What Is Causing My Dog's Face To Swell?
Many different factors may cause a dog's face to swell. Here is a list of the most common causes I see in veterinary practice.
1) Allergic Reactions: Dogs react to allergens in their environment just like people do. The swelling may develop immediately following exposure or several hours later. Other signs of an allergic reaction include lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, pale gums and labored breathing. Insect bits, either bees or spiders, are the most common causes I see in practice. In addition, dogs may react to vaccinations, medications, household cleaners, perfumes, hair spray, pesticides, flea collars, treats and even their food. One of my dogs is allergic to some foods.
Although any breed may react to vaccinations, I have found that Miniature Pinchers, Pomeranians and Miniature Dachshunds react the most. Watch your dog for several hours after they have been vaccinated. Call your veterinarian at the first sign of a reaction!
In case of an allergic episode, call your veterinarian immediately! They will likely recommend that you administer diphenhydramine (Benadryl) as long as the dog is conscious and can swallow. During routine examination, ask your veterinarian to calculate the proper dose and keep that on hand at all times. If your dog is reacting to a flea shampoo or other topical allergen, bathe them immediately to prevent further exposure. (My recommended first aid kit for dogs and cats is listed at www.veterinarycreative.com.)
2) Puppy Strangles: Young puppies under 16 weeks of age develop a condition called Juvenile Cellulitis or puppy strangles that looks like mumps in people. I see it most often in Golden Retrievers and Daschshunds. The lymph glands under their cheeks swell up so much that some puppies have trouble eating and breathing. The large glands occlude the airway hence the name 'stangles'. If you suspect your puppy has this condition, bring them to a veterinarian for care immediately! They will need long-term treatment with steroids to control the excessive immune reaction and antibiotics for any secondary infection. Puppies with severe swelling might need their glands opened and drained.
3) Abcesses: An abcess is defined as an accumulation of puss beneath the skin. Abcess may form behind the eye (retrobulbar) or around a tooth root causing facial swelling.
4) Sialoceles or Sialoadenitis: A sialocele is an excessive accumulation of saliva within a salivary duct due to some sort of blockage. Sialoadenitis is inflammation of a salivary gland. The parotid glands that are located under the ears are the glands I normally see effected with this condition. Both cause swelling along the lower jaw, especially in the area of the temporal mandibular joint.
5) Neoplasia: Cancerous masses on the head may cause facial swelling. Watch your dog closely for lumps, especially if they are over eight years of age. Seek medical attention whenever you find one. Just like human medicine, early detection and treatment are the keys to surviving cancer.
Thanks my puppy 6 wk male had a swollen face and neck being in the medical field for years itsince it was uniform and bilateral I assumed it was allergy related gave him benedryl and monitored now he just has swelling in the glands under his mandible getting softer today.He is getting better all the time and I feel comfortable waiting till his vet visit in 10 days if he continues to improve Thanks Nancy
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I am glad your puppy is getting better and you found this information useful. I would encourage you to contact your veterinarian right away to make sure your puppy does not have "puppy strangles". This condition is similar to mumps in humans - the submandibular lymph nodes swell up. If they get large enough, the nodes constrict the airway hence the name strangles. Eventually, the nodes or glands abscess and drain. Good luck with the little guy and thanks again for writing.
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i have been reading a lot about puppies having swollen faces. i gave my 6 week old puppy his 5 in 1 shot and he had an alergic reaction. i took him to the vet and they gave him an IV and sent me home with prednisone. it has been 3 days. the swelling has gone down, but he still has the hives around his mouth. is this common. do you think it will go away, or do you think he needs to be seen again. it just seems like he is getting better but really slowly
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In my opinion, the 5 in 1 vaccine is too much for such a young puppy. I am concerned about the hives still present after three days of therapy. Please take him back in for another check up with your veterinarian. Also, check with your veterinarian before giving your puppy any other medications or vaccines. Good luck!
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Thanks so much for this article. My Siberian Husky gets a swollen face from time to time and this confirmed it is likely allergenic, i'm going to bring her to my vet next week.
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My Golden developed sudden swelling around one eye about a week ago. I assumed it was associated with benign nasal polyps that he is being treated for the past year. He had a saline flush about a month ago. Took him to ER that is also part of the same specialty group that treats him. They kept him the night and administered prednisone drops in eye. By the next morning when his specialist came in, the swelling was down and was sent home. Specialist said it was not related to the polyps and she surmised it was probably an insect bite. He was fine the rest of the day and through the next morning but when I arrived home from work that evening, he was very swollen around both eyes and muzzle. Vet says it is actually the upper eyelid. He was very tender and would duck if I tried to touch him. His eyes were almost totally shut and very red. Took him into his regular Vet the next day and she called the specialist. Both agreed that it was likely a bug bite (we can find no evidence of any bugs or bees in house or yard.) Vet gave him a steroid injection (he was already on 20mg Pred. 2xday, 4 benedryl and doxycycline, so not sure why any reaction would even occur.) Also gave us steroid drops to administer. Today the swelling is mostly gone but not entirely. He is perkier and eating okay now. I just feel that this has got to be something other than a simple bug bite but the Vets seem unable to provide any other answer. Is there any other cause? He is 11 years old and basically healthy other than the polyps. These cause him mucous drainage with some bleeding which the specialist says he could live with okay. During the swelling he wasn't draining or sneezing? My thought was sinus clogging since his frontal sinus area was puffy and he wasn't draining.
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This is certainly a tough case. You did an excellent job of stating the pertinent medical facts. I agree that the true cause is still eluding us or at least it is likely that something else is at work. One area I would have you reflect on is the environment. By chance was anything different right before this happened - a new wool blanket, did you clean with new products, is there construction in the area or are any new plants in bloom in the locale where you live? I agree with your assessment that given all the drugs already on board, an environmental cause seems remote but you would be surprised . . . .
As you know, polyps can obstruct outflow from the sinus cavities. This can lead to a build-up of pressure and pain. I don't typically see face swelling from polyps but I suppose it could happen. Please give one more thought to the environmental questions above and let me know if that sparks any ideas. I will keep thinking about this as I am a huge golden fan and feel very bad for your dog.
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DR.Nelson my austrailian shephard has a very swollen face, more on the left side of his face, but i noticed the most swelling is in his lips and bottom jaw. i left him this afternoon (3:30) and he was normal but when i got back from work (8:00) his face had swollen dramatically. my question is can the 4th cause of face swelling you listed show up that fast?
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Yes, problems with the salivary glands may occur quickly. I recommend getting him into a veterinarian as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment. I wrote a response to your question several days ago but it did not post. I am sorry for the delay. Hopefully, you dog is under treatment and back to normal by now.
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My baby pit is just over 3 months old. She was perfectly fine when I left around 8 pm. 4 hours later, I come home and she runs up to me squealing. The upper right side of her head is swollen and she can barely open her eye. It's really puffy, and tender, and she seems to have a fever. I checked on her a few minutes ago and now her snout and other side of her face is swollen. She also had red breakouts on her belly, neck, and underside of her legs. I gave her advil because that's all i have. I don't know what to do! She seems like the most miserable pup alive. Please help!
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I am very worried about your puppy. Please bring her to a veterinarian right away for evaluation and medical treatment. She needs more help than you can give at home. Also, only give human medications when directed by a veterinarian. One advil can kill a cat. Call your veterinary clinic right away and be sure to tell them about the Advil.
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My 11 month old Lab has a lump on his cheek. It feels like a grape and moves when I push on it. It just noticed it. Is this a swollen gland. Is this something that will go away or should I take him in? He doesn't seem to feel bad or act different.
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It is hard to say what the lump is from your description. I would recommend taking him to your veterinarian for what is called a fine needle aspirate. After disinfecting the skin, your veterinarian will insert a needle into the lump and extract some cells for examination under a microscope. I am hopeful that the lump is benign because your dog is young. If it's not, then removing it ASAP will give your dog the best possible chance for a cure. Good luck!
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I have a Standard Poodle with a grape sized lump like this, vet tried to aspirate and nothing came out. Doesn't know what it is so what next? She's 18 mth old, not teeth related.
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I hate it when that happens. The next step is to send in a bigger sample. If possible, I remove the entire lump with room to spare and send that to the lab. If it is in a place where that is not possible, a "wedge" or "core" is taken from the lump and sent in for analysis. Depending upon your dog, the size of the lump and the location, some lumps can be removed by sedating the dog and numbing the area while others require general anesthesia. Good luck!
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My dog came to bed at about 11:15 last night, and I noticed a bump on his nose.
At 7:10 this morning, I woke up to him with a VERY very swollen face.
His eyes were swelled so bad that he could barely open them, his cheeks looked like he had 2 golfballs in them, on EACH side, his ears were sooo swollen, it felt like a breast implant, it was all squishy and HUGE!
He had his tail between his legs, laying by my back door, SHAKING!
What could this be?
I have two dogs - they both ate the same food, and treats last night.
I was outside playing with them a lot last night and he was acting normal.
Last night, when he was laying on the couch, he was acting pretty tired, and I didnt see anything on him.
What could this be?!?!
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From your description, I am worried that your dog is having an allergic reaction. Perhaps an insect bit him on the nose. In any case, get him to a veterinarian right away for medical care and don't forget to ask about what types of medication you should keep at home should this occur again. In my experience, the reaction worsens with each episode.
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My 6 week old female puppy's head is swollen, she was playing with our other puppy and he bit her i think, she had 2 small look like teeth marks on her shoulder and her belly was black and blue, her right shoulder was swollen, we took her to the vet and they gave her anibiotics, but now the swelling on her shoulder is gone but her head is swollen, we can not keep running her to the vet at 150 dollars a visit. But we will i was just wondering if it could be that maybe it was swollen as well and that part just hasn't wen down yet? or is she having a reaction to the antibotics they put her on?
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I currently just wrote you about my puppy and I wanted to add she is still super playful and active, its just she has a swollen head.. she has not let it slow her down one min..
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I am glad she is active and the swelling on her shoulder has improved but I am concerned about the facial swelling. Depending upon what area is swollen, it could be a number of things including a reaction to medication, an abscess, a hematoma or even puppy strangles. Call your veterinarian right away to discuss your puppy. Since she is so young, I wouldn't take any chances.
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my borzoi pup had identical symptoms to Kayla's pup. the vet gave her valium and adrenolin and she recovered well. if it happens again, i will need to rush her to the vet and may need to consider an epipen as the reactions may become more severe. she also has permanently swollen glands on each side of her nose, unlike my other two. as yet these have not caused a problem.
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thank you so much for this info, i have a mini pin, he is 8 months old,this is the first time i notice his face swelling,he actually looked like a little rotwailer!.I gave him some benedryl i hope he gets better if not im gonna take him to the vet, the reason why i didnt took him right away is because he seems pretty normal, he is running,playing, and acting like always, i touch his face and it didnt seem like it hurted him,I had a min pin before as well and i took him several times to the vet for the same problem,the vet told me "just give him some benedryl next time and bring him back if he gets worst" he was allergic to the vaccinations and we dont know to what else cause that happened once in a while. so i was thinking that maybe i was giving my dogs something that made them sick, but now i know it may be the breed, and is good to know cause im getting another min pin this week!
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Miniature pinchers are wonderful dogs! I always enjoy working with them. Unfortunately, this breed seems to have a sensitive immune system. In my experience, they often react to vaccinations, insect bits and household cleaners. You might want to consider titer checks instead of routine vaccination. Also, talk to your veterinarian to get the correct dosage of Benadryl® (diphenhydramine). Congratulations on the new addition!
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This is a P.S. to my last post concerning muzzle swelling: My dogs upper gums are swollen as well as the muzzle swelling. There is no pus and/or bleeding of the gums, even when pressure is applied.
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I'm sorry to hear that. You need to get your dog medical attention right away. I wish you the best of luck but please hurry in to the veterinarian.
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Just noticed a swelling in the upper part of my dogs upper jaw, beneath her eye. It is hard, bony, feeling and does not seem tender at all, it feels like all bone.What could this be. She is a 6 yr old lab.
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I am worried that your dog has an abscessed tooth root, probably the carnassial tooth. This huge tooth has three roots that penetrate deep into the skull. When infection develops, the bone around the root swells. It becomes a hard nodule. Eventually, the pressure will cause the bone to rupture releasing a purulent discharge. Other possible causes are cancer or a fungal infection. All of these conditions are painful.
Please bring your dog to your veterinarian right away from diagnosis and treatment. Since hunting dogs have a very high pain threshold, pain is not a useful indicator. Hope that helps!
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I have a 2 year old Australian Shepherd mix. 2 nights ago when I got home from work I noticed a small swelling just under his right eye. My husband had let him out in the backyard and we just noticed this. I first thought maybe it was a bug bite but we live in Virginia and no bugs are out right now. Yesterday it got worse and today it is so swollen that his eye is almost all the way shut. He likes it if I rub it softly and he rubs his face against the couches, but other than that he is eating fine, is still playful and doesn't appear to be in pain. The swelling seems to be hard and irregularly shaped. I'm thinking from your answers that this may be some sort of tooth infection? I don't understand how he could have tooth problems so young. He's been very healthy for 2 years, no problems at all.
Do you think this is allergic in nature or really some sort of tooth issue? His mouth isn't tender I palpated inside his gums.
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Hello, even though he is young, dogs often get tooth problems from chewing. Pieces of a toy or stick can lodge in the gums. They can also fracture the surface of the tooth. The carnassial tooth is the most commonly effected where the outside enamel is fractured in what is called a slab fracture. This is a painful condition so I would seek care right away plus with the eye involvement, is it essential that you get care quickly.
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I have a 6 year old Chihuahua that woke up this morning with a swollen cheek and jaw. It looks like something is oozing out of it. It doesn't seem to bother him but I gave him some benadryl in case it was a spider bite. We shaved the area and cleaned it. I don't see a bite but layers of skin are missing on his cheek. There is also small lumps under his chin. The area is soft so it may be an abscess. Any advise you have would be appreciated. Thank you
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I am worried that your dog has an abscessed tooth root. Please take him to your veterinarian for medical care immediately. Dental problems are very painful and require more care than you can give at home. Good luck with him.
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Hello,
I typically don't worry too much about facial swelling because my dogs are always eating bugs etc. Well last Saturday my female 5 year old golden came in with her face swollen, no biggie I immediately gave her 50 mg of benadryl. The swelling went down and was 100% normal by Monday, but by Tuesday it was back, gave her again 50 mg of benadryl and it was better but it never completely left this time. Now it looks like she has a fat lip, not a centralized swelling but the whole lip a little swollen. I have looked all over i don't see any redness, her gums look good and I brush her teeth daily. I have never had something like this last so long, today is sunday and she still looks like she has a fat lip. How long does an allergic reaction take to go away? Can it take over a week? Should I be concerned it might be something else? What would a veterinarian do in a situation like this, anything different than give benadryl?
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Most allergic reactions respond rapidly to appropriate treatment. Your dog's lip should not be swollen a week later unless the inciting allergen is still present, the lip has become infected or there is some other underlying problem. My next course of action would depend upon what I found on physical examination. In my experience, goldens are prone to autoimmune diseases so besides a thorough physical examination, I would recommend a CBC, superchem and a urinalysis. Good luck with her and thanks for writing.
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Hello and thank you for your response. I took my golden to a local vet for an examination, they could offer no explanation since there was absolutely no indication of root abscess or any dental issues, they shaved that area on her face just to see if there was any pus trail or sign of a sting or bite, which there was not (now she has some pretty serious razor burn which bothers her more than the swelling has) and their suggestion was to put her on 10 days of Clavamox 375mg (1 pill 2xaday) and if that didn't help then they suggested doing a full dental where they could probe and possibly extract teeth! That seems extreme to me. I know you recommended the blood work and urinalysis and I will do that next if the antibiotics don't work, but is the only option if this does not go away be an exploratory dental? They advised me that there is too much going on in that area to get a good xray? Your professional opinion is very much appreciated. Thank you.
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I think your veterinarian meant to say that anesthesia is required for good quality skull films because of the intricate anatomy. If the lab results are WNL, then anesthesia and further diagnostics are the next step. Your veterinarian is correct that dental problems are often below the surface. Just like human medicine, the crowns of the teeth may be perfect while the roots are infected. If the films are WNL, a biopsy of the area may be performed to help with the diagnosis. I know it's frustrating but hang in there. It is important to the long term health of your dog to find out what is going on.
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I came home today to find my 10 year old cocker spaniel's face swollen only on the left side under her eye. It is very tender and hard to the touch but other than that she seems fine. She did not have this swelling when I left this morning but she is eating and drinking like normal. Should I be concerned?
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Yes, you are right to be concerned. With firm masses in that location I worry about a tooth root abscess, a fungal disease depending upon where you live or even cancer. Please take her in to your veterinarian right away.
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I left this morning to a interview and came back home to my yr old Chihuahua / terrier about a hour 1/2 later and her entire face was swollen. a little under the eyes but not to much also. I gave her benadryl and it seemed to go down a little but not all the way. still eating. going to the bathroom drinking and active. what could this be. ? Is there a time limit until these techniques work or should I be concered?
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Whenever you see facial swelling it is a potentially life threatening condition. You should call your veterinarian (or an emergency clinic if after hours) and see what the proper dose of Benadryl is for your dog. It is possible the dose was not strong enough and that could be why some swelling remains. It is also potentially a situation where the causative agent is still present, thus continuing to irritate your dog. One of the first things I do in addition to antihistamine treatment is to also bathe the animal in case there was something in the environment that caused the problem. Since I don't know where you are located and may not be licensed there, I need you to contact a local veterinarian right away for the question on dosing and any other suggestions they may have. In really bad cases, some steps beyond the above may be necessary.
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Please help me...When I got home fro mwork earlier today at 6, I came home and saw some throw up to clean up....I didn't panic because my two dogs throw up every now and then because they might have eaten to fast or eaten something they had no business eating. I have a full blooded Min Pin as well as a half breed Min Pin/Chihuahua. My half breed is perfectly fine, but my Min Pin has a little bump on his head where it looks like it's trying to swell as little as well as swelling around the wye and it looks red and swelling on the mouth area where his whiskers are and his bottom lip/mouth area look red but not swollen just yet. It's mostly on his left side, but I can tell his right side is sarting to swell....it's growing around the eye, and a small spot is starting to swell out on his mouth in the whisker area on the right...Please what could be wrong with him? He's never had any swelling issues before
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