This is Duncan.....he is my 7 year old Boxer who I adore (sometimes) and find irritating at other times.....but truth be told he holds a special place in my heart. A few weeks ago my husband and I awoke to this. A big swollen faced boy. And that age old saying came out of my mouth...'this literally happened overnight'. Poor guy! His little nub of a tail still worked well and he eagerly greeted me at the bedroom door, butt wiggling, face all swollen from what I assume was an insect sting/bite that occurred sometime last evening or overnight. The poor guy looked miserable however he was still waiting to be fed! (Not much stops a boxer from eating!).
Luckily for Duncan his mom was prepared with some medications to relieve the itching and swelling. A few hours later he was back to his normal, sometimes irritating, self with a much more normal appearance.
Spring and summer seasons mean more outdoor play time for us and our four legged friends. I know I come inside with more mosquito bites than I can count and often our pets do as well. Not all insect bites will produce this type of reaction but if you do notice your pet is swollen or extremely itchy after being outdoors, a visit to the veterinarian is probably in order. It may be tempting to administer medication at home to help but we do recommend they be seen as well. Some insect bites/stings are more serious than others, for example spider bites can be extremely serious and lead to life threatening complications if not attended to by a doctor. Depending on the location of the bite and swelling it may be necessary for your pet to be monitored in hospital for a few hours. And some pets, like humans, can have anaphylactic reactions to insect bites which requires very intensive treatment.
So...if things do happen overnight and you awaken to a swollen face please give your vet a call. We love to help get them back to their normal appearance
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