swollen leg

[honey badger 42]

my dog has been bitten on her leg just above the stopper its only one small puncture wound but its swollen just wondering what the best things are to use as i need to run her next week thanks hb

[sandymere 8,263]

Is it infected?

[terrierjohn 49]

i wouldnt be running it next week with a puncture injury

i wont be properly healed as the repairing tissue will still be tender and probably will open up again

best to let heal for 2 to 3 week

atb john

[MissRhianL 70]

when the puncture wound happened, did you treat the area yourself to make sure its clean etc? as there could of been something stil remaining in the area which has caused it to inflate and swell. its always a good idea to give your dog a jab of penicillin or some antibiotocs for about 3-4 days just to make sure it minimises the chances of the area from being infected. have a closer look at the injured area and see if there is anything unusual other than swelling.

[skycat 6,174]

If the dog has been bitten by a fox, rat or cat then the bite wound is probably infected: the easiest route is to put the dog on a full course of antibiotics or a long acting injection of penicillin. If you haven't got either then take the dog to the vet. Failing that get some Animalintex poultice from a horse tack shop and apply the poultice as per the instructions. MAKE VERY SURE THAT YOU DON'T LEAVE THIS POULTICE ON FOR MORE THAN 5 HOURS MAXIMUM. This is because Animalintex has been made for horses which have much thicker skin than dogs: if you leave the poultice on too long it will literally melt the skin.

 

If there is still heat and swelling in around the wound after you have done this then you will definitely need antibiotics: especially if the bacteria have had a few days to set up home and multiply: bite wounds need cleaning immediately the dog has been bitten as carnivore and rat bites are always full of nasty bacteria. Ditto dog bites but not usually quite as bad: there is more bruising from a dog bite as the dog's teeth aren't as sharp as a fox etc, and damage the surrounding tissue more, though less likely to be as bacteria-laden.

[honey badger 42]

thanks for your help the scab now is as big as a match head but its the swelling i really need to take down it does not seem to be infected i got some anti biotics from the vet anyway but like i said it the swelling i need to get rid of i need to keep on top of her fitness