# The side of my dogs head is swollen



## duck hunter12 (Jan 4, 2013)

Well came home from work yesterday and went to air out my boy for few minutes. I noticed his ear wasnt laying right. As I started to feel around it was all swollen behind the ear down through the neck and up under his jaw. I took him to the vet thinking ear infection. The vet said it was but believes he has had some sort of trauma or has been bit by something. He had a fever of 103.5 and put him on antiboitics and a nsaid for the pain and told me to watch him. Well this morning he is no better, if anything a little more swelling under neck and jaw is starting to drop. 

Is there anyone out there have any similar thing happen to them. I worry about the poor guy....


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## duck hunter12 (Jan 4, 2013)

Im sorry the vet said it wasnt and ear infection, but believes it was behind the ear.


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## Bally's Gun Dogs (Jul 28, 2010)

If he's on the right antibiotic the swelling shouldn't continue to worsen. Possibly need a different antibiotic or worse case relieve the pressure and rinse infection via vet lansing and cleaning out infected area with saline. Recently had a dog that had similar to what you are describing that burst on its own once went on meds healed, but approx 6 weeks later returned. This time lansed it and drained all infection and a different round of antibiotics. Fingers crossed it had been about 2 weeks and nothing back yet. Both vets suspected grass awn that worked its way back through the salivary glands. Maybe you have a similar situation? I'd give the vet a call and let them know the swelling is worsening. Better to get a handle on it today verses wait til Sunday and it's harder to get a hold of vets usually.


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## swampcollielover (Nov 30, 2012)

I had a somewhat similar situation with my older female Golden. One morning following a training session her face was swollen, she had large bumps all over her head and face with added swelling. She looked terrible but had no other symptoms. Working with our vet we determined it was an allergic reaction. She had eaten some hamburger seeded with raw onion (not good for dogs). We put he on Benadryl and it cleared with up. Your situation sounds different, but I thought I might mention it, giving you dog Benadryl is no big deal, and on a long shot, it may help!


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## 2tall (Oct 11, 2006)

This happened to my older dog when we were on the road a couple of summers back. One morning after a day of training and also a non violent scuffle with one of the others, his head around the ear and down the neck was swollen. I thought he was bee stung or something. By the next morning the swelling was hideous and he was obviously very sick. We drove him 30 miles to the nearest vet and he found a burst abscess from a bad tooth. The infection had gotten into his blood stream, but by way of injections of antibiotics and a couple of weeks worth of pills, he made it. When we came back home for the winter, we had his teeth cleaned and 5 extracted. Was very, very scary. Has your vet checked teeth?


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## duck hunter12 (Jan 4, 2013)

He looked in his throat and and his gums and didnt seemed concerned. I just checked his temp and its slowly going down, just gave him another round of antibiotics and he ate his food. Now layimg at my feet sleeping. Lets keep our hopes up


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## yellow machine (Dec 7, 2005)

I have seen a dog that was in a scuffle with another dog and got bitten below the ear. Two days later the dogs head was swollen like a basketball. Antibiotics cleared it up but it was hidious to see. Hope all goes well.


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## BJGatley (Dec 31, 2011)

duck hunter12 said:


> Well came home from work yesterday and went to air out my boy for few minutes. I noticed his ear wasnt laying right. As I started to feel around it was all swollen behind the ear down through the neck and up under his jaw. I took him to the vet thinking ear infection. *The vet said it was but believes he has had some sort of trauma or has been bit by something.* He had a fever of 103.5 and put him on antiboitics and a nsaid for the pain and told me to watch him. Well this morning he is no better, if anything a little more swelling under neck and jaw is starting to drop.
> 
> Is there anyone out there have any similar thing happen to them. I worry about the poor guy....


If it doesn't get better in a couple of days, have the Vet do X-rays on the head and neck to check for possible fracture or fractures.

Hope all goes well.


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