[Jazy's mom]

Liesel and my foster, Trelkez, got into a fight Friday morning. Trelkez got Liesel right under the right eye about a half inch down from the top of the muzzle. It didn't bleed that much at all and she allowed me to clean it with no problem. I figured it would be ok since it didn't look to bad and she didn't seem to be to bothered by it.

When I got home Friday from work it looked a little swollen so I put some cold compresses on it to try and reduce the swelling. I could tell that the area was tender, but Liesel let me apply the compresses for short periods of time.

She has been eating, drinking, playing and barking at the squirrels outside, so I figured she can't be in too much pain.

Well, this morning when I looked at it, I noticed that is was oozing a little and that the whole side of her muzzle is now swollen. I went and got a cotton gauze with some hydrogen Peroxide and after I had dapped the area a few times, I noticed that if I applied a little bit of pressure to the area around the bite wound then this pus/blood stuff would come out of the wound.

I am feeling horrible right now that I did not take her to the vet Friday or Saturday. I have had dogs get into little scuffles several times and usually it is just a scrape or someone gets their ear nicked and it is no big deal.

I am very worried that it has gotten infected or that it has turned into an abscess. I don't know if I should take her to the emergency vet or if this can wait until morning when the vet will be open. It is $100 just to walk in the door at the emergency vets and I don't want to overreact if this is something that can wait until morning.

Does anyone have any experience with this that could give me some advice? I have been cleaning it and applying warm compresses to try and help draw out some of the puss as often as Liesel will allow me. She is starting to run and hide everytime I come at her with a wash cloth in my hand.

 

[Cassidy's Mom]

It sounds like an abcess, but that's not really an emergency situation. I've dealt with abcesses a couple of times with previous dogs and cats, and the vet just cleans them out an puts in a drain. I don't see why waiting until tomorrow would be a problem. Just keep doing what you're doing in the meantime with the warm compress.

 

[Jazy's mom]

Thank you!!! This makes me feel better. She seems to be acting like her normal self other than rubbing her face every now and then so I figured she is ok. But on the other side of the coin this in on her face and near her eye so I was afraid if I waited it could be really bad.

I remember my friends boxer getting an abscess on his face pretty close to were Liesel wound is. I think they ended up cutting it open, but his was much larger than what Liesel's is now.

I am trying to prepare myself for tomorrow. I am usually ok with the sight of blood, but if they are going to have to cut her face to drain this I think I am going to be sick. How do they put the drain in and how long will she have to have it? I am leaving Friday morning to go out of town and I will not be back for 9 days. I have a pet sitter coming to take care of all the dogs so they will not be in a boarding facility (which makes me feel a little better), but what should I expect for recovery time.

Of course this would happen the week before I leave town. The last time I went out of town, Judy got into it with my neighbors cat and ended up with a puncture wound on her foot from the cat. Maybe the dogs are trying to keep me from leaving town. LOL

 

[Cassidy's Mom]

It's been a while since I've dealt with one, almost 15 years, so I don't remember how long the drain stays in. I'd think a week or two though. I think they had me swab it daily with hydrogen peroxide to keep it clean, but again, this was a LONG time ago, and my memory is sketchy! They might put her on antibiotics too.

My cat had one on her neck, and at the time I had no idea what it was. I didn't see it until it burst and suddenly she's got blood and pus running down her throat and I freaked! I rushed her in and it turned out to be just an abcess, probably due to another cat's claw (she was an indoor/outdoor cat), but he said she was lucky because if it were a fraction of an inch to the side it would have hit her jugular.