Recently, readers received a reminder from Dr.Hinson about the dangers of summer heat. When dealing with the summer, there is another common seasonal problem for pets--insect bites. While usually not fatal, insect bites can have serious consequences. Most often, dogs, and to a lesser extent cats, are bitten or stung on the face by insects (such as bees) that they were trying to bite. When this happens, your pet may initially yelp. Most of the time, a very small sting or bite is barely noticed on their face or neck due to its small size and most owners think nothing of it. However, within an hour the pets face may become greatly swollen, to the point where they can hardly open their eyes. In some cases they may even have difficulty breathing.
A common challenge in evaluating pets with a “suddenly swollen face” is determining if the problem is truly caused by an insect bite or a snake bite. Locating two puncture sites would be more consistent with a snake bite; however, this is not always an easy task. Most dogs have a lot of fur and the swelling at the site of the bite complicates the evaluation a bit. In some cases, the cause of swelling cannot be determined and a diagnosis has to be made on response to symptomatic treatment and blood work abnormalities.
If you ever find that your pet suddenly has a swollen face contact your veterinarian immediately. In most cases they will see you right away because of the urgent nature of the problem. Some pets may need to spend the day for observation, while others will need longer care at your veterinarians.
Photo from Mad Mag's photostream.
--Dr. Hamilton
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Dr. Hamilton is an oncology resident at Michigan State's Animal Cancer Care Clinic and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
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