shoot...I always forget about that stuff!

And you know what? My mom gave me a colloidal silver making machine!! I have never brewed any up.....but I think I shall...so I have it on hand. I love being a witch! :-)

[DagmarK]

10. Thanks all......I just got back from the after-hours vet!

They thought with the intense swelling all over his face that he should come in.....because it could lead to cutting off his breathing.

They checked him out.....it was some sort of bite or allergic reaction to something.....and gave him a benadryle shot and some sort of cortizone shot.

By the time we left the clinic, his swelling was down by 50%. And now it's only 10% of what it was.

And if there's any remnant swelling in the morning, I have some benadryl for one dosage.

So.....looks like everyone will be surviving the night in our little canine heaven house! Thanks for your help, DUers. A former vet tech (now paramedic) was so nice to PM me as well!

It was sad at the clinic.....one lady had had to put her cat down for some reason. And another couple had brought their lab in as he was hit by a car and his lungs collapsed. But I think the lab will make it. But my heart just BROKE for these people. And the people with the lab.......before I knew why they were there.....they were just sooooo nice to me and my dog.....asking about him. I would be BESIDE myself. But that was proably hour #3 for their waiting, I guess.

Thanks y'all. There are sooooooo many great animal lovers on DU. (with awfully good advice!). I really appreciate it. Sometimes I don't know if I am overreacting.....cause I am such a momma's hen with my dogs. :-)

Love to you all and all our special critters!

[Rhiannon12866]

12. I am so relieved that you took your dog in and that it worked out

for you. I will send positive thoughts your way! I can identify with your experience. It seems that I have been practically living at the vet for the past two years. I have taken three pets in a row for acupuncture! It does break my heart to run across someone who has lost a pet. The place I go is so upbeat and offers so much for the animals that it seems unbelievable that this could happen. But I know it can, since I lost my beloved cat, Rhiannon, a year and a half ago and both of my dogs in the last six months, despite the fact that I was willing to do anything for them, and did.;(

I am so glad your guy is okay! Thanks for getting back to us!:-)

[DagmarK]

14. Ohhhhhhh, my little heart is broke for you and your critters!!

2 dogs in 6 months? Now that tugs at my heart BIG TIME.

Have you seen that site .......what's it called? uh......rainbow bridge? For people who have lost their little furry loved ones? I bet you have (if you are into acupuncture for your animals).

We have a great holistic vet here in Portland.....but they charge by the MINUTE! By the MINUTE! (with a minimum charge of course). It's insaney expensive.....and my feeling was they are just catering to rich people or something. It just sounded really greedy when I called there when both my dogs had a rash on their bellies. It was going to cost me a couple $100 bucks! Maybe more...they couldn't say. Can you imagine?

My feeling about THAT place was that they probably weren't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts or necessarily because they believed in holistic medicine but more FOR the Fad-like consumerism that some holistic regimes can become. Sheesh.

Oh well.........

[Rhiannon12866]

16. Obviously, if I would take my dogs for acupuncture, I will do

anything. It started with my perfect cat, Rhiannon, who had Horner's Syndrome, a paralysis on the left side of her face. Then I took my two dogs, both cocker spaniels, for treatment, and they recommended acupuncture. Barney was 17 and had calcification of his spine and was stiff and my poor Sheena was diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome (hyperadrenocorticism) and then cancer. I not only want to cure them, but quality of life issues are important to me, as well.

All my guys are rescue, so I feel that I owe them the best. It has cost me a lot, but I have joined ``plans'' where I take my guys. I pay so much a month and much is then covered. Also, it's less if you have more than one animal and I certainly qualified. Don't get the idea that I had 50 animals; the most I have had at once is two dogs and two cats. It's just that I was taking them so very often. They are very caring where I take them and also offer promising alternative treatments not usually on offer at a conventional practice. They have also been very generous. When I brought in my cat who I rescued from outdoors, so much was wrong, and my vet just gave me a 15% discount. They never sent me a bill for Sheena's medicine, which I picked up, but never used. They knew I had lost her.

My vets say that my guys have more problems because I take older animals that may not have had the best of care. Still, it is very hard and I feel like I am the ``Typhoid Mary'' of pets, having lost both of my dogs. I adopted Barney at age 10 and had him for eight years. He was such a great dog and Sheena was so very good. I never thought she would put up with acupuncture, but she amazed me. It's been very tough.;(

[proud patriot]

13. Whew

I've been waiting on pins and needles ...

Thanks for letting us know :hi:

[DagmarK]

15. Thanks Proud Patriot!!!

I know......sometimes people forget to get back with an UPDATE after they have talked about something where an animal or a person is in trouble.....and I worry as well. Thanks for WORRYING!!! :-)

Oh, and Andy (the red dog) is being his little bratty self. Seems to think that since he was such a good boy......that he can have treats all night long. (Don't tell him.....but it's kind of true! I am such a soft touch!)

[Maddy McCall]

17. Yes, thanks for the update.

Glad your pup is back to normal. I think you did the right thing to take him on in.