• Okay so we started Digital the brindlewonderkid on a course of antibiotics Friday. (see the older dog peeing in the house thread) 2 pills on friday and 2 today. I just looked down at him and now the left side of his jaw is swollen. It does feel a bit hot there, but he doesn't have any problem with me touching it. Inside his mouth looks like it did last week. And he ate his dinner around 8pm like normal. Obviously I will call the vet on Monday morning, but does anyone have ideas on what I can do for him in the mean time? It seems like the logical course of action would be to see if the swelling goes down (either on it's own or because of the anitbiotics he's on anyway) before I take him back in, but I'll ask the vet about that Monday. I haven't seen any bugs, but I guess that's a possibility. When he was younger he would get bit by something and his face would swell up. That happened 3 or 4 times and he was younger, and it was when we lived in NM. Of course in Colorado in the winter bugs are scarce. Hmmm, am thinking a benedryl can't hurt. I'll try that and report back in the morning.


  • I thought this was going to be a discourse on diarrhea! You're right, a benadryl couldn't hurt.


  • Jaycee got big knot on her side and face was swollen you could see knot getting larger and her face look sad. I took her to vet and they gave her a shot of steriods and dose of benadryl told me to keep her on benadryl for next two or three days. In few hours Jaycee looked great knot was leaving and her face looked better by next morning all gone do not know what happen to cause it but looked bad.

    Rita Jean


  • Hate to be alarmist, but if it is a spider or bite, the swelling could kill your dog by cutting off oxygen flow etc. I know you will be vigilant but if the benadryl doesn't help FAST (like in 30 mins), you might want to consider an emergency vet if there are any signs of breathing issues. And of course I type this and think, DUH she knows that. Okay so I worry. Please let us know how he is. In so many ways a sick dog is worse than a child… they can at least TELL you whats up. 😞


  • For what it's worth, this happens to my 15 year old border collie mix about once every 2 months (she gets a swelling below her eye, on her cheek - it's hard and a little warm, but doesn't seem to be particularly painful). The vet hasn't found a cause. The swelling usually goes down in about three days, but Rimadyl seems to reduce the swelling within 24 hours. If you have some around the house, maybe try that rather than Benedryl, although that certainly can't hurt.


  • Sorry Digital is having problems. Could be a bad tooth, or bite, and as you said, you can't go wrong with benadryl. 1 every 6-8 hours is what my vet has suggested in the past, and for a bad allergic reaction, he had me give 2 (50 mg) as a first dose. Digital is at the "if it's not one thing, it's another" stage of life. Hope he is better today.

  • Houston

    How weird..here'shoping for a swift recovery though…poor Digital


  • Well this morning is about the same. Haven't tried breakfast yet, but he ate his sweet potato w/thyroid pill sort of slowly. But at 14, he doesn't have the greatest teeth. My guess is a tooth. Attitude is same old Diggie. I'll try another benedryl, but I doubt that's the solution. Anyway, please keep the little guy in your thoughts.


  • Hope Digital is feeling better soon, Agile.


  • thanks - ate breaky (water soaked kibble and scrambled eggs) with gusto. Cleaned his plate and asked for more, so I don't think he feels too bad. I recently upped his breakfast from 1/3 c to 1/2 c in the morning so I did not give him seconds, but I think hubby let him clean my breakfast plate.


  • Do let us know how he is tomorrow.


  • A good appetite is positive! Thanks for the update.


  • Glad to hear some improvement. Poor guy.


  • I think tooth too, Kim. We had this same thing with Querk a few months ago. are you on FB? i can share the pics there. I thought he was going to need an extraction (and he still might) but a course of antibiotics took care of it with a few days. It hasn't recurred, but I think it will eventually need to be pulled. Good thoughts going out for Diggie!


  • No, i'm not on FB, but the universe keeps telling me i need to be, so ask again later in the week.

    Energy-wise he is great. Took all the curlytails out to the agility field today and he did a few jumps, tunnel, maybe the dogwalk. I think his new idea of agility training is to interfere with Zest and ask for food. It's a lot of fun to (try) to practice agility with 3 basenjis. :rolleyes:

    It is heartening to hear you did not have to have the tooth pulled. That was sort of my thinking about asking the vet to wait to see him to give the antibiotics a little more time. He had only been on them 2 days (4 doses) when I noticed the swelling.

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