When dogs get into a fight, it is very often a big dog attacking a smaller dog. This occurs so often, in fact, that the veterinary community has a widely recognized acronym for it — BDLD, which stands for “Big Dog-Little Dog” — and it almost always results in an emergency situation.
When your dog plays with a rope toy, he might grab it and shake it vigorously in his mouth. Unfortunately, this is also what most dogs do with the smaller dogs they attack. Besides the more obvious puncture wounds the smaller dog receives from the teeth, there are also often more serious, unseen injuries: brain and spinal cord injuries, and severe damage to internal organs. BDLD injuries are sometimes compared to an iceberg: The bigger, serious problems often lie below the surface. While external injuries may appear minor, the power of a dog’s biting jaw can cause serious internal injuries that may result in the loss of your pet — especially if you don’t act quickly to get them proper veterinary care. In addition, the crushing forces of its jaws can also cause micro-damage to the blood vessels in the skin, causing the blood supply to the surrounding area to be compromised. Bruising will almost always develop a few days after the injury, and it is very common for the skin immediately surrounding the puncture wounds to die. Intense wound care is needed as quickly as possible, until the body can heal the wound on its own. This can sometimes require many weeks of care and sometimes also requires additional surgery.
“Juno,” a Toy Poodle, came to Greenbrier Emergency Animal Hospital one evening after being attacked by a neighbor’s dog. She had some obvious puncture wounds to her neck and and abdomen, but despite having just been attacked, Juno was bright and alert, and even wagging her tail!
Juno’s owner thought that her dog just needed some pain medication and antibiotics. But after counseling her on the seriousness of Juno’s injuries, the owner agreed to let us take some X-rays. It was obvious from the X-rays that Juno’s puncture wounds had pierced her intestines, which were now leaking gas and fluid into her belly, and emergency surgery was needed.
Thankfully, Juno’s owner consented to the surgery. Multiple parts of Juno’s intestines had been punctured, and infection had already begun to set in. Her neck wounds were also explored, and a small nick in her jugular vein was detected. All of Juno’s injuries were repaired, and she stayed in the hospital to receive pain medication, fluids and antibiotics until she could be transferred to her family veterinarian. And Juno went on to make a full recovery.
Had it not been for the quick actions of Juno’s owners and the staff at Greenbrier, Juno surely would have succumbed to her wounds. This is also a perfect example of how deceptively brave little dogs can be, despite having suffered very serious injuries or illness — just because your dog may look and act fine after a run-in with another dog, do not assume he or she is fine. Quick response and a thorough examination are always required in these situations!
As a side note, to avoid BDLD confrontations, it is recommended that you always keep both your large and small dogs on a leash at all times when in public.
© 2010 Greenbrier Emergency Animal Hospital. All rights reserved.
this leash mention is all assuming that the owner of the big dog can control their dog. i find that is often the problem.
Very true.
Quite often smaller dogs can be instigators I find . I’m not saying small dogs always start it or vice versa but the majority of owners will say ” it happened without warning ” nope a dog will always give warning just sometimes it’s hard to spot the signs
All too often bad behaviour in toy breeds is just laughed off and even sometimes rewarded . My dog sadly passed away 7 months ago at the age of 17 she was a small dog but she still got the same boundaries and rules that I would give a Great Dane or Rottweiler!
In the same way that women who get raped usually instigate it through short skirts!
Spoken as a true big dog owner… idiot!
Dear Mat
Why are you bringing humans into this. For a dog , fighting is a natural instinct whereas sexual offenders have something very wrong with their attitude towards others or are mentally unwell. It is also true to say that smaller dogs are generally more aggressive than larger ones, so their statement Is correct. Smaller dogs are often the instigators of conflict . If you took the time to read his/her comment properly you would have noticed that he/she owned a SMALL dog. Think before you type. For goodness sake.
How dare you. Disgusting comment.
Horrible comparison…
Not even the same issue. I study animal behavior, and you are welcome to explore the Research that exists on dog behavior and BDLD attacks. Instead of providing you with statistics that you will blow off with an irrelevant rape comment, why don’t you look up the Research and educate yourself. Reseachgate.org, Jornal of Applied Behavior Analysis, psychinfo.org
How dare you say that women ask to get raped! A woman should be able to be naked and still not get raped!
I have to agree with Mat. Example: Yesterday afternoon walking my 15lbs. Cairn terrier from a back yard and from a hill side came this Pitbull. Neither my dog or myself were aware that the dog was running towards us, until we heard the frantic screams of the owner unable to control his dog. I picked up my dog from the floor immediately and raised him as high as possible. Like the statue of liberty. The Pitbul kept jumping trying to get to him until owner comes and tells me don’t move, and he gets his dog. No one provoked the Pitbull he simply went for us. So thank you Mat for the analogy. As a small dog owner I have experienced this situation of BDLD issue at least 4 times in 5 years.
Disclosure: Nothing against Pitbull. I had one for 18.5 years. Great animals but one must be able to control such a great and powerful animal before considering having one.
SAD. U have no respect for females/women. An no, I don’t wear SHORT shorts nor skirts. U MUST BE A SEX OFFENDER.🤦💀🤔😮😡😠.
Wow, just wow. Not at all the same type of thing. And with dogs it doesn’t matter the size or the breed it is the OWNERS responsibility to train them and teach them, the way a dog behaves is completely due to how it was raised . I’ve seen asshole small dogs and asshole big dogs but I have also seen precious little ones and precious big ones. I honestly feel like it falls on the owner of the dog. If you have your dog out it should be on a leash, they should never be able to roam free to where they even can aproach another dog or person. It just shouldn’t happen . Even if you think your dog is well behaved and not aggressive.
1. There is no comparison in behaviors.
2. No woman “asks” or “instigates” to be raped you moron! No means no. What part of NO do People not understand?
It’s idiots like you that seize to amaze me!
Unfortunately people with views like yourself are the reason Humanity is in so much trouble What a horrid remark
Actually my little dog did instigate and cause the entire fight that happen between my big dog and little dog so you don’t sound very bright. Mat. Little dogs are very territorial and don’t seem to care they’re not big enough to defend themselves.
I had a little Jack Russell and she WAS A MAJOR INSTIGATOR.. she would attack any dog regardless of size.. I couldnt take her anywhere there was any dogs..
exactly. and for the rest of you morons implying he was condoning rape or some bs like that, look at the comment again. if you had any business running your little typing fingers in the first place, you would’ve recognized sarcasm when you saw it. its not exactly the same thing, but it’s pretty damned close. a better analogy would be if you slapped someone upside their head and they responded by pulling out their gun and shooting you dead. if a human being responded to a misdemeanor with capital punishment itd be called murder and said human being might be put down himself
ARE YOU SICK? WOMEN THAT GET RAPED DO NOT INSTIGATE IT EVER. RAPE IS NOT ABOUT SEX. RAPE IS PERVERTED POWER WHEN WEAK MINDED MAN WITH NO REGARD FOR ANYBODY’S WELLFARE WILL RAPE,BEAT MURDER ECT A WOMAN. THEY ARE SICK MONSTERS AND SHOULD PUT IN PRISON FOR LIFE. YOUR A FOOL NOTHING A WOMAN DOES NOTHING GIVES ANYONE A REASON OR EXCUSE TO RAPE A PERSON NEVER. PLEASE DO THE RESEARCH EXAMINE YOURSELF AND ASK GOD TO RID YOU OF THESE VIEWS. I PRAY YOU SEE THE TRUTH AND CHANGE YOUR OPINION. YES THE CAPS MEAN I AM SCREAMING. BY THE WAY I AM A MAN. I see woman as people. Sure I am attracted to women sexually. However I would never ever consider rapeing any woman not even a prostitute. No is No. Again RAPE IS NOT ABOUT SEX IT IS ABUSIVE SADISTIC POWER. PLEASE GET HELP AND WRITE A RETRACTION AT LEAST. GOD BE WITH. I WILL PRAY FOR YOU. I do not hate you and have written this out of love in hopes that you see the truth and change your views. We all need to be informed as we are imperfect humans that only God can save. Gods peace to all.
Sorry I am Rick and this is for John that believes the misguided man that clearly states a women usually instigates a rape was sarcastic. Well even if He was and He was not. It is a vicious thing to write and horribly wrong. As the one woman stated even if a woman walked around naked rape is a capital crime and evil a type of torture and murder. Please take your ignorance someplace else.
We own a pug and a labradoodle. The pug is always the aggressor and when the labradoodle has had enough she lets the pug know. Aggression is. It only a big fog problem. The difference is when the big dog fights back, it has more power. Educate yourself Mel.
How can you dare compare that to a women being raped…. NO MATTER WHAT SHE WEARS IF SHE IS JUST WALKING ABOUT MINDING HER BUSINESS HOW CAN IT POSSIBLY BE FOR FAULT. SHE ISNT VERBALLY ASKING THAT MAN TO penetrate HER.
If men were instinctive animals that don’t comprehend morality , that would be a consistent comparison. But it’s not. Morality is a mentality outside of animal instinct. It is a human choice only understood by humans. Men who rape are actually much closer to a dogs. We find them to be disgusting and unacceptable because they behave like animals, not a human being. My mother has a small dog and she knows he gets nervous and defensive around larger dogs. So she doesn’t let him run off leash at the park with dogs that were bread for hunting or protection. I won’t throw back “typical lapdog owner” back at you because I know better than tribal mentality. Animals don’t, you retard. No one else. Just you.
No, bc I have seen it first hand that a small dog I instigates the fight. They can be lil assholes too
Mat, I understood the facetious intent of your comment, unlike all of these hysterical women, lol!
I agree, my dog was on lead and a little dog jumped over their fence and attacked us both. It happened so quickly that by the time I reacted my dog already grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. Once I grabbed his collar he released him and the dog looked ok. But this was one of many instances when little dogs charged us and their owner laugh it off…
My husband took our 11.5 lb shitzu out for a walk recently one morning and a neighbor’s dog came running straight for her ( the owner was out and yelled “don’t worry he won’t bite.!” The larger dog stood over our dog. Our dog gave a growl and that’s when the larger dog ( German Shepherd ) attacked her. He grabbed her and shook her like a rag doll. My husband said it happened so quickly. We did take her to the vet. Not sure the vet treated her properly. Sadly she only lasted one week. 😢
That’s NOT what just happened to me today. I have a small 5kg chihuahua x jack Russell – on arriving at our usual walking place I saw a German Shepherd about 50 foot away. The guy and girl saw us and started walking the other way – the dog looked at us and stated to sprint towards us. We have never seen this dog before. It picked my dog up in its mouth and shook it!!! The guy ran over when his dog started running at us; no attempt to call it. No attempt to stop what he did. The owner just watched as I screamed “NO” at his dog. Totally unprovoked!! My dog was screaming!!!!!!
This just happened with my chihuahua he doesn’t really have any obvious sores and it was a very short attack only a couple seconds but he’s acting really funny and just laying do you think he’s just scared
Bring him to a vet…… I can not diagnose from afar.Sorry
Linda so sorry how is your dog doing. I was dog sitting and the German Sheppard attacked my small dog she is still in the hospital. The dog dis so much damage. I was thankful I was home and now know to never to take in someone else dog. We had them here almost a week already with no issues. You never know I’m just hoping my baby can pull through. I blame my friends as they should know there dog had an Alpha personlitly and should not be allowed around small dogs that can’t defend themselves. Hard lesson to be learned on my part. Never again.
I have same problem but it was a staff did same thing it not nice watch my dog went in shock so did I my dog cross chilque cross jack Russel he was only 4 month didn’t stand a chance
same here. my dog got bitten by a dog nearly 4 times bigger. i did not found out because i was asleep. my dad told me after i came home from school
My dog Maxfield is a sweet loving mix breed German Shepherd . He had his first incident with a small dog ;15 lbs or less. Max got out of yard and attacked a small dog while be walked ; Actually the neighbor would tease Max by letting her dog mark the yard and poop out front. I’m not making excuses but it cost me 1800.00 dollars for VET bill . I did it so that we would not have a problem with the neighbor. The second incident happened yesterday ; my stepson and his girlfriend moved back home and brought Pancho which was a cool dog but was an ass to Max. Before they moved back I told them to leave Pancho home because Max really did not care being snapped at all the time.. Max did put him in his place but Pancho being a small wanna be Alpha would keep it up. Last night my wife was feeding the dogs and Max being a glutton decided to eat Pancho’s grub got into a fight which resulted in a severe bite to the head of Pacho popping his right eye out and a pucture would to his head. I have scolded and counceled Max but he does not understand why he is being punished by being put outside. Pancho lost his eye and may go blind. What should I do with Max ? He is a very gentile dog when around children but now I do not trust him . What should I do ?
Sorry to hear about this but there is no silver bullet. You can see a behaviorist for training to see if that helps, but you ultimately need to keep him away from ALL other dogs. There is nothing else to do. You know you have a problem dog, now you need to isolate him. Sorry.
I have too agree. My little chihuahua always causes problems. He is old and mean and instigates fights. That’s why im on this page right now.
I agree, with you about a chihuahua. I have two applehead chihuahua a two year old and her daughter which is four months they are just like your male but worst they are so messy and think they’re the biggest dogs walking with the biggest attitude. I guess it’s just in their bloodline.
H Resfern, I just dealt with a big dog trying to attack my small dog. While I mostly agree with you about the warning signs, as my dog can be a bit too dominant, sometimes there really are no warning signs. Some large dogs have a high prey drive, and dont differentiate between a large rodent and my 10 lb dog. These dogs need to have an owner solely paying attention to them during walks. The idiot with the dog that attacked mine led her dogs right up to my dog and paid no attention. My dog immediately wanted out and this dog just attacked him. They hadn’t even smelt butts yet.
Absolutely agree but in my experience some adults irresponsible and allow children to walk large dogs, I recently seen a child of abou 12 yrs old walking a huge Akita which was some distance away from me and my yr old collie it started to focus on us and I only thank god my car was nearby I didn’t hesitate and immediately got my dog into the car, the Akita had started pulling in my direction I got into my car quickly and observed that youngster being dragged to the floor I felt so bad for driving of but I’m some my concern was for my own dogs safety. An 11 yr old was killed in a town nearby by two Rottweiler that guess what were being walked by her and her ten year old friend why why do people let children walk large breeds ridiculous!!
Small dogs often act aggressively when. they are scared. My yorkipoo growls at the large dog (who previosly attacked him) each time he sees him now. He doesn’t want the dog to come over and fight; he wants him to stay away. Therefore, he reacts in a way which may seem agressive.
My friend has a maltipoo and he has some bad manners because she was rewarding his bad behavior .
My dog was attacked buy a dog thrusday my dog is 55 pounds the dog that attacked him was big she hurt her neck the vet she fine now is thw owner responsible for the vet bills
My 8 yr old corgi Bella was attacked two days ago at the dog park. I had barely put my stuff down at a table when I heard the squealing. She is 8 yrs old pudgy and short legs so she is a little dog. The attacker was a medium size 8 mo old pitbull. I am so upset because that dog was aggressively trying to either break her neck or strangle her. It took three adults to get that vicious dog to unlock his bite. Bella’s whites of her eyes remained bright red for 24 hrs. She was almost dead. The biggest problem from the attack was not the bite but the viciousness of the attack was so hard on her she developed a form of HGE and began bleeding from her rectum bright red blood. The Vet ER says from the trauma of the attack the dogs system sends out so much adrenaline that a form of bacteria sets in the stomach then the intestine becomes inflamed. We have been back and fourth getting sub/ IV packs on her several times. She will not eat or even drink water. This is the 2 nd time we have been attacked by Pitbull’s. I am sorry but I HATE those dogs
Sorry for your trauma.
My dog is a 20lb little dog family friendly it came from Georgia he got along with all kind of dogs but these dogs kept biting him frequently different kind of little dog big dogs some owners of these dogs will reply to me I guess my dog don’t like that kind of dog oh one of them said it could not have it did not have no teeth her dog and I said what are those seems to me like teeths. and now my little dog is so scared of mostly all dogs and I feel so sad for him because he was so so friendly and now he so terrify At the site of another dog he starts to growl. protecting himself. Like don’t you dare come close to me but he is so afraid that’s all people just tell me I’m sorry and keep walking like nothing had happened the owner of of these big dogs and small dogs if you know your dog bites stay away from friendly dogs don’t compromise them I always ask do your dog bites and they say no and he still gets bitimg my friendly dog for no reason. that’s crazy.! and now people tellbme I have a vicious dog no I don’t he’s afraid of them by the way that was in the Bronx that it happened and I wonder why ☣️ plus I know it can’t happen in any part of the world but owner have a responsibility if your dog bites leave my house or any friendly dog alone keep it moving advise us not to even get close thank you
So true, I have a Doberman and on July 3, 2020 at 10:15 pm I took her out. As a retired dog trainer I never go without a leash. Well my leash handle came undone and my dog was loose. A loud M80 was set off that spooked her. She saw this woman with her 4 lb Chihuahua mix. My dog which is 75lbs ran to her dog. My dog was pushing her dog with her nose. The little dog rolled over and my smacked her dog with her big paw. My dog cut her dog with her nail. There were no puncture wounds. My did not bite this little dog. But the woman told a lie and said my dog grabbed her dog and shook her violently and threw her in the air and she hit the ground. This is far from the truth. Plus I had witnesses. My point is. That if my dog was out to attack her dog. It would have been worse. My dog plays rough. This little dog is fine and running around off leash like she was that night.
My toy poodle had recently been attacked by my pitbull . He has a punctured wound on top of his head and to on his throat what do I do the vet is closed and my mother is afraid he is gonna die
Get him to an emergency vet or call your vet for an emergency option. Almost all vets have some emergency options and if they do not, look for another vet.
Our two dogs got into a fight and now the little dogs cant move her legs or wont drink or eat will see be ok
Seriously? Sounds bad
I don’t know if you are still answering, but here goes. My 5# chihuahua and 75# boxer, as well as a 6# “pomehuahua” have lived together for 6 years (boxer-Hermes is 8) 5# chihuahua (Zoebelle) is a little b**** in every sense of the word. Hermes always bows down to her. This past weekend, Zoebelle jumped on Hermes. (I don’t let her get away with it, but it happened. ) The whole point of this is, Hermes corrected her (which he rarely does) and Zoebelle ended up with a puncture wound on her tiny little nose. She is on antibiotics & pain meds (Amoxicillin & tramadol) Here’s where I get judged. First, I did not immediately take her to the vet. I work at a H.S. and have access to medical facilities and medications. Here are my 2 questions. The puncture is in her nose, but not through to her mouth. However, the blood was coming out as bubbles. I flushed it very well and the bleeding stopped. I don’t understand how bubbles could be coming out, could you explain? Second, should I be using Collasate as a dressing or just let it be natural? It started bleeding again today, not bubbles and not much. I know you can’t diagnose, but could you try to explain what’s going on?
Did the puncture break the nasal planum and enter the sinus? Its possible there is interaction between here nose and the wound and the bubbles are her breathing. Otherwise maybe her throat is injured too? I really can not tell without seeing her and even then she might need an xray or ultrasound to tell. These wounds can be very serious and you probably need a vet visit before you give too much more home medication. Be careful about infection and collasate in this area. I would keep on the abx and pain medication and warm compress the area to see if it heals. Good luck.
Unfortunately that’s hard for me I live in such a small community we don’t have a 24 hour vet.my pup got attacked by my lab and the skin by her rib was torn,the only thing I know to do till Monday is to Clean the wound with peroxide and put triple ointment plus I’ve been giving her small doses of amoxicillon and baby pain meds,don’t know what else to do till Monday. Any advise of what else I can do
SOunds like you are doing the right thing. I might be very cautious about the pain meds as the doses are very different. The wound care sounds good and see the vet first thing Monday morning for a follow up. Sorry and good luck!
This happened to my dog this week but got her in her groin area. At night time, she managed to get at it and lick, it’s now infected. She is on 2 different antibiotics , how long does it usually take for them to kick in?
Good antibiotics usually kick in in 12-24 hours. But persistent/or severe infections can take days to show any improvement.
My dog got bit today by a huge dog on the rib will he die????
Seriously? That is your question?
My dog is in shock he’s not moving eating or drinking water I’m scared he got in a fight again with my pit bull we can’t afford the vet what should i do????
There is nothing I can tell you based on the description except see a vet. Take him to the SPCA and have them look at him or surrender him. Sounds very bad if he is not doing anything?!?! I would try your best to get a vet visit. Sorry
My little dog was attacked in the night by a large dog. When I found her in the morning I immediately took her to the vet and they kept her overnight. The put her on antibiotics and an anti inflammatory. She had to be stitched 2 places on her left side and a place on her neck. She had her worst wound on the right side directly behind her right leg. After a week I took her back to the vet because that side the skin was starting to slough off and he gave me antiseptic to flush the wound. She now has a pretty wide hole opened up with drainage. We just finished her last antibiotic and I noticed this morning that on her left side now a spot has started to open up and and draining. Is this normal for this type of injury? Do I need to pay a third visit to the vet? How long do these type of injuries take to heal?
Yes, go back to the vet. These injuries often take multiple surgeries and many many weeks of healing and sloughing. They can require multiple sewing of the same area if the skin keeps dying. This can be very normal. Go back for a check up. Good luck.
is there some kind of training method to stop my dog from attacking little dogs. she is the most cuddly submissive dog i have ever seen and she never attacks big dogs . but something with little dogs drives her nuts
Nothing ‘fool proof’ except keep her on a tight leash away from little dogs. Maybe even have a basket muzzle on her at all times in public. Sorry. Very hard to ensure 100% safety and you don’t want to take a risk.
I have been looking for a Sibiran Husky for some time now and just recently was contacted by a lady that had a 7 week old puppy that had half his nose bitten off and has been to the vet multiple times and the lady insist that they vet said there’s no complication from missing half of his nose and shes giving me his vet records, but i was wondering if i need to be aware of anything after a terrible injury like this? Is it at all possible for his black nose to grow back? I would post pictures but it wont let me so any info would be appreciated thanks.
Call the vet directly and talk to them, then call your vet and have them review the records. I’m guessing it will be fine, but I can never tell without the records and pictures. In person is way better too, so have your vet check it out. The only worry I would have is dog aggression or behavioral problems but these you can fix and might not show up for a while.
Hello my chiuaha was attacked today by a pit bull she is eating and drinking she seems a little out of it we took her to the vet and they did a check up she doesn’t have any wounds just a couple tiny bruises do you think she will be okay?
If the vet thinks so then I have to assume they checked everything. Impossible to say without seeing her. Good luck!
Hey why can’t I find anything on ear injuries ? Tonight my weiner dog bit my chihuahua on his head hurting his normally hyper sensitive ear there is fluid draining from it ( not much). I was just wondering if there was something I could or should be doing to comfort him?
Bring him tot a vet. There is not a lot you can do after treating it like a normal wound. There is risk for infection and swelling (hematoma) and if it is bad he needs vet attention.
Hello , My little Maltese got attacked by my big husky and she’s bleeding from her nose. It’s totally the little one’s fault because i witnessed the incident. She stalled him consecutively and started the fight. What can i do ? It’s very late here and the vets are closed.
Emergency vet? If not there is very little you can do except keep her comfortable and get her to a vet in the morning first thing to assess. If there is a wound, clean it. If not then you need to keep her calm and lower her blood pressure to hopefully slow the bleeding down.
How does one handle an extremely traumatized 7lb chihuahua? My 65lb Rhodesian/boxer attacked him and it took too long for me to separate them. I took chihuahua to vet immediately where I was then sent on to emergency vet hospital. My dog was still alive and I had to decide whether to pts or try to save him. I tried the latter despite the fact that the visible injury was a lung now exposed through the chest wall. He ended up having to have a partial lung removed, his pectoral
Muscle
Had been completely pulled away from
His sternum so that had to be reconstructed. He had two broken vertebrae. Several direct contact bites. Four hour complicated surgery and I was told he may not survive it. The vets were astonished that He survived the attack and described
Him
As incredible! Well he has a long road to recovery and four to six weeks or confinement and care at home however he is EXTREMELY traumatized and showing fear aggression. This is still early days and only five days after the incident. How do I best handle his fear of me and my son who I can only assume he believes we were part of the attack
On him as we tried to get the big dog off him for 30 to 60 seconds? Will he ever trust me again?
Very hard question. I am not a certified behaviorist and you might want to seek one out. I think you are still in early days and you need to let the shock and trauma wash away a little more before making a full evaluation. I think time will tell and most likely heal these psychological wounds. There are many approaches to restoring an animals trust, but I would research them and if possible consult a behaviorist. If all else fails, there are many cheap anti anxiety drugs you can give that would probably help. Good luck.
My min pin was attacked by a large dog off its leash. It was super fast. Some snarling and it threw my dog. There are no puncture marks. No bleeding. Yet my dog has lost interest in eating and is acting super skittish. Does this sound like anxiety or should I be concerned about internal injuries?
COuld be either. Could be back pain, neck pain, trauma with broken ribs…. see a vet. If it is just anxiety then you can ask the vet for something for that too. It sounds very brutal and I would have your dog checked out…. good luck.
My dog’s name is Akiro. A shi-poo breed. He was bitten by some big dog. early morning when we didn’t realize aki followed my grandmother whe she got outside to water the plants but my granny didn’t realize it. witnesses says my aki was under a fight with four other stray big dogs on our village & got home bleeding especially on his left shoulder. few minutes later he vomited blood. we were very scared and rushed aki to the vet. although the vet was close we waited until it opened two hours later. due to his pain and bleeding they attached him with an iv line and told us that they have to observe him closely. his arm/shoulder bite was not yet sutured so i am quite anxious why. doctor said he needs to be watched before doing any treatment and surgeries. i asked the doctor why did he vomited blood and is he going to be fine. he didn’t replied so im a little worried about Akiro’s situation can you answer me ? 🙁
Without seeing him I can not give you any specifics, and I am not sure why he vomited blood. There was nothing in the story to suggest the reason for that. The vet was correct in not suturing the dog bites. We do not suture “dirty” wounds unless we place a drain. If he placed a drain then he would have sutured the wound closed. If no drain then we leave the wounds to drain and heal open. This prevents pockets of severe infection. Hopefully the IV fluids and antibiotics will fix him and there will be no complications. Sorry this happened and call the vet to ask more specific questions about the wounds and injuries.
Hi I’m sorry for posting on here but I have a 1 month old pit bull puppy I also have a 6 year old itailian massif this morning my massif snipped at my puppy in his mouth and broke his baby tooth and punctured his bottom gum. My puppy bled immediately we cleaned it with peroxide and put triple antibiotic ointment on it. He’s still eating and using the bathroom even still attempting to play bite will he be OK?????????
Depends if the baby tooth is broken at the base and gets infected or not. Usually this is ok and it just will fall out. The gum puncture and the broken tooth can lead to serious infection. You want to keep watching the mouth for swelling and discharge often. See a vet as soon as you have any concerns. The puppy needs shots in 2 weeks anyway, that would be a good time. You do realize you might have a problem with dog-dog aggression with those too in the future.
Our mastiff and pug don’t get along. We try to keep them separate, but there have been a time or two that they end up in same room and get into it. Once the larger dog is already attacking the smaller dog, how do you get the dogs apart? I’m hoping beyond hope we don’t find ourselves in this situation again, but want to be prepared if it happens again.
Nothing you can do baring breaking up the fight or using water or vinegar in a spray bottle…… very hard. I would consider a basket muzzle for the mastiff if you are concerned. Otherwise they need to be kept separate. Sorry.
Literally sticking a finger up the dogs butt. I’m not kidding. This works well on pit bulls who can’t disengage no matter what you do (well, almost). This saved our 18 lb jackapoo from a PB attack last week. He walked away with nothing but a bite wound, which we have treated with chlorhexadrine, neosporin, and pain meds. It’s 6 days later and he’s walking/eating/drinking/pooping/socializing normally. Wound is a black scab. Still keeping it moustened with warm clorohexidrine compresses & neosporun applications. There is some swelling, although that seems more of the kind of swelling that occurs naturally around a wound and not the kind that signals an abscess (we’ve seen plenary of those on our feisty cat).
Hi
I’m new to this
I have a 8 months old cocapoo puppy and every time I stroke my girl she turn on me and get aggravations toward me
Any advice us much appreciated
Behavior specialist is all I can recommend. Puppy school? This sounds awful.
What bite a dog paw to make you see nothing but his bone on his paw
Huh?
My bw ( small poodle mix ) was attacked 3 going on 4 wks now by two large pit bulls. I live in a very small community of 8 apartments and two town homes. We have complained to the owners not to allow their children to walk them dogs or big, had to call animal control, owner posted signs dogs must be leashed, etc. Long story short bw is not the same very distance at times and at times just out of the blue he barks out and gets aggressive. The police was called given them a $600.00 fine for each dog. I’m bw just isn’t the same he’s to afraid to go to take care of his business. Please help me out what should I do. By the way we are moving .
Sincerely ,
Sj
Move! I think that might be the only thing to do. The other behavior sounds like just stress and maybe senility (if your dog is old.) I have no answers for you unfortunately, except to keep BW calm and quiet and move away. You can try anti-anxiety drugs from your vet but I’m not sure they will help much. Sounds like PTS disorder.
2 Years ago my dog was attacked amd left her paralyzed from her two back legs i took her to the vet and they told me she had like a 30 % chance she will walk again after that i took her to a lady i found out that she has rescued soany animals she told me that my dog will be able to walk again and she will help me . I had to leave her with this lady until one day i had to pick my dog up because she was to depressed but when i brought her home she wasnt anymore she seemed happy very playful even in he condition she was in this lady still treated her but a cast on my dog for a month or so and then she took it off this lady never camr back to help so i thought my dog will be ok now but she still wasnt able to walk . A lot of people told me to put her down but i just couldnt do something like that i saw my dog and she looked happy she was they same playful dog she was before the accident but now i think to myself i should of done it i shouldve put her down . She doesnt live with me but when i see her i just feel so bad ..
What do you think i should of done ?
or what can i do now ?
WOW, sounds like the “lady” really lead you wrong. If the vet says the dog will never walk, then that is most likely the case. If you dog can get around and looks happy and can use the bathroom and does not suffer then I guess keep going. I would trust the vet for an opinion. If you dog has sores or wounds from dragging or is in pain then it becomes a certain decision to euthanize. Ignore the random woman and listen to the vet….. sorry I cant help more.
Dr i have a doxen i was walking them suddenly a german shepherd pulls out hes head and bites my dog in the head he dont show no deeps wounds or puncture u could see the mark of the teeth tho:( my doxen whole face was insde the germans dog then he bite idk why i just dont want something bad i cant see inside hes head to wrong i love my dog what u recommend doc i been 1 week my dog has be acting different in mood n personality he will no longer go up to a big dog friendly or aggressive he is tramatausi
I’m not sure exactly what is wrong. Can you take your dog to a vet? Sounds like he might need to be seen for bite wounds. The behavior changes should eventually go away but he might needs some behavior therapy to be confident around larger dogs in the future. Good luck. SOrry I can not help more.
How do I cleen a little my dog that as a little hole in his neck
Read the blog. CLean water and mild dish soap or soft antibacterial soap. Rinse thoroughly.
Help!!!
My little dog was attacked by a pit bull yesterday .. I cleaned the 4 puncture wounds and applied Neosporin to them.. He lets me pick him up and no yelping , but I’m worried he won’t drink I’ve put it in my hands the water and he will just barely lick it… He’s just laying around has only urinated once this am .. Thanks for any advice ….
BRING HIM TO A VET!!! Neosporin will do nothing and he sounds like he is in pain and shock.
I cant believe so many people don’t just take their dogs to the vet after an injury instead of asking for advice here. Are you kidding? If you can’t afford a dog’s care, do the dog a favor and let someone else have it or don’t get one in the first place. Geez! My dog is my family and there is nothing I would not do for him! I would not have gotten a dog if I felt I couldn’t afford any vet bills.
just amazing the lack of common sense
Do you know how many animals get euthanized every year? For you to say its irresponsible for a pet owner to own a pet if they can’t afford vet bills is a load of crap. Most people can’t afford basic health insurance. So you rather see an animal dead then be in a home that has food, shelter and LOVE. Check the stats at a local shelter in a 6month span 20k plus are euthanized. They are begging people to adopt a pet for free just because they have so many they have to kill. But no you rather have an pet slaughtered then be in a home that can afford everything else but a vet bill. Smh
shohn,
I don’t know how read into what I wrote that I want animals slaughtered. I would love to see no animals having to go to a shelter or be put down unnecessarily. But if you then have an animal that is hurt or sick and cant afford to treat it, is that better? Myself I would love to see more funding that would help people get help for their animals if needed. There are some places around that do give a sliding fee. But my point was that why would you go onto a blog instead of going to a vet for your animal when it is obviously hurt. to your point that some people don’t even have health insurance: do they go on a blog to ask if they should take their child to the doctor? as far as SMH? I don’t think so. I commented because I care.
Hello, just now reading this blog site. I totally agree with you. A human should not buy OR adopt a PET (any kind) if they are not physically or mentally or FINANCIALLY able to take care of every need the PET has, now or in the future.
So many PETS are given as gifts to those who have no business or proper thought process of having/owning a PET. I know that anyone can do whatever they want, BUT PLEASE USE COMMON SENSE!! PETS ARE LIKE HUMAN BABIES, they will need and DEMAND your consistant care and help with their health and well being maintenance for possibly many MANY YEARS in the future. PETS are not meant to be treated as “disposable play things”. They are living and breathing creatures like YOU and I are !
If you own a PET and find yourself in bad position that you can non longer care for the PET then PLEASE PLEASE ask a friend, family members, if they can adopt the pet feom you, And if they can’t, then you should find it in your heart to relinquish the PET to the SPCA or look online to PET farms who can adopt your pet to the farm or they can Foster Parent the pet until they find a loving/responsible home for the PET. The reason I am writing this now is that it is near holiday season and milllions of PETS will be bought/adopted by people who have the best of intentions for the PET. However, look into the future and REALLY THINK before doing this because the future life (or unneeded death) of the PET is potentially at risk.
DO NOT GIVE PETS AS GIFTS THIS HOLIDAY, THEY ARE NOT TOYS AND WHO WILL CARE FOR THEM AFTER THE THE PETS NEWNESS WEARS OFF AND THEY BECOME A BURDEN OR UNLOVED AND NEGLECTED.
Thank you for taking the time to read this as it is in my nature to protect those PETS who cannot speak for themselves. WE ARE THEIR VOICE!
Since pets are with us for a good portion of their lives as well as are own, they are there for the good times and the bad. When I got my dog I was in a great financial position. Not so much right now. The office visit isn’t what scares most people, it’s how these bills end up $2-400 or more at the end of it. Some peoples’ situations change after a period of time and they don’t deserve to be berated to told to surrender the dog because they can’t afford to take the dog to the vet for every problem.
A dog leaving their forever home for seemingly no reason can have traumatic consequences for the dog as well as the family. Talking to your local ASPCA about how you can best care for your family pet would be my advice. Good luck to you.
My dog got bit on the head and his head got punctured what do I do
Go to a vet????? For real??
Neosporin encourages wound closer and you don’t want that to happen too
Quickly Bacteria could be trapped inside
Maybe, but it really does this on a VERY mild level (good advertising campaign.) More likely it acts as a barrier to keep new bacteria out.
My dog has two puncture wound just under her left arm side of chest. She’s 5 lbs. I wanted to take her to the vet but only have 500 dollars not sure if that’s enough it was our neighbours dog I feel they should pay the whole thing or half atleast! Is is getting swollen she can’t walk my mom seems to think its ok swollen natural ibtold hervits not the outside im worried about its the internal damage. I just know vets want to be safe AND run every test possible which i want and will gladly do in a second if I think she needs it. I mean I guess if I’m on here and this worried it’s better safe then sorry. My dogs vet isn’t open until Tuesday so 2 days…alot can happen in 2 days smh. What’s your opinion? What arteries and or things are in that area fire fly behind the arm chest area?
Go to the vet. Tell them what you have to spend. They should work with you and that should be plenty or find a new vet.
on superficial wounds for myself or pets, I first pour in petoxide. Yes it burns but it does the trick. Once it stops having a foam or light bubbling effect, then I add antibiotic lotion. I do this a few times, but may just do peroxide a 2nd time, but keep on w the antibiotic lotion till it heals. Of course if dog licks it off, defeats pupose.
I find that controlling their bigger dogs is often a problem too. I have just lost my six month old pom to a pit bull and sustained 22 stiches to my hand trying to save my beloved pup. He was my baby my advice is to not wait. Rip Biscuit Harris I love you baby
I have a Chihuahua and a German Shepherd they both grew up together since birth. They play and wrestle. Mostly the chihuahua jumps on top of the shepherd when he lays down and nibbles him playfully. Tonight we were walking and it was dark outside. They were chasing each other and the chihuahua started screaming badly and ran under a bush. Upon taking him inside we noticed a minor scrape under this chin below his mouth with a little blood. I cleaned it with rx wound wash and skin care. The bleeding has stopped he has no other injuries. My only question is I honestly do not know if the GSD did this to him. It could have been an animal as well. They are both up to date on vaccines. Any advice? Have you seen this happen with dogs that have been together since babies? I’m worried if indeed it was the shepherd that he has the ‘taste of blood’ so to speak and may hurt him again. I honestly have never seen them exhibit overly aggressive behavior before. Thanks in advance!
Sorry to hear. Not sure how you will every know what did this. Might have been a snake or a rodent….? If there is no outward aggressive behavior then it seems unlikely to be the GSD. Many housholds have big and small dogs and are fine, but if you read the comments there is also no way to predict dog behavior. I would watch for any outward aggressive behavior in the future.
Hi .. I need help help. I have a pit ill dog she. Just had 9 puppies last week and this morning she bite her in her face leaving two little holes …here is no veterinarian don’t know what to do ????????
Bit who in the face? Read my blog on wound care, and watch for infection. I dont have enough info to really help here. Sorry.
My dog has been bitten severely by a big dog which was off the leash and the owner could not free my dog from it’s grip (jaw).. so l agree owners should not have big dogs if they are not strong enough to have COMPLETE control. ON or Off the lead
A bit late for a reply I know but if it helps…..
My male staffy was attacked 2 weeks ago by a large rotty that escaped from its female owner.
My staffy was mauled around the sides and top of neck.
I couldnt see wounds or blood at the time but now he has fur and the scabs falling off as I brush him.
So he was damaged and no doubt bruised.
I thank his rock hard neck muscles for protecting him.
I shouldve had him checked out.
He didnt fight back as he loves and respects all animals.
he’s not a coward either but he went down on the ground cowering his belly etc. While I tried to rip the rotty off him.
the woman should NOT be walking this dog.it is dangerous ! And WILL attack again.
My little dog just got attacked by a pit bull he was gushing blood out of both ears and we can’t find any wholes
Seriously, bring him to a vet!
Agreed
My son owns a great Pyrenees and she listens to his every word. My son is 6 ft tall. He is daddy and she knows it. She loves my son very much. She sleeps on the bed at with him at his feet.
My neighbour brought home a puppy yesterday. He has 2 other dogs (fully grown) . This morning, the 2 dogs bit the puppy at its neck and ripped some flesh off. It was so painful to watch the puppy suffer… the stupid owner just took the puppy and place him at the garbage area.. I was going to school when I saw it happening.. now I’m seriously wondering if it can survive after 9 hours(the time I come home) I feel so angry at my parents when they told me it isn’t our problem. If someone does something wrong, and you saw it and do nothing about it, it is worse right? Please tell me if he will survive, I feel so guilty …
I really wish I could tell you that, but I cant. I dont know how bad the wound is. Puppies are remarkably resilient and can survive many things. If there is food or water at the garbage area, then he might have a better chance. You are very correct in saying that seeing something wrong and not doing anything about it is incorrect. I would have this discussion openly with your parents. As a parent myself I would appreciate any concerns my kids have and would try to fix them. You are right, but your parents are also correct. You can not fix every problem. Sometimes problems are out of your control or too big to fix. Talk to your parents please. One day maybe veterinary medicine is in your future and you can help these puppies. Lets hope the puppy was not that badly hurt and he will be ok, there is a good chance of that.
Very true. I agree, alot of pet owner may not know how to control there dog(s).
U know your right this Pitbull just bite my lil dog and the Pitbull owner had no control over it
My dog was attacked just two days ago while on a walk. The other who is in her sixty and ca hardly walk just got a Pitbull that almost killed my dog. It is clear this women should not have this dog, now what are my chances of her paying for the Vets surgeries.
I AGREE WITH YOU THERE ARE MANY OWNERS THAT CHOSE TO HAVE A DOG JUST BECAUSE THEY SEE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THEM BUT TRULY THEY CARE LESS ABOUT THE DOG AND ITS BEHAVIOUR, IS NOT THE DOGS FAULT TO BEHAVE THE WAY THEY DO IF THE WRONG OWNER DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT TO GUIDE AND CHANGE BEHAVIOUR.
I HAVE MORE THAN 60 DOGS, AND I SEE THEM SINCE THE MOMENT THEY ARE BORN AND BEEN A TETIRED MAN HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE THEIR BEHAVIOUR. PUPPIES LOVE TO PLAY AND THEY PREFARE TO PLAY WITH PUPPIES THEIR OWN AGE AND SIZE, BUT WHEN THERE IS NO ONE TO REFERI THEIR BEHAVIOUR, OLDER DOGS TEND TO PLAY WITH THEM AS MEANS OF ENTERTAINMENT, UNTIL THE PUPPY DOES SOMETHING THE OLDER DOG DOES NOT AGREE, THEN IS WHEN THE OLDER DOG CAN HURT THE PUPPY.
OTHER OLDER DOGS ARE MORE PRIVATE THAN OTHERS AND THEY HATE TO SEE A PUPPY RUNNING AROUND EJOYING ITSELF WITH OTHER POPPY(S) AND IN ANY GIVEN MOMENT CAN ATTACK THE PUPPY AND EVEN KILL HIM IF THEY GRAB THEM BY THE NECK IN SECONDS, NOT GIVING A CHANCE FOR ANY TYPE OF PROTECTION NEITHR BY THEIR MOTHER OR THE OWNER.
I NEVER HAD A DOG BECAUSE OF LOCK OF TIME BEFORE I RETIRED, I GOT INTRODUCED TO THEM BY A GIFT THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME FROM ONE OF MY SISTER’S IN LAW, AND IT WAS THROUGH THAT DOG THAT LEARN THAT DOGS LIKE PEOPLE HAVE DIFERENT BEHAVIOUR AND CHARACTERS, REASON WHY THEY ARE THE BEST FRIENDS OF HUMANITY, AND ADAPTABLE TO A MAN’S NEEDS SOME DOGS ARE MORE INTELIGENT THAN OTHERS, AS THEY ARE ALSO MORE AGRESIVE THAN OTHERS, SAME AS THE HUMAN RACE THEY CAN AT TIMES BE UNPREDICTABLE EVEN WHEN YOU LIVE WITH THEM FOR SINCE THEY ARE BORN, I HAVE LEARN TO LOVE THEM ALL, AND IN MY CASE I STILL TRUST A DOG A LOT MORE THAN I CAN TRUST A HUMAN BEING.
And sometimes, the big dog is a “really sweet dog” who lives with the little dog. I found out the hard way when my “really sweet” black Lab attacked my chihuahua with no provocation – right before my very eyes. Thank God my little dog survived. I never knew that even a family dog with a good reputation could attack like this.
Very True, you never know. The key is trying to figure out just before it happens. Not an easy task. I hope your dog turned out ok!
A pit bull attacked my little chihuahua and bit him under his neck and by his stomach ..we took him to the vet immediately and they gave him surgery he has a cone on. His head and plastic little tubes to take out the bad stuff .my girlfriend are gonna be taking days off to take care of the little guy his really brave and strong the day after his surgery he was already taking his first steps and wagging his tail ..I wanted to know from your experience how long do u think he will take to stop feeling pain and be back to normal from cases you have seen and experienced
These animals usually head quickly after the drains are out. They should be out in 3 days, so after that. I would say within a week or so the guy should be mostly back to normal. Good luck.
Did you end up putting your lab down?? I’ve heard if dog taste blood once they have a higher chance to attack again.
Good first question, but I really think the blood thing is a wives tale. I have heard that and seen plenty of dogs that have attacked only once.
My mini dachshund and Pyrenees/ Anatolian shepherd mix got into a fight. came home from being gone all day to find dachshund not walking right. son called for me and I went to pick up dachshund only to be met with my hand dipped in blood.. I mean the blood made mini puddles on each of my fingertips… I calmed my son down yell for husband to get a towel and wrapped him up and call after hours vet on way to next town over.. “Rocky’s” tongue was already grey and mouth was cold… I prayed all the way there as my son held him…. got to vet they took Rocky back for triage. Vet talked to us about 30 minutes later to let us know that he had multiple puncture wounds but hard to tell due to his black coat and that he wasn’t sure where all the blood came from (he saw the towel) he said he was baffled because the puncture wounds shouldn’t have bled so much… but that maybe it came from the (?) I can’t remember the name given.. but he mentioned the two lines of skin in front of his penis. I didn’t and still after 3 nights do not see any signs of trauma in that region… he checked the wounds and said stomach cavity was not compromised but the chest cavity was…. the canine tooth went in between two ribs and 3 muscle layers of the membrane covers. He knew we could not pay right then and there for the cost of the exploratory surgery. He stitched the 3 muscle layers up and then the two ribs together attempting to reinforce from air leaks…. he other puncture wounds seem sealed with a scab the next morning. Rocky was given clyndamiacine.. 1 a day and 1/2 tramydol (every 6 to 8 hours). I made sure he was separated from other two dogs until 3 days later. the morning after this attack Rocky woke up thirsty and hungry. I noticed no “bubbling or crackle underneath surgical area” but he had fluid gathering at bottom of his rib cage, pulling down from bottom center where bones meet of rib cage… I was pretty sure it was fluid and air.. called my vet and I was told to bring him in tomorrow morning (which was Monday) she talked about inserting a drain saying this was fluid build up from the trauma… Rocky decreased his water consumption but still drank a little on Sunday and he ate well… Monday morning day of vet visit… Rocky did not drink through the night or that morning… I went to vet. The vet I saw was not the same vet I spoke to. She looked at Rocky felt the hanging small mass, told me that it was fluid that would re absorb itself and checked wounds, took temperature and then she listened to his lungs… she told me his right lung (which is where surgery was done.. ) has diminished sounds (?) but that it was probably a small collapse in the right lung and that it would re inflate over time… I told her my concerns about Rocky not having a bowel movement and the response was trauma can mess up gi tract….I didn’t share my fear of drinking water because I was hoping his outing would make him drink….. it has not… he loves his food… he is urinating quite well….. and this morning he finally had a bowel movement…. son just checked on him when he got home and water level is the same on the water bowl… I gave him 2 5ml of infant pedialyte last night and 3x5ml this morning….. I am concerned that his fluid intake makes this fluid pocket bigger… is that possible…. he walks, he even jumped on low lying sofa lastnignt… his tail wags… and he walks and is even getting a little dachshund bounce in his step….. I did notice yesterday (Monday) his horrible blood red bruising… under his left front leg.. his elbow is red deep red…. and there is a horrible deep red bruise the size of a cupcake on his sternum and down.. mid level abdomen … should I be concerned with his ability to not drink…. is the pedialyte ok to use…. until he wants to drink… your insight would be most appreciated ….. my vet office didn’t offer x-rays for his fluid pocket or his lung…. he has only brought himself to panting twice…. in his life… and he is 3 yrs old… 1st time in vet office when two dogs were barking at one another and then yesterday.. in the back yard… while walking around…
WOW, that is a lot to absorb. However, it is a simple answer. Fluid intake will not effect the fluid in his skin. That is most likely a bruise or trauma seroma. That will likely go away with time, especially of the 2 vets that saw him are not too concerned. The drugs are fine and his not drinking too much is ok as long as he is making urine and eating well. Sounds like he is healing and that he got really badly attacked. These things take time. Pedialyte is usually ok, but un-necessary and water or water with a little food in it is better. Give him time and keep your vet office fully informed about any major changes. I think they are doing a good job and sounds like he is much better. The bruising is normal and might even become a scab and the skin can die. This is a problem that can not be avoided and you will deal with it if it happens. Just keep him calm and keep a close watch on him.
Dr. Stewart, I have a plott hound mix & a little terroir mix. We got our terroir (Ella) about 3 months ago & our plott hound (Nala) about 1 month ago. Since we got Nala she has attacked Ella twice within this month. He first time was nothing serious, pain med & antibiotic. This time she got 2 staples on her head & neck. We don’t really know what caused it either time. Nala can be aggressive with food & toys but generally they get along. Should we re-home her? Keep her & risk another attack? I really need help. My heart is broken.
Unfortunately animal (dog) behavior is a very exact and painful science that I am no expert on. I would seek out a local reputable trainer or veterinary behaviorist and try a little therapy first. I would say from my experience that aggressive dogs never really get over it, and you might be in for a long long ride. I wish I could help more. I have posted a few times links to behavior websites and links to behaviorist finding pages. Take a look back on the comments. Good luck, sorry I couldn’t be more help.
That’s more for like if your dog kills a good source, like chickens, rabbits, pigs…
Our black lab/dobey mix has started attacking our smaller mixed breed. Theres 65 pound difference between the two. So not all attacks occur outside the home. Our males got along for almost 2 years. I have three males and the biggest only attacks one.
I just had my. Little chihuahua weighing ten lb got attached by a pit bull boxer mixed unfortunately mine didn’t make it he was barely alive I rush him over to xxxxxxxxxx vet in xxxxxxxxxx va it was after closing but they were still there got them too open door to tell me that they were to busy to take him in I told her that if it was quick And easy to take one in that they may have been able to save but was going to take up the rest of the evening And couldn’t help me I even had cash and turn me a way by the time I got ahold of a vet to come in to see him he had bleed to death but they need a law that makes the owners to control their dogs are put them down it came to my yard I hate to be rattlen own but its help me to talk bout it he was my baby
Sorry for your loss.
Hi, my little 3 month oldcMorkie was just attacked today by my adult Dachshund, and is now peeing blood. I’m so scared. I can’t get to a Vet til morning. There’s no emergency Vets where I live at. I’m so worried. I’m so sorry about your dog passing away. I’m worried about my puppy too.
If there are REALLY no ER vets near you there is a serious limit as to what you can do. Try to apply cool compress and ice to the wounds and flush them very very very well with mild soap and water. You can encourage the dog to drink a lot of water (add treats to the water) and then strict cage or crate rest until the morning. DO NOT give any human medication and keep the two dogs apart. Good luck!
Rhonda, I am so so sorry. That is so heart breaking. My 70lb dog just attacked my 10lb dog unprovoked. They think the little one will be ok. Mine are best friends, they sleep together, and love each other so much. I don’t understand it. The big one walked over picked up the little one by her neck and slammed her to the ground a couple times. My son was able to get her away but the big one got her back and did it again. I am in such shock, they were always the best of friends. The vet said that the little one is very nasty and confrontational and that the big one had just had enough but at the moment they weren’t fighting or anything.
I completely agree my neighbors pit bull killed my little five pound dog it’s ridiculous I’m Suing he was my baby too and I have 23 stiches in my hand trying to save him wtf are we suppossed to do to protect ourselves and our beloved little dogs
Stop treating them as children. They are animals. I’m sorry but there are so many dog owners that baby the smaller breeds which in a lot of cases makes them aggression and snappy.When they confront a large dog snapping and Barking it’s asking for trouble. And when the larger dog reacts it’s always him that gets blamed. I’m sick to death of such owners pointing the finger. I have a pack of 3 dogs, 2 golden retrievers and a German Shepherd that have never had a fight in 8 years, they all live in harmony because they are well trained. I just wish people would look into dog psychology before deciding to get one.
You are such a super superior dog owner aren’t you! Your comment is insensitive and slightly self righteous. I have a 15 lb Lhasa Poo who was attacked by my neighbor’s dog while we were standing there talking to each other. My dog is very submissive and did not provoke the other dog. She just grabbed my dog by the neck and would not let go. It was traumatic for my poor lil dog. She is not aggressive and snappy EVER and doesn’t even bark except when the doorbell rings. In this instance, it IS the LARGER dog’s fault.
We have encountered a similar issue. We have a small male terrier, he is 9 and has always been a very laid back easy dog. We also had a cat and they were great friends. The cat died over a year ago and our dog seemed very lonely. We got a female puppy (boxer mixed with border collie). The two got along wonderfully until a few weeks ago when the puppy (who is now 6 months) attacked the terrier over a bone. She drew blood and we had to pull her off him. She is bigger and much younger and pinned him down while growling and biting his neck. We had her spayed and thought that would help with aggression but two days after bringing her home from being spayed she did it again. He picked up a bone she had been chewing on and she pounced on him and pinned him down again. This time my 4 year old son was very near and he was frightened. It seems from reading these posts that some intervention from a trainer might help but I am concerned with two young children in our house we won’t have time to work with the dogs to change this behavior. I am also afraid one of our children could be hurt. I am so heartbroken but I think I will have to rehome the puppy. Any advice is very appreciated.
Omg, my 50 pound dog may have been beating up on my 12 pound poodle. I recently walked out my front door and heard him growling through the door, I then heard my poodle. I came back in the house and the poodle was in take cover mode trying to make her way to me. Up till about three months ago I was gone 80 hours a week for work, who knows how many times this has happened. I have spent $10,000 trying to find out what has been wrong with my poodle in the last six years. She starts to not feel well, runs a fever and sometimes the pain causes seizures. Over the last year and a half she began to bunny hop. Recently she started standing with her front left paw raised. Six weeks ago she took ill again, she’s on pain, muscle relaxers and steroids, the MRI in December showed no buldging disc but she is taking longer to recover this time. I had her at the vet on Saturday, the vet moved her left paw back and her head went down on the table in an attempt to balance herself. Vet thinks it’s a pinched nerve, due to either muscle damage or a floating disk. Needless to say after I caught the bigger dog that night I installed a gate between my family room and kitchen for when I am gone. I have only seen this happen twice before in seven years when I was home. I feel terrible that this could have happened who knows how many times while I worked long hours.
I do hope this is my case. My big dog just attack my little chihuahua from the back. Vet said she has broken ribs, and 4 wounds due to the bite. Surgery was just performed, but the dr said she is not breathing on her own. Something about the spine being swollen and not sending the signal to breath. I don’t know what’s going to happen at this point. I’m praying for my little daisy, hope she makes it.
Good luck. With some of these cases, time is the key. Hopefully the spinal cord will reduce its swelling and she will be ok!
how long before the swelling goes down? my dog was in a similar situation except my dog is a mini schnauzer and the big dog was a lab mix.
he has a gash that is being cleaned and wrapped everyday, the cut is on his left side right above the side shoulder blade, the swelling is not as bad as the 1st day (which was 3days ago) but it is TIGHT! how long should we wait to take him to the vet to check the swelling
Define TIGHT, like a pocket of fluid or pus in the area swelling and not draining? That needs to go right away to be brained. Tight like the wound is contracting around the gash, that is normal. Wounds that are open and clean are meant to contract around a scab or healing tissue. Make sure you are using mild solution to clean it, not peroxide or anything harsh. Covering it is only to protect it from flies and dirt, because you need the wound to drain and heal without getting infected. If you are at all concerned, visit the vet.
Depends on the depth and severity of the wounds. Also depends on if they are infected, cleaned properly or draining. I like to see clean draining wounds stop swelling in 24-48 hours, or at least look markedly improved. Infected or bad wounds will get worse and worse until they are drained and cleaned. If wounds look like they are getting worse after the first day, then that is a problem. Things usually swell in 24 then get better.
My teacup chihuahua was just attacked by a very large dog. She had her in her nouth shaking her she was soaking wet and is not putting any pressure on her left front paw. I dont see any puncture wounds but when u pick her up she hollars. I called the local vet who is closed but can see her in the am but told me to keep an eye on her gums. Do you think she will be ok? She is 10yrs old and has arthritis and weighs about 2lbs
Impossible to evaluate over the internet. If you are concerned then drive to the ER. I’m sure she is in serious pain, and might be shocky, but will she survive is always hard. I would go to the ER to get pain medication at the very least. What would you do if it was your child or 90 year old grandmother?
Omg my situation was a lab mix and schnauzer mix.
My dog is a long hair Chihuahua and is 10 1/2 years old. Tonight my friends Lab mix got a little territorial and attacked my dog. My husband grabbed the lab before he could do to Mich damage but she was bleeding a little out the aide of her lip a scratch by her left front foot and she won’t let me touch her ear but she’s happy as can be now that we are home and is walking fine. No blood or anything any more. She was having drool out the side of her mouth but that’s gone as well. Will she be OK? Do I need to take her to the get?
I really can not give you any advice like that without seeing the dog. I would always suggest a vet visit if you are concerned at all.
Hi there,
My Schnauzer mixed dog got a couple of shallow wounds from a large pit bull that my husband and I were fostering for a little while. After the short attack we checked him for active bleeding and found only some scratches and redness near where we saw the saliva. It’s been about a week and a half and he has 2 small scabs and a large scab right around his jaw area in front of his ear. This scab is about the size of a quarter and I am unable to trim the hair around it without causing discomfort. There is also hair in the scab too because he has long hair. Should I apply saline to loosen the scab and get the hair out?? Thank you so much for your time.
Lena Pena
I’m not sure saline will do the trick, you can try. Sounds like he might need pain medication and if the wound is infected antibiotics. Puling off a scab is never a great idea unless you know what the next part of the plan will be. Leaving it open might be good if it is infected and needs to drain, but if it is healthy then it will slowly heal. Not the fastest way to heal but it should heal.
I had a black lab mix, and and malshi they grew up together same kennel at times , best friends both females, 3 weeks ago the big one snapped and attacked my little one unfortunately she didn’t make it . I couldn’t keep the other one I had to give her to human society… No words to explain the pain. Both were family members …I hope you were able to figure out and everything turned ok for you ! Good luck .
I am very sorry you lost your dogs but every time I hear some one say they couldnt keep a pet and have it to the humane society i want to shake the STUPID out of them. ? YOUR dog is no different than the 30,00 being killed every single DAY in almost every shelter nation wide ,every one is cute every one is a good dog and every one is traumatized by being abandoned . these animals are innocent victims of complacency and denial of the truth about our shelter system YOUR DOG i am ashamed to tell you was most likely euthanized before you had time to drive your car home , they have a 1 in 600 chance of getting adopted and even less if its an older dog or shows any amount of behavir issues usually caused from being DUMPED by their family in a place that is scary and smells like death , ITS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to KNOW THE REALTY of our shelter system , its BROKEN and unless you can KEEP an animal FOR ITS ENTIRE LIFE DONT GET ONE , its that simple
I forgot to add that dogs will occasionally have conflicts with each other and its usually just establishing rank and usually harless, females tend to not get along with other females and for the sake of harmony its always a good idea to pair males with a female if your gonna have more than one dog , otherwise you need to treat them both equally not favoring one over the other and keep them emotionally balanced healthy fed and exercised to prevent boredom or issues will arise, they need human interaction thats what we designed the domestic dog for and they evolved to be our companions not lawn ornaments or stuffed animals that arent allowed to be themselves .they thrive on routine and its important to understand there body language , if left to themselves too much in a multi pet environment they will revert to their wild origins , society has done the dog a great dis service they deserve better from their families
I do not agree with this opinion in its entirety. I would agree owning a pet is a commitment and a privileged not a right. HOWEVER, many SPCA’s are doing very good work with very low kill rates. Our local SPCA in Charlottesville VA is 97% live release and 3% euthanasia due to medical or behavioral problems and they are a VERY large shelter. http://caspca.org/about-us/stats/ I think the SPCA is a great organization (all across America) with obvious outliers and exceptions that are either over populated or underfunded in many cases. Owning a pet is a truly big responsibility but sometimes events occur and surrender to a shelter is the only option. Please DO consider the shelter if you have no other options, and please do consider donating time or money or resources to your local SPCA or humane society. The work they do is very valuable.
See My comments on the continuation of this post.
PLEASE HELP my chihuahua mix was bit above the eye today by a pitbull and he will not let me touch him or wipe away the blood. I want to take him to an emergency vet, but I don’t think I will be able to afford it!
What can I possibly tell you? Bring him to an emergency vet, borrow money or get some carecredit or something. He needs to be seen it sounds like.
Just tonight my lab pit attacked my tea cup Chilhualla (I hate spelling the breed name) she didn’t make it. 🙁 tea cup weighed 3-4 lbs and the lab pit 65 lbs. I don’t even want my lab pit anymore. It’s just so sad 🙁
may i know… physiologically what will happen to the small dog renal regulation?
Hi my Chihuahua got attacked by a big dog and I went to the vet but he just told me he’s in shock but do you know any method where I can make him go pee? My vet told me to massage his bladder but I was trying it for an hour and it’s not working. By the way my dog can’t walk do to him being so shocked..
I would be VERY concerned about your dog not walking and not urinating. I do not think shock would be a likely cause of either of these. I would certainly try to get a second opinion as soon as possible. Have xrays performed and have your little dog evaluated for spinal trauma or other internal damage. Bring him to another veterinarian as soon as possible.
I just experienced the same problem – our big 6-years old dog (65 lbs) snapped and bit our 3-years old Maltese (7 lbs). Our little dog has lost his eye, has his scull and jaw fractured. Our vet said that it looks like it was just one bite (snap). But since there is such a difference in size – result was so bad.
Our little dog grow up with the big one. They were like brothers – sleep in the same together, eat together. I suspect that the incident happened because of raw-hide bone. But I don’t know for sure. Actually it was a second time when our Maltese got bitten by the big dog, but first time it was very little bit.
Now I have a problem – what if it happens again? I seriously consider to give our big dog to Human Society. Also I have doubts – if three years they have been together fine, it should be some reason why this incident happened. I am afraid for my little dog.
Sounds like a terrible situation. There is really no good answer. I would certainly consult a veterinarian behaviorist for advice before I gave away a family member (the big dog) to a humane society. Having said that, making sure your children and other pets are safe is always a priority. Good luck….. sorry.
Get rid of the rawhide bones, this is a huge source of fighting between dogs.
….my dog got ATTACKED by two pit bulls!!!!!
she not walking either….my dog is a yorkie mix and
she’s bleeding a lot….we think she’ll be fine!!! 🙂
Not really sure she will be fine….. find an emergency vet close and I hope it works out!
But if she is bleeding alot than she will not be fine u should really rake her to the dog pound to see if shes okkk!!??
My little toy poodle was attacked by pit bulls last night. It happened so fast. She suddenly ran off as soon as I opened the door to take her potty…within seconds I heard the growling and yelping of the attack but didn’t see it. When I reached her the big dogs had retreated because their owner was calling them. My dog shows no apparent injuries anywhere. She also shows no signs of internal injuries such as bloating, broken legs or trouble breathing. Heart rate has slowed to normal. The problem is that she appears to be in a state of trauma/shock. This happened about ten hours ago and she hasn’t been the same emotionally. She won’t eat, doesn’t want to go outside again to go potty, shows no excitement with me like usual and just wants to hide under my bed. It took an hour of cuddling with her after the event before she stopped trembling. The only way to describe her behavior is shock and what looks like depression. Is this normal? Please help
It can be very traumatic to be attacked by bigger dogs. She might be in a state of exhaustion. If she has no wounds then maybe she out ran them for a while? I can not imaging she held her own in a fight. I would highly encourage her to eat and drink and check her again for pain and wounds. If she continues to act strangely then she needs to see a vet. She might need fluids or sedatives to finally get better. I would certainly baby her for a while and give her no more than a day or so before being very concerned.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post. She’s back to normal now thank goodness. I’m with you in thinking how could she of walked away from this without a scrape. We are very blessed and lucky.
My five week old puppy was released to me very early. Well my big dog has never had an issue with other dogs hes always been friendly with them. This morning my big dog snapped at the little one and hes got a scratch down his cheek i moved the hair and dont see a gash but when i open his mouth his jawline and cheek r completly swollen and he seems to be in pain. What do i need to do
See a vet if there is continued swelling or he cant eat or drink or has a hard time breathing. If he is acting normal and getting better then you can maybe wait until 6 weeks to get his vaccines and see a vet then. He needs his 1st visit soon anyway so maybe kill 2 birds with one stone.
Its been two days that I came home to an awful sight regarding my 3 dogs. One a very prey driven, almost deaf border collie that was given to me last year. The other, feisty 10 year old female maltese arrived the minute I walked through the back gate and called for her but where was my loving, sweet, devoted 3rd dog, also maltese I couldn’t find my little guy Benny. I called and I called for him beginning to fear that the coyote that I had seen lurking around outside our house last couple days had somehow managed to get into our yard and take my Benny. Well I soon found out that the threat was not outside but inside- my border collie. After calling and calling my little dog finally stumbled and crawled out of a bush. His white fur gray and covered in dirt and twigs and underneath his belly soaked with blood.. I was still thinking coyote, no this was not an inside job… But if it was a coyote then why didn’t the coyote just take my dog be off. made no sense until I began thinking about the border collie. Why the last year they seemed to get along with each other, 3 would go on car rides together, walks, playtime in open field and dog parks. Yes I could tell that the border collie merely tolerated the smaller dogs, he loved play and herding dogs his size or bigger. Would chase cars if he had a chance and I swear, though I thought it was funny, how he would just go nuts on those car rides, sticking his head out the window and barking at every car that sped toward and past us. I think I will become as deaf as he now!
Oh yes he becomes extremely food aggressive during feeding times. I need to put him on the other side of a shut gate and feed the other two far and away. There was food left that day the border did not finish and before I left I saw it and really wondered about it being left out and the other dogs getting into it, what would the border do? I forgot about it in my haste to get my son to school and me to work. The border collie has lunged at my little dog twice before and actually another little dog when it came to food thats why I was nervous.
Now two days later after I had cleaned the wound which to my relief, (at the time ha,ha) was just a small puncture wound really barely breaking the skin he has just not been the same. I have kept him in the house last two days and though he can walk he acts like it is a very weird and awkward thing. He does not cry in pain or whimper when I would pick him up to cuddle him and gently examine him. Benny acts almost depressed and not at all like his usual bubbly self. He drinks but won’t touch any food even some of his favorite stuff I have given him to entice him to eat.
Im taking him to the vet tomorrow praying its not too late. I am so mad at myself for leaving that food behind, and I really thought the dogs got along together so I ignored warnings that border collies should not be trusted around smaller dogs- now I know why with this predatory drift that can happen and how some dogs/breeds have it worse.
Wow, great story. We all hope your little dog is ok. This is a great lesson to people about how even ‘friend’ dogs can be aggressive with food involved. Hopefully, some time will heal the relationship, but you never know. Be careful in the future!
I took my little Benny to a vet today and actually this morning was the first time Benny started “pepping up” again, moving around more, wagging his tail, looking up and around. He is such a neat little dog and it just broke my heart to see him so listless and exhausted and obviously in pain staying put in his little bed day and night that he normally avoided except at bedtime.
This morning he ate some “yummy” food too but I still wanted to take him in and get him checked out. Vet said he was indeed very bruised up but it did not seem bad enough where Benny would need e-xrays. I was so thankful he was going to be alright at the same time I was ready to ship off the border collie, I was/am so mad at him. Later that evening Benny is in the house resting and my border collie slips in as friendly as ever- I have kept them apart since the incident 3 days ago. Benny the sweet forgiving little guy did not seem in the least bit afraid of “Ocean” the border collie. They were both wagging their tails with me and at each other- strange! Ocean the border collie then lies down by my feet and guess who lies down right beside him- yes Benny! So weird! Still will never leave them unattended again at home with or without food. I wonder if the bigger dog would have attacked the female maltese if he caught her munching on his chow. Also Benny will indeed be alright, no internal injuries just bruised up and absolutely petrified for a time. Do you think that was a “warning shake” or was there less damage because Ocean actually does not have any canines- they were somehow broken off before I got him last year, so there was less pressure on the abdomen?
Very had to assess. I would still never let these two dogs be alone together and I would avoid feeding them together. They might be bast friends, but when food is involved then the fight. Keep you eyes open to any signs of aggression and count your luck stars that the little guy Benny is ok! Ocean might snap again in the future and you need to be ready.
My 1/4 bordercollie male mix has always disliked poodles and yorkis. We live in a big city so he is on lease when we take long walks but if a poodle or yorki gets too close he does one of two things, pull to escape (he must remember that I yelled and got mad at him every time he tried to lunge at one) or suddenly he’ll lung, grab it in his mouth and shake it and not let go! He has not done this for a long time then sat. he lunged at one and when the owner yanked it up he jumped up in the air and got it in his mouth. Today, Monday, he got a poodle who got too close to him in his mouth and wouldn’t let go. Both times he never broke skin or actually bit but I don’t know why he does this. It is usually male dogs but today was a female poodle. He plays with a female yorkie in the park or with other small dogs ( not terriers). I am currently painting my apt and he had to stay at my daughters house with her two dogs for ten days and he behaved well but our routine is still not back to normal since workers are still in the apt. I don’t know why he does this and I guess I will just have to forbid on lease greetings. He goes to the park with a dogwalker daily for two hours to run and be with other dogs. What do you think?
You might never know why he is angry at these dogs. It is your responsibility to keep him away from other dogs and warn owners. I would recommend either keeping him very tightly leashed, warning all near-by dog owners, or get him a basket muzzle to wear when out in public. He is a serious liability, but can also be a loving companion to you and your friends. This is a hard situation, but can be managed with care and alertness. Look into the basket muzzle option.
Hey my American cross and my staff just had a fight in the park what lasted about 10 mins till people came over to help break them up but my staff had a big gash what about 2inch on her neck and cuts above her eyes and a cut of her side of her head but can’t get in to the vets to Monday now but she look okay atm cuddle up to a blanket but not to sure if she in bad pain or not.. both dog are in diffrent room staff with us and American in bed room
Minor cuts and lacerations can wait until Monday if necessary, but deeper wounds and possible broken bones need more immediate care. You need to evaluate and decide if she needs to go to an ER, otherwise keep the wounds clean and the dogs apart until Monday.
My 1 and a half year old lab/shepherd mix just randomly attacked our 4 year old pug. She locked on to her neck with zero warning. I dont want to find her a new home but I am afraid it will happen again. We have 3 little dogs and 3 cats that all live with us too. Any advice? I’m kinda devastated.
Sorry to hear about this. First thing I think you need to rule out is if there was food or treats involved or if anyone of the other dogs is intact or in heat. If these are not the case then you might be dealing with a dog-dog relationship problem and these are really hard to deal with. I would try to get in touch with a veterinary behaviorist, and make sure they are certified or boarded (better) and not a self taught dog whisperer. Some dog trainers are excellent and others are …… so be choosy. Otherwise I would be concerned with inter-dog problems and consider a basket muzzle: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/teaching-your-dog-wear-muzzle Remember, if you give this dog away you have another liability issue with a known aggressive dog. Consider this too. SOrry I can t be better help. Good luck.
I am the owner of a big dog (120lb bulldog). He is very docile and walks on a leash, never pulls, which makes him very easy to manage. What I cannot manage are other dogs coming up to him, especially off leash dogs. He dislikes strange dogs, and while I try to warn other owners that although their dogs is probably very friendly, big Mongo does not want to sniff butts or play. One a couple occasions the other dog was off leash, and it did not end well. A typical BDLD scenario that can be so easily avoided if the other dog were leashed.
So even though your dog is probably the friendliest dog in the world, when out on trails where all dogs are supposed to remain leashed, consider that it might be for your own dog’s protection.
Great comment. I agree 100% and have the same situation with my personal dog.
Hi, maybe someone can give me an indication as to why my dog could have died. We live on a property with a two big dogs and one small dog. I had a miniature doberman which was fenced in seperately. We lived there for more than 2 months and no issues with the one big dog, he often came to my dog and lied outside her area. This past weekend the landlords son came with his two small dogs (fox terrier and jack russel). Unfortunately all of us went out on Sunday and for some reason the big dog damaged the fenced, and my dog got out. The problem was that there were no sign that the big dog got hold of her, got only see on her back leg a bite that looked like one of the small dogs. Must also say she was 7 years old and had problems with her hip on the side she was bitten. Could the big dog had bitten her with no marks, could the small dogs bit killed her or was the attach just to much for her (as she was never ever in a situation like that before)
Honestly I have no idea. It is certainly possible the big dog picked up the small dog and shook her to death, while not puncturing her. If you only see leg punctures it could have been a venomous snake? Poison? Seems unlikely a leg wound would kill a dog. Sorry I couldn’t have been more help…..
Hello my little chihuahua got in fight with my old pit bull the pit bull is not as strong but my chihuahua has a bite in the neck area and is not bleeding much it is not too deep but its got me Thinking to take her to the vet or not :/
Definitely take her to the vet to get antibiotics and pain medication and maybe to check her out for a deeper pocket that will get infected. Luckily it seems like she is otherwise ok. Dog bits almost always get infected or have a high probability to get infected. Antibiotics are strongly recommends. Good luck.
Thx You SO Much You SAved My Dog 😀
My cihuahua dog just got attacked like half an hour ago. One of her legs (the front left) seems like it’s broken and she can’t walk with that leg. She was bitten by a bigger dog when she ran outside. She has some scars near her eyes and tummy. I gave her Povidone-iodine (Betadine) in those scarred areas. Now, she is walking, but only with her three legs and is still very traumatized (her tail is not ‘up’ like usual). Should I bring her to the vet?
YES!! BRING HER TO A VET!
my sweet 7 lb. Maltese (Natalie) was in the wrong place at the wrong time this past weekend. She escaped out the front door when the mailman arrived and zoomed over to the next-door neighbor’s yard before I could stop her. The neighbor’s Pitbull and 2 visiting large dogs were in their backyard. As sweet Natalie zipped by the Husky/Pitbull mix grabbed her in his mouth and shook her like a toy. It was the most horrifying site I have ever witnessed!
The owners ran out and stopped the attack and retrieved the big dogs into the house. The man of the house ran in and got a towel and covered sweet Natalie and comforted her until I could get there.
These neighbors then drove me to the Emergency Vet place nearby and waited with me. If only they knew how much that meant to me!
The end result of Natalie’s condition is that she has broken ribs in mutltiple areas and out of placement. She has numerous deep puncture wounds, one of which punctured her chest cavity and resulted in impaired breathing and lack of oxygen. The muscles of her body were shredded into “hamburger meat” so repair was not possible. With all of that, this little 7lb. dog, with the sweetest attitude in the world, and the most vigorous wagging tail, is fighting the fight, with a happy demeanor and should be a lesson to us all.
This happened 2 days ago. She is receiving such EXCELLENT care at the Bucks County Veterinary Emergency Trauma Services center which is open 24 hrs on the weekends and 6 pm – 8 am weekdays.
I am so blessed to have them in my community. I believe they made the difference between life and death for my little dog.
My pomapoo puppy was attacked by a bulldog cross for absolutely no reason both were on leash passing each other no growling aggression nothing. Just as the bulldog passed he lunged at the puppy grabbing the torso in his mouth and shaking I was knocked down by the leash and a passing man opened the bulldog jaws to get my dog out . My puppy had 4 wounds and unfortunately spinal and internal damage and had no chance of survival. Why would that dog do that with no indication at all my family lost a wonderful happy gentle puppy to this dog with no notice at all 4 pounds to 40. Do not get it and yes he was at the vets in 10 mins and critical care hospital Cost was $3O00+ and he was not saved how do we protect our small dogs and why did this dog attack with no indication upon passing?
Great question. Animal behavior is an inexact science. Some dogs are just aggressive and they should be kept on a very short leash. It seems like the owner of the other dog should have kept a better hold on their dog. Most dog owners know if their dogs are aggressive or dog aggressive and it is their duty to keep those pets away from others.
This sounds like a very sad situation and Animal Control or the police need to be involved as there might be legal and risk consequences.
Sorry for your loss, it sounds like a terrible situation.
My 3 yr old American Bulldog Cross. Mauled my neighbour little Schnauzer. they have had a couple of fights before where the Schnauzer has attacked my dog. The Schnauzer will lung on his retractable leash when seeing me and my dog and yelp while lunging.
When they see each other in the yards they bark at each other, I’ve gotten my dog a bark collar it’s taken 1 shock and me putting the collar on without the battery and he won’t even bark or jump up to see if the Schnauzer is outside.
Yesturday while on a walk we came across them and unfortuntly my daughter was too far ahead on her bike that we couldn’t just change direction until she came back due to her age. I put my guy in a sit but her dog kept jumping and lunging she was having trouble controlling him. My dog got up and i went to put him in a sit down again as the sidewalk is small but she keep walking towards us. My dog lunged toward her dog and broke his nonslip collar in the process and went for the neck.
It took awhile for me to get him off as she was laying inbetween and with me being pregnant I couldn’t jump on them. We got them apart and he wasn’t moving there wasn’t much blood but I know that doesn’t mean a thing. He started to make wheezing sounds and with help from a witness told her to go home with him.
I don’t know what’s happen with the Schnauzer. I hope for the best, but I want people to know that even good pets like humans have bad days, our dog is my daughter autism certified companion dog. He goes everywhere with her.
Very sorry to hear this. Good story and very true.
Yesterday morning I was taking my Terrier mix for a walk on a leash. He is 14 years old and we have taken a walk most everyday. The neighbors escaped Black German Shepard ambushed us, latched his jaws around my little dog’s neck and shook him violently. I was so shocked that all I could do was scream. My dog was limp and I took him for dead. I was screaming at the top of my lungs and all the neighbors came out of there houses. The Shepard dropped my dog and stood over him as he lay there motionless. Finally, the dog withdrew. Fortunately, my Terrier survived after being treated at the vet. He is still is a lot of agony and might have to have surgery on his neck. I read that there are more incidences with dog attacks from German Shepard’s than any other breed. The neighbor is going to pay the vet bill which will be in around $3000.
Sad story, is that right. More German Shephards than even pitbulls? Interesting.
My puppy was bitten from my other dog it’s was sleeping for a long time first it had a grey toung then a green one then red it started getting stronger but still laying down but I think it’s neck is broken it tried to stand but fell down it whines because it hurts so much pls give me ways how to help her ps.it loves salt water so, it gets stronger still cries and still tries to get up. Plssss help me! It can’t get its head up
Bring it to a vet, there is nothing I can tell you to do for it. Why would you not bring it to a vet????
My 15 pound Pomeranian had an altercation with a 2 year old husky at a fourth of July family gathering. He walked by while the husky was eating and the husky went after him. He was crying but I saw no obvious puncture wounds or blood. When I put him down to see if he could walk he did not limp or anything, he walked just fine. So I just closely monitored him over the holiday weekend. He would cry anytime I pick him up because his back end is sore but he is running and jumping and eating. This happened four days ago. I keep monitoring him to see if I should get him checked out by my vet. And I was giving him a baby aspirin every 12 hours. Today I noticed he has a bruise on his stomach about the size of a quarter. When I touch him he does not cry and is acting normal otherwise, just a little sore. I don’t know if I should take him to the vet to get examined because I don’t know if there is anything they can do for him if he’s just bruised and sore, or if I should just give him time to heal on his own.
I wound not recommend giving any more aspirin! The baby aspirin is likely making the bleeding and bruise way worse than it might have been. I think it is time for a vet check up. A few days of aspirin every 12 hours is way too much for a small Pom. Please have him checked.
Thank you so much for your reply! I took him to the vet and he ended up having a broken rib. The vet told me there is nothing they can do for it. He does not act painful but I do feel the lump where his rib is broken. How long will a broken rib take to heal and should I limit his activity to speed healing?
It might take a few weeks to months to heal. Limiting activity for a week or two would probably help but is not that important.
A big dog looks like a wolf bit my dog and lifted him up and put him back down when we took him home he whines everytime we touch around his hips .sometmes and home he just stands in one spot and doesnt move for a while.please help
Take him to a vet, he probably has some bite wound infections, a slipped disk, hip problems, broken ribs, or any number of other things. The vet needs to look at him. He sounds like he is suffering. He might have serious problems.
,well today he feels better but we will take him soon but he can jmp up and down and still walk but he still stands in one spot
He also doesnt eat and throws up.but he looks better and the bite place is sore
Sounds like you are really waiting too long. Would you wait if this happened to you or your child and the person could barely walk, was super painful and vomits without eating? Please take your dog to the vet!
Now his body is better and everything but we will bring him to the vet for the throw up and eating part
Hi,,my 9mnths old toy poodle just got bully attacked by a mix kintamani dogs…badly in front of my 8 year old son…he was trying to helped his little dog instead the dog bite him and he cries and screams…my enzo (toy poodle) got slammed so many times …Luckyly my wife got of her horse riding and ran to the scene…but a bit too late…after she arrived the kintamani dog released him..its so sad and made us mad so I shot that kintamani dogs…because this is like so many times happened after a goat and a cat killed …and the owner of the dogs always defend and blame other dogs or other animal…anyway he s still breathing ..but badly wounded..his pup and pi is bloody..it happened on last thursday..we did some x ray..doc says his brain is damaged…hiks we took him home to get supervision but today he became week again so I took him back to the pet hospital near my home but the doctor said “no good” need a blood donor from other dog…my god doc…what should I do…should let him go???hiks…very bad my wife took care of him like a human ..she didn’t even sleep…what else u think can I do doc??thx a lot..
Wow, that is a crazy story. I’m not really sure what to say. I can not really giv eyou any good advice without seeing the dog and knowing more. If the vet has made recommendations then you need to follow them If the doctor is a good vet then I would follow them and listen to what he/she says. I am not sure why a transfusion would be needed in a trauma case, but the dog might be bleeding internally or be in a DIC shock like state which could use a transfusion. Sorry I can not be more help, but if the vet gives you a good prognosis with a transfusion then try it, if not then you need to evaluate the cost and benefits. Head trauma by itself often resolves with time, and so we try to keep thes epatients quiet and alive as long as possible to see if there is any improvement. Some animals get better in weeks or days. Other animals have so much damage that there is no recovery. Back trauma and spinal trauma does not get better usually and so you need to know where the damage is. Good luck!
On August 12, 2014 my 2 Lb 1yr old tea cup Chihuahua was attacked by a uncontrol dog 10X his size my puppy didn’t make it he died August 14 @ 2:30 a.m. he was not just any regular dog or pet to us he was part of the family he was the little one very very smart We will MISS HIM ALWAYS !! my little Ottis
I have a lab cross and a collie cross and a shih poo. Lab cross is 9. He used to get attacked by my deceased collie cross and one time I thought they would kill each other, blood and all, I broke the collie’s teeth trying to get them apart. When I finally did, the collie would continue to attack him with me trying to get the one in the house. That was typical of the many fights. But they were buds doing tag races together otherwise. Collie was super possessive of his chews growling at the cat across the room and the horse thinking that they would get his chews.
Collie died (unrelated) and got the new now 5 collie cross almost a year ago along with the shih poo now 1 1/2 from another shelter. Immediately lab cross didn’t like collie cross or any other dog I tried to bring in but then they seemed OK. Used to play with all dogs no aggression at all except when deceased collie provoked him.
They don’t really play together, they compete for the shih poo’s attention. Lab cross was at first freaked out by the shih poo who always wants to hump him. He is territorial and will snap if the shih poo touches his toys or the shih poos. The lab wants to have all the toys. When he humps him he just looks freaked out and scared. If he goes by his food, he doesn’t mind. He plays with the shih poo otherwise.
Now the lab and collie just starting fighting yesterday, I mean vicious, could not get them apart. Collie’s mane was full of slober. It sounded awful, Almost got stuck between them but with a big barn push broom I got lab away but now HE kept running after the collie and attacking, though the collie backed off. THe broom finally worked shoved in the labs face to ward him off from resuming the attack from across the yard, that is also how I got them apart by beating the broom mostly on lab, the aggressor.
Now I am worried for the shih poo. Of course I will monitor if toys are present and may just take them all away now. Collie I do not believe would ever harm the shih poo, they play together as shih poo seems to prefer him. all three play lots of rough housing and sounding terrible but mainly they are focused on playing with shih poo.
Shih poo sleeps with me and they know he is my baby. Sometimes collie will stretch out on the bed and then decide threes a crowd. He sleeps elsewhere upstairs. The lab sleeps downstairs in his chosen spot.
I am afraid, what if the lab attacks the shih poo? He used to be the passive one but fight if provoked far enough with my deceased collie, now as the elder he has turned into an aggressor who continues fighting when the fight is over. He has turned into the deceased collie who was the first dog of these. He is gentle as can be with people would not even growl or mouth me if I hurt him grooming, the collie will object but not the lab but he has killed many stray cats (him and the collie together but mostly the lab) and the collie kills mourning doves. The lab has never touched my cat though and when younger they slept together. Should that be reason enough for me not to fear for the shih poo? It’s just I didn’t like the aggressive eager play of the lab with him.
I am afraid for the shih poo though they are so happy playing, I sometimes think lab is looking a little eager and too focused and plays quite rough with the shih poo but he never yelps and just keeps playing though he is tossed around and jumped on. I think the collie would attack the lab if he tried to hurt the shih poo but who knows. The collie will do a half hearted complaint toward the shih poo when the hyper young shih poo keeps trying to play very aggressively and collie not wanting to play at the moment but I never felt it was aggressive.
Now I think I will feed all separately but shih poo will have to be with collie in the pen when needed (only two pens with doors into the house and can’t make another.
I feel like now I am going to be scared all the time though not seeing aggression really toward shih poo. I have feared for my dogs lives when they fight and the shih poo would be dead. Also, collie never aggressive with his food nor lab nor shih poo. I even toss treats to catch taking turns and they all know who I am tossing to though sometimes they’ll look for the others if it falls to the floor and none of them care, don’t compete, whoever finds it is the winner.
what should I do? I would die if shih poo got killed. I also go away sometimes for 5 days or so a few times a year with work and to see family and a friend takes care of all the animals. THe dogs run around together as always on my acre in the day and when I am gone I keep them in the pens with their apartments
Wow, there is a lot of info here. There are no easy answers. If dogs are dominant and aggressive then they are always that way. As long as they are neutered, which I assume they all are, then there is very little other than behavior modification and sedatives that you can do. I would keep a basket muzzle on the dogs whenever they are together to prevent fights and make sure to feed them separately. DO NOT BRING ANY MORE DOGS IN THE HOUSE, it seems like you have too many dogs with dominance problems. Build another pen? I really think you need to be very careful about feeding and keep muzzles on the larger dog when you are not watching. There is no easy answer here and I think you know that. There are plenty of certified veterinary behaviorists that you can see and ask them for advice or training. I would expect this to be a slow long process. Good luck.
Thanks, there are three. It might have been confusing because I was talking about the deceased dog also. Only the lab has gotten aggressive but the collie just starting fighting with him because he finally was provoked by the lab. The lab just stands back and lets the shih poo eat his food if he wanders over……The lab was never aggressive with the deceased collie, he would only fight if provoked like the new collie. All neutered. Thanks for reading.
Hi my dog had just recently got bit by a big dog the vet said she should be ok we took her to the vet today for a check up and she wanted us to put her down. We want to try getting her x-rays and surgery her neck got tore up pretty bad the skin and tissue is dying on her neck and starting to smell she can stand up but she falls to the right she has a ruptured eardrum we don’t want to put her down any suggestions
Im confused, the vet said she should be ok? or wants to put her down? I would listen to the vet. Necrotic (dead) tissue, smelly wounds, falling down are all very bad things and without the proper care the dog might suffer. I would bring her back to the vet for the treatment or euthanasia if she can not be fixed. There is almost nothing you can do easily at home for her.
Our 7 YO Mini Dachshund was attack 3 days ago by a larger dog. She had no lung damage, but has drain tubes in and is stitched back up. Our concern is that she will not eat, drinks almost nothing, but I can get her to at times, and stays in her cage all the time.
Is she healing or is there some physiological issue and how do we handle that part of it? She does not seem to be in physical pain although I am sure there is discomfort still.
What do we do now?
In my experience there is often some psychological trauma but it is short lived. More likely than that she is in true pain. Drains are very painful and a dog that doesn’t eat and sits in the cage is in true pain. I would have this dog on 2-3 different pain medication all day until the drains are out and the dog is acting more normal. I would say pain, regardless of what you are seeing. They hide pain very well. Good luck!
Sorry – I know there is physiological damage – I meant to say psychological issue.
THanks again
I’m praying with you I lost my little boy chihuahua to a pitbull boxer mixed this evening I’m praying that yours will make it
Our lab attacked our papillon. They have been together since the lab was 6 weeks old. Sleep and play together. 4 puncture wounds on one side of her neck and two on the other. As soon as we found her (time span any where up to 2 hours) we took her to the emergency after hours clinic. We actually thought they would have to put her down she looked/acted so bad. They put in drain tubes and a collar on, gave us antibiotics and pain meds. This was 8 days ago. She has had the tubes taken out. She has an infection so she is now on 2 antibiotics. I check her temp if it goes to 104 I’m to bring her back. Problem (one of many) is she hasn’t walked or sat up since. It is as if she is paralyzed. X-Rays showed no breaks or cracks in the spine but a “curve” they think due to swelling. She does wag her tail, move her legs if you hit the tickle spot. We turn her every 2 hours, are giving her laxatives to help her go. She eats fine and drinks water. We have to hold her head up for her to drink and have to watch to make sure she doesn’t fall nose first into the water. Our neighbors are great and watch her while we are at work/school. I don’t know if we should be doing anything more to help her walk / recover from this. How long should her recovery (back to walking) take? How can I trust our lab again? I won’t let her around my little one but what about kids? We use to take them both to the park to walk – can I trust the lab? The ER Vet thinks it was because we have 3 female dogs that aren’t fixed. We’ve never had this problem before.
Wow, interesting story. I think the 3 female thing is a possibility and especially if they smell an intact male in the area or one become dominant. That can be a problem. Very hard to say about the kids…. I really do not know. You have to feel how that goes. As for the little one, 8 days of paralysis is a long time. The good news is she can move all her limbs, maybe she is just so painful she doesnt want to move or stand up. I hope you have her on good pain medications. Time time time time that is all you can do is give her time. Clear the infection, make sure she keeps eating and give her pain meds and time. Good luck.
Hello.. I have a 3 month old lab, whom usually all big dogs love to play with friendly/normally. A few days ago, I took him to play with my brother’s girlfriend’s 2 year old golden retriever, I naturally thought golden retrievers were nice. Once we let both our dogs out to play, the golden retriever bit my Labrador puppy, lifted him and kept biting at him! For a good maybe almost 10 seconds, both the owner and I both tried hard to pull the 2 dogs apart, and that resulted in the dog biting me multiple times on the hand as well. My pup was still crying after the retriever stopped biting him for a good few seconds. I was terrified, so I took my lab to the vet right away. But it seemed at the vet, they carelessly looked for any punctures or wounds (and was not clear if she found any wounds) and prescribed anti biotics. He is eating normal, and is still active. But I am wondering if I should go to a better vet to get him checked. Maybe just because he is acting normal, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with him on a deeper level from getting bit?
[also the golden retriever is up to date with shots if that matters)
Hard to say. I’m not sure I follow. Is you lab acting normally and has no punctures? If that is the case you might have lucked out and he is not hurt. If he is acting abnormally then you might want a second opinion. Just because there was a fight does not mean there was a serious injury.
My little chihuahua was attacked last Thursday. she hasn’t eatin much dog food but she will eat human food. (She didn’t eat much the first 3 days but she will eat some now) and we have to give her water threw a syringe. The dog was bigger then her and before she was attacked she was eating dog food. I noticed a lump on her spin (but it may be right beside. Not for sure) last night and I’m concerned. She’s 4 years old and this is the first them she has ever been attacked. I’m only 19 and I treat her like she’s my own kid. If you pick her up she screams in pain, so you have to be careful. She’s only used the bathroom twice since it happened. The next morning after and last night (Sunday night). When she walks she drags one of her hind legs like she can’t move it. Which she was attacked close to her back part of her body. what should I do? We can’t afford a vet bill.
Oh and we think/ thought she was pregnant at the time this happened, but we are not sure if she is/was
This makes it even worse…. she might have a uterine infection or a dystocia (breech birth) as a result of this. Try to get her seen.
Sounds terrible, you need to get her checked out by a vet. Not using a leg and very painful! You are not doing her any favors by letting this be, I know you can not afford a vet bill but you need to see someone. You can go to an SPCA or even surrender her to the SPCA and have them help her. She likely has either a broken back, broken leg, dislocated hip….. or who knows what else. The fact that she is eating and drinking anything at all and has gone to the bathroom is good, but she is still probably in a great deal of pain. I really can not help much without seeing her. Unfortunately without adequate pain medication, antibiotics and possibly xrays there is nothing else you can do except get her to rest and keep her wounds clean and dry. Good luck….
My dog Obi just got attacked by another dog and my dog almost got suffocated toto death
I was scared to death when it happened because my dog is only 10 months old but is very tough
My dog was attacked last night by our neighbors dog and he got a few bruise and a little cut but not deep just a scratch from the other dog’s teeth I cleaned the area and put some antibacterial cream. Is it possible that he can get rabies or is it a must to visit the vet? Since its just a scratch. Right after the incident he still ate his food and he’s still the same.
Anyway to tell the story we were just going for a walk that night then saw a friend with her two small dog. We were about to get in the house then the 2 dogs together with my boy maltese played together. Until a big dog came out of my neighbors house and bit my dog. I was yelling and pulling my dogs leash but the dog wont get his jaw off my little baby. Until he goe’d and pea that was the moment we got into the house and I checked him out. I saw a few wounds thats a scratch like. I checked the internet as soon as I got home to research on what treatment I could give my bichon maltese and some says that even it’s just a scratch we still need to see a vet because of a chance that he can have rabies due to the dogs saliva. I was really worried about the rabies. But i cant afford the vet. But if it is really necessary then I will bring him to the vet. Thank you so much for your help!
Rabies is a concern if the attacking dog had Rabies. You need to fins the owner and ask if that dog has been vaccinated. Also you need to know if that dog is sick, or acting normally. I would only be concerned if both dogs are un-vaccinated and then you should see a vet for a booster.
He can only get rabies if the neighbor’s dog has rabies. Find out if the other dog is vaccinated and behaving well. If it is acting normally at home and/or vaccinated then you are not usually concerned about rabies. Is your dog vaccinated? If so, you have even less chance, if not you need to get him vaccinated (Federal Law) as soon as possible anyway.
Hi Dr. Stewart
Our dog got badly bit by a much bigger dog 18 days ago, on his hind leg and thigh. He was operated upon 16 days ago. After that he got antibiotics and draining of the wound done by the vet on a regular basis and seemed to be recovering. But the leg was hanging freely, and looks wasted.
Two days ago, there was excessive liquid loss from the cut left for drainage(on goods thigh), and the vet bandaged his leg so the liquid would not collect in the leg, but drain from the though instead.
After this he looked very disoriented and weak and couldn’t sit for 2 hours. He kept standing on 3 legs, looking dazed and trembling.
The vet says he’s losing all his muscle mass in the liquid, and that the blood supply to this leg might be permanently damaged. The nerves still work, and he feels pain in the leg.
Do you think this might lead to amputation, or muscle regeneration is possible please?
Our dog is 12 years old, a medium sized Spitz mix.
Thank you.
Wow, I guess it is possible the blood supply to the leg was compromised, but this is pretty rare. There is a lot of collateral circulation that should take over and help the leg heal. The leg is hanging loose? It is dislocated? Did they take xrays? There is good pain and movement (can he move the leg if he wants) or is there just reflex? It sounds more like a nerve damage than circulation damage. It could be overwhelming muscle damage and infection too. Without seeing the leg I can not tell for sure. I would check if he has voluntary movement in the leg (this rules out severe nerve damage), a pulse in his foot and lower leg (the vet can do this with a Doppler or very good feeling) and if his leg is dislocated or severely broken. If these are all normal, he has a much better chance of recovery. If ANY of these is not normal, then I would consider amputation immediately. Good luck
Thanks for your prompt reply, I real appreciate it.
Our update from the vet we approached for a second and final opinion:
1. There is a small fracture but he says it’ll heal naturally through fibrosis(not sure about the term). There is proper nerve function, voluntary movement, and a pulse in the leg.
2. He says that the surgeon accidentally made a small rupture in the bladder while operating, through which our dogs urine is leaking out. But since he’s an old dog and India doesn’t have proper facilities, a second surgery is not advisable.
3. This urine, being toxic, is not letting the bite wounds heal, or the muscles knit.
4. But almost all urine and digestive elimination is happening in the natural way. And he’s eating well.
He advises that we follow homeopathic treatment to heal the bladder tear and the bite wound.
He says if they don’t start knitting in a weeks time we should put our dog to sleep.
We don’t want to prolong his suffering either, but want to give him a last fighting chance. It’s been 20 days for the poor boy and he hasn’t barked since (he used to every time the bell rang earlier).
Would you be able to share your thoughts please. He’s our baby so we’ll do everything possible for him. But we don’t want to prolong his suffering if it’s to no end.
Is there any antibiotic which can help the tears heal/knit please? Thanks!!
HMMM, a ruptured bladder is a life threatening event and that is very bad. I would be very concerned that the urine is causing him great pain and reducing his ability to heal. The surgeon ruptured his bladder!! Have him fix it or help with the healing?!
The good news is that the leg is ok (nerves and pulse) but the bad news is that he is not giving you antibiotics (it sounds like.) Bite wounds this bad and infected need antibiotics. Homeopathic medication have limited use in acute and severe injury. I have zero faith in their ability to fix an infected bite wound, broken leg and ruptured bladder. The have many good uses, but these are not them. I think you need to bring your dog to a more modern vet as soon as possible. I hope one is available to you in the area. Start antibiotics and consider a second bladder repair. Sorry. I also can not give out specific medical advice like drugs or doses. Many common antibiotics will help with bite wounds.
Thanks a lot Dr. S. It is amazing that you take out the time to reply to everyone. God bless you.
Our boy was on antibiotics, the homeopathy was just a placebo given to us by the second vet I guess.
We are now taking him to the best pet hospital here, where he will be given an ultrasound to detect the rupture, if any, and undergo a second surgery to correct this.
My last question to you is if you recommend surgery for old dogs-he’s 12. And that too 2 surgeries in 20 days. Will his body be able to handle the post op healing required internally?
I realize these questions are superfluous now, bit I’d really value your opinion!
I’ll let you know how it goes. Thank you once again!
GREAT!! Great news and good to hear you are taking such good care of him. Well rund surgeries should not be too much of a problem if he is a fit 12 year old dog. Age is not a disease but it does usually lead to weaker (for lack of a better word) kidneys and other organs and the anesthesia can be very hard for the pet to handle. If done properly with modern drugs and IV fluids many 12 year old dogs do very well with multiple surgeries. I would suspect his healing might be a little slower, but he should recover if the problem is fixed. Lets see how he does.
My jack Russell got bit by my boerboel in het tummy but now she is stool in is it to late for her
Not sure I can help. Bring him to a vet.
Update: Our boy had an ultrasound at the hospital. They also took a sample of the fluid leaking from his wound-it was peritoneum fluid.
There is no fracture or internal (organ) tear. There is however severe infection of the wound internally. For this, he had been prescribed very strong antibiotics. The doc says this will dry up the fluid as well.
As for the leg, he says that too much muscle was lost for his body to regenerate and replace, considering he his old. He will be lame but otherwise fine.
Hoping that enough knitting happens to stabilize the leg, even if he can’t use it.
Well at least his bladder is not ruptured!! Sounds like that new vet is very good and are on the right path. I forget the last comments I wrote, but I’m sure severe infection was a concern and I’m glad you are on better antibiotics. Most dogs will heal once the infection is cured quite quickly and so there is hope that he will be back to normal with a limp. Lets work towards that goal. Drainage of pus and serum is a good thing, but too much infection and too much drainage can really weaken an animal. Make sure he eats and drinks a lot more than normal to get the nutrients he needs to fight the infection. The antibiotics might upset his stomach and you need to be looking for this so you can fix it. Good luck!!
SOS:
Hi Dr. Stewart. As you know, our boy had severe dog bites, surgery for hernia and further complications in the last 4 weeks.
Last week, he had severe infection internally, and a mixture of disintegrating muscle mass+pus was leaking from his (open) bite wound.
We then took him to the pet hospital and they prescribed him the following antibiotics for 5 days:
1. Injection Amikacin (as sulfate) 100 mg: once daily*5
2. Injection Intacef Tazo 125g: twice daily*5 (Ceftriaxone + Tazobactam)
3. Daily antiseptic dressing of wound with betadine
By the fifth day he seemed to be doing much better with higher spirits, physical energy, and almost nil discharge from the wound.
We were quite positive and discontinued the shots on the sixth day. By the sixth evening, our dog developed 106° fever and the wound started leaking again ( approx 30 ml discharge). He was then given a shot for fever and one of intacef tazo.
On the 7th morning (today), our vet recommended 3 more days of:
Injection Intacef Tazo 125g: twice daily*5 (Ceftriaxone + Tazobactam)
My question is this: what type of infection can this be which is not healing with the strongest of antibiotics? Will it ever heal?
Are we keeping him alive basis daily shots?
Should we continue this treatment or relieve our dog of his suffering?
Thank you. Bless you.
I can not answer all of those questions without seeing the dog, but your new vet has him on very good antibiotics and a good routine. I would consider switching to oral medication for the next few weeks but your vet is doing a good job and I would first listen to them. Some infections can take weeks to heal and especially if they were given a lot of time to get a good head start of the antibiotics. Give your dog time and make sure he is not suffering. Keep in close contact with the new vet office and let them guide you. As long as your dog is not suffering give him time to get better.
Thank you Doctor.
I’m posting a reply with the final update so that people looking for answers (like I was when I found your page) might gain some perspective from our case.
Roofus had his blood test yesterday. It was found through the test that he has severe bone marrow suppression, with his platelet count down to 11000 and haemoglobin at 5. This is very low, with anemia, weakness, and almost complete inability to fight infections.
The success rate to survive this is 15%, in the most optimistic scenario.
Please insist that the vet takes a blood test sooner rather than later if you can’t understand your dogs slow recovery/inability to fight infection.
Thank you Dr. Stewart for all your help. Bless you.
Sorry to hear this, but what caused that blood count? The infection could have and he is in septic shock or in in DIC. It is possible that the infection spread too severely. Sorry to hear.
I’ve been reading for a while and decided to post my story.
My family owns a small female chihuahua named Aspen who has been more of a replacement for a baby we decided not to have. She is very close and loving and we’ve had her for four years.
Recently we sheltered a woman and her dogs as she divorces her abusive husband. Her dogs are two boxers one male, one female. Both had been abused and neglected, both showed food aggression and jealousy if I showed one love the other would attack. I pulled these dogs apart a half a dozen times while we were looking for a home for the big male. After the male was rehoused the female’s behavior changed dramatically. She calmed a bit more every day. She seemed to “decompress”. She started eating regularly and has gained some much needed weight (she was nearly skeletal when we got her), and she is positively beaming with happiness from the attention she is getting from us and the children. Her size is much smaller than the male which makes her manageable so we decided to retrain her and integrate her into our family.
We started by renaming her. We named her Ghost (she is all black but for the paws) and started obedience training. She picked it up quick and shows signs of being a normal dog. The only remaining problem was her intensity toward Aspen.
We bought Ghost a ‘gentle leader’ and worked with her by parading her past Aspen and correcting her behavior. She had some ‘lead up’ behaviors that informed us and allowed us time to correct her. Intense staring, ears forward, rigid stance, and low growling. For three days we worked with Ghost even forcing a reluctant Aspen to be very close to her. They settled into an ‘I’m not looking at you’ truce.
Last night Ghost really wanted the gentle leader off her nose and complained about it all evening. Mama felt bad and took it off her for a while. After an hour she reverted and attacked the smaller dog. In a flash I was there putting pressure on Ghost’s nose and making her submit while Mama grabbed the little dog and checked her. Aspen shrieked and trembled for a while. Ghost went into her kennel with a blanket over it for the night.
Aspen has no puncture wounds and it seems Ghost was mouthing her as a display of dominance rather than as a predatory act.
We’ve discussed our options and have decided that the big dog changes her personality as long as the gentle leader is on. It puts a strap over her nose and works wonderfully with her natural instincts to make her submit. We’ve decided to keep the strap on her for two weeks before we try to let her off it again. We don’t want to give up on her cause she is a good dog with a lovely personality. The abuse she suffered was not her fault. Living in an unsheltered dog run with an unneutered, aggressive male that didn’t let her eat shaped her behavior.
We’ve decided that we got lucky this time. We are both home and can monitor the dogs behavior and we have a kennel for Ghost if we must leave for a while.
I’m curious to know your thoughts. Is it possible for the boxer to be trained to the point where this will not be a concern? We are knowledgable but have decided to consult with a professional dog trainer. Our hope is that Ghost will continue to decompress as she adjusts to her new life.
Another thing I should mention is that we plan to do obedience training at the dog park during busy times as a way to socialize her. I’m concerned though about all of the tales of two dogs being best pals and then something happening.
Are we being realistic? I think Aspen’s fear and lack of socialization may also be a trigger but I don’t know how to overcome her fear.
Thank you for your time. I appreciate all that you are doing.
Great story, I will defer to the professional dog trainer. This is a perfect course of action and it seems like you have followed this out with thought and plan. I think you CAN teach old dogs new tricks and hopefully there will be less aggression issues in the future. Let the dog trainer be your guide and keep the gentle leader on as much as is needed. Good luck!
My mini dachshund was sleeping in my back yard 2 days ago, when a pit bull came from under our house and attacked her. She wasn’t injured horribly in the attack but she’s become hypervigilant. She’s barking at everything that moves whether it’s in the house or outside. She’s never been a major barker before and I’m very concerned about this new behavior. Do you have any suggestions on how I can help her?
Hopefully time will calm her nerves. I think this is usually not a terrible thing, and it will hopefully save her in case the Pit comes back again. You can always try calming sprays and pheromones but I think time will help most of all.
My 2 year old peak-a-poo thinks he is a big dog. He got under my fence into the neighbors yard and her Great Dane got a hold of my Kona we jumped the fence and got it stopped. My Kona has no wounds or anything at all but after the fight is was throwing up and finally stopped. He was pretty much his normal self I went into kitchen 6 hours later and he is dry heaving, I checked bloating and there is no signs of it , tummy normal not hard , not in pain or yelping when I checked him. No fever and he ate and drank water and food , but the dry heaving is scaring me it’s not obsessive mostly if he moves then it happens what could this be ? I’m only asking because a vet I cannot afford at this moment. Thank you in advance for your help.
Really not sure. Behavioral, stress, neck trauma and bruising, broken rib…. are all options to consider. If it continues you need to bring him to a local vet to get looked at. If he keeps eating and drinking and acting otherwise normal then it seems like behavioral or stress would be the most likely. I cant really think of anything else off the top of my head.
Thank you for taking your time to tell me your thoughts. He has stopped dry heaving and now just seems very depressed , he is eating a little and mostly just lays there , almost like he is tired I would assume he is brused bad , is there anything else I should watch for ? Still no bloating and temp seems regular just very depressed what can I do to help him ?
And you can not see a vet for some pain medication? I really can not give very good advice without seeing him, my advice is more generalized. I would rest him as much as possible and make sure he does not get excited or into any activity. Rest is a great long term cure. Hopefully he does not have anything broken or punctured and he is just very bruised. If he continues for more than a few days you really need to see a vet for further treatment and advice. Good luck, sounds like you might be on the road to recovery.
Thank you for your help I will keep you posted. Your a blessing to answer all out questions !
You are welcome and good luck!
My 12mth old dog has attacked another dog which has required vet treatment.
She has been quite well socialised with other dogs (my brother also has 3 dogs on our large property) and I take her to play with other dogs small and large outside the home. Occasionally there is a spat with the other dogs but no blood drawn.
Recently there has been a small pup staying with us which she has become very protective of. When a friend brought their female dog to our home she attacked it. I didn’t see what happened but apparently she attacked with no warning when the dog approached the puppy.
As we have sold the house and I am moving in the next few days the situation will be diffused but I’m not sure what this means for public outings or other dogs visiting my new home. Do you think this was a one-off?
Most likely not a one off. I will be the first to admit I am not an expert in animal behavior but it seems like her protective maternal instincts are kicking in and this will be a long time change. I would try to speak with a local animal behaviorist and see if there are exercises you can do to improve this. Until you get this aggression under control I would avoid mixing with other dogs. It is not worth the risk. All all dogs neutered? If not that might be step one. There are behavior drugs you can try too if all else fails. Good luck!
I have a difficult situation with an adult stray that we are temporarily fostering, meanwhile it’s owner hopefully claims him. 8 days ago a 4 year old stray came to our door and was starving and scarred. We automatically called humane society and they came out and informed that if they take him to pound that more than likely would be put down. We decided to house him until we find a good home for him. Unfortunately, came home from work, let my 5 month old microbully outside to potty and out of no where the 4 year old mix breed foster had him in his mouth and shaking him back and forth. My microbully weighs about 20 pounds and now has 4 puncture wounds. I am concerned about the one on the side of the abdomen, because as I was trying to apply Neosporin and oxygen peroxide he really squirmed with me just barely moving the short hair. I did give him 500mg amoxicillin and 50mg tramadol. Do you recommend I take to vet ? I also checked his temperature and he is at 102. I will also check temperature in the a.m. but do you recommend I take him to vet anyway?
Morally and by law I always recommend a vet. No offense to anyone who has worked with animals, but unless you are vet or a very good human trauma doctor the level of injury is almost never apparent until it is too late. There might be abdominal punctures? There might be under the skin injury? I think amoxicillin at 500mg is way over dosed and not the best drug at all for the job. Tramadol at 50mg is also slightly over the highest dose level I am comfortable with and might not be sufficient for severe pain. Please take him to a vet and get better antibiotics at the correct dose, and have his wounds looked at. They might even need to sedate him to do this at this late point. The stray also needs to be quarantined as you do not know its vaccine status and it just bit your dog. I would get a rabies booster if you are in a rabies endemic area and consider getting the stray its shots just to be safe. Remember, no good deed goes unpunished. God luck.
Hey. My 13 week puppy gothe nip/bitten by his mother. He then starting getting swelling that felt like a sack of fluid. I been vet 5 days in a roll. He last 3 days the just change bandages. And now I’ve notice the swelling gone worst than before. Is this normal
No, by now the swelling should be going down. The area might need to be drained or a new antibiotic started. You might want to try a second opinion at another vet. 5 days seems like a little too long.
My pomeranian got attacked by a stray german sheppard and has bite wounds on his neck. The next door neighbor broke them up (I was at work when the situation occurred) and told me that the stray had grabbed my dog by the neck and shook him for about 15 seconds. The vet’s offices here in FL are expensive and we’re in lower/middle class so we can’t afford such a costly trip to the vet’s office. We don’t know who the german sheppard belongs too or if he/she has it’s vaccinations. My dog is currently laying on the living room floor and his right leg trembles every now and then. Please help ASAP.
There is absolutely nothing I can do from afar and not seeing your dog…it sounds terrible. You need to get your dog to a vet. There might be a low cost spay and neuter clinic around or you can apply for CARECREDIT (look it up online) for instant credit. I would consider an SPCA or adoption center. You need to have your dog looked at for pain medication alone. Very sorry but you need to see a vet.
My shih tzu got bit by my lab this morning.. i did not see what happened but they said they were just playing and my lab just snapped out of nowhere.. I’ve put betadine on my shih tzu’s wound and she looks really weak. My family gave her some amoxicillin and i’m not sure it will help either. I’m really worried because it’s nighttime and there are no emergency vet clinics open and my shih tzu is pretty old already (she is around 8 years old)
First 8 is middle aged for a small breed dog, second if you have no vets around you can only wait until the morning and them take her to a vet. In the mean time, clean he wound and keep her comfortable. I would not give any more amoxicillin especially if it is not for her or prescribed by a vet. Haphazard antibiotics is how you generate resistance and then you will need much stranger antibiotics for your dog AND your FAMILY (we share bacteria with our pets!!) Bring her to a vet first thing in the morning after cleaning out the wound.
my 3 year old jack was in a fight with a dog much bigger than her yestereday she was bleeding quite a lot from the left foot and her claw is hanging off 20 hours on she still wont put her foot on the floor and she wont go out for a wee she seems very low and wants to lay down all the time and she wont eat does she need the vet now or monday
NOW! I dont think you really need to ask that question….. you know the answer. Good luck.
I have a 2 year old husky lab cross who has started attacking my 9 year old shi tsu terroir for no obvious reason. She has never done damage yet attacks just at the sight of him. They are not fed together and she has no problem with any other small dog. Help? Advice?
Beware. I euthanized a 9 year old chihuahua who was attached by her 3 year old house mate last night. Out of the blue aggression. Nothing I can suggest except to seek behavior modification advice, keep them separated or basket muzzle the big dog. It is a terrible situation and there is no easy cure. Even stress drugs like prozac do not always work. Keep them apart and only have them together supervised. Sorry, good luck.
My dog was attacked 2 days ago by another neighborhood dog. He was bleeding from the neck, urinating blood, and very lethargic. We took him to the emergency vet and they drained the abscess from him neck, along with his bladder. He had multiple puncture wounds to the neck. They have him antibiotics and pain medicine. He did good the first day but I can’t get him to eat or drink, let alone eat to get his medicine down. He has only gone to the bathroom once today. I’m so worried…. He doesn’t respond much to us, and doesn’t make any effort to go outside… Which he loves it. I’m afraid we might be to late
I would certainly go back to the vet because it doesn’t sound right. You can usually help these guys if you catch it fast enough. I think he might need more fluids and IV antibiotics before going to oral medication. Go back to your vet asap. Good luck.
A bigger dog attacked my chihuahua I didn’t see it or wasn’t there.
It’s been about 2 hrs she’s now asleep with her head on me. She’s had a drink and a treat.
The area on the upper part of her left leg is all dark red and looks to be bruised, I can’t see any signs of punctures or bleeding. She is hesitant to walk but did walk with a little limp. I held a treat out and she came towards me but not many steps I think it may have been painful. When I touch the reddened area she yelps and gets anxious starts to breathe heavy etc.
I will take her to a vet but it’s late here now and was hoping for some advice as I couldn’t find my vets late night number
I guess you should be safe more than sorry and take her to the ER vet tonight. If this is not possible keep doing what you are doing and maybe warm compress the swollen area to help blood circulation. Other than that rest and water are the best things for her. Do not give her any human medication and you need to get her pain medication in the morning and possible have an xray of the leg. Let your vet decide. Tonight she should rest and drink water….. good luck.
Hi, I have an 11 week old puppy that loves to play with our old Boxer dog maggie. Who has been the chillest dog ever and never bites. My puppy has been chewing on her bottom lip and has caused both sides of her mouth to bleed. Should we take maggie to the doctor or do you thing she is fine?
Wow, hard to say. I would certainly stop the behavior and evaluate if there is infection. If it is bleeding and not getting better, then yes, if it looks like it is just a cut then you cna wait. Are you sure it is not something else like an oral tumor? Maybe the puppy just bumped a mass that will not stop bleeding. If this is the case, then I would bring her in immediately. Bleeding from gums should stop after a few minutes……
My puppy was attacked by a doberman. My puppy was like 3 months old im not really sure coz i just found her from the street. tue doberman bit my dog to death. It was really painful the fact that i wasnt able to help my little dog. I honestly dont know what to do now that my pet is gone.
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Sorry for your loss.
This just happened to me. My little pup got attacked. She was 3 months old and absolutly gorgeous. I witnessed the whole incident. It was her father that attacked her at dinner time. I had never seen him act in such a manner. He had always been calm and happy and nurturing towards his pups. I couldnt believe it. She went to eat some dry food i was about to give her dad. When he grabbed her by the head and started swinging her around. Her screams were horrible. I pulled him out of his kennel and had no choice but to kick him in the back leg which is when he realised he had really done the wrong thing and dropped her.. He never likes to disobey or dissapoint me. He has been the best most loyal dog and this behaviour has shocked me and i dont know how i feel about him anymore. I picked my little puppy up off the ground. Her eye was popping out of her head and heavy thin blood was pouring out. I didnt get to make it to the vets. I didnt even make it to the car before she had died. Im wary of my dog now and its heart breaking to be second guessing the most loyal thing ive ever seen. I still have 3 of his pups around and im so terrified of them going through that pain and me ever seeing those images again. I dont know what yo do but keep them seperated at meal times as i feel he got jealous that pup was trying to get in position to steal his food. Had to bury my little girl. Dont know if ill be same with their dad again
Sorry to hear this. What kind of dog is he?
My chihuahua was attacked by my JRT on the neck. At first he seemed fine after the attack. There were no puncture wounds. An hour after, I noticed he started to walk very slowly. I assumed it was because of trauma. When I came back from an errand two hours after, I noticed he had some blood coming out of his mouth—not a lot though. There is also a small lump below his mouth. We have no emergency vet care here in Manila. It is almost midnight and I am very worried. Please help. He doesn’t look too okay.
Sorry there is very little I can tell you from so far away. I would try to calm the dog, get food and water into the dog and then bring him to a vet first thing in the morning. It is possible there are wounds you can not see through the fur, or worse some kind of throat or chest trauma. If he is breathing ok and interested in food and water, that is good. If you can get him to the vet first thing in the morning that would be ideal. Sorry and good luck!! PS: No human pain medication or pills please until you speak to a vet.
My dog was bit about four or five days ago on the side of the neck near the ear at first i didnt see any marks but then there was a little one with swelling it was lose at first now it is harder and starting to grow out off the skin im not sureof what to do i dont have the money for a vet visit .any ideas ???
I’m not sure what is growing out of the skin? It sounds like an abscess brewing. You need antibiotics. Try the SPCA or other low cost operation. Otherwise you can warm compress the area and hope it goes down or ruptures. Keep it very clean and keep the dog from bothering it. Ultimately you will want to see a vet if it gets worse or changes. Shop around for someone that takes payment plans. Good luck. You need to warm compress it with warm soapy water 3-4 times a a day for 5-10 minutes a time.
Hi,
My chiweenie/terrier mix got attacked by a pit bull 2 days ago. I took him to the vet right away and he stayed the night. Got a few stitches & some medications. Most damage is to his front legs. He had a bruise that was just right between his front arms on his chest, and now it is spreading all the way down his belly. The vet said it was just tissue damage, nothing broken or anything. Is spreading of the bruise normal or should I be concerned about internal bleeding? He is acting ok considering the circumstances.
Late bruising is very normal. The skin that was chomped can die and/or become very bruised as time goes on. Sometimes this skin will die, and the wound will open up, in which case you need another surgery to close it. MOST of the time this does not happen and the bruising goes away. If the vet thinks nothing is broken or internally damaged I have to trust that to be the case. Give him some more time, pain medication, antibiotics and rest and see how he does. This sounds normal, but very traumatic for you to watch. Good luck.
Thank you so much for your reply!
My 11lb. min pin was attacked by a 60lb family dog (mother in law’s). My dog’s face and neck were severely swollen. I removed his collar and rushed him to the emergency vet. He wagged his tail and walked to the vet tech. I knew it wasn’t good but the assured me that I was taking it much harder than he was. They took him back to give him an antibiotic and steroid shots, but he got much worse just after getting to the back. They x-rayed him and said he had a collapsed lung. We went home and let him with them. They did surgery to place drains since by then his entire body was swollen and cold. They kept oxygen on him and a heat blanket and gave him pain meds to keep him comfortable. He died that day. It’s too late now, but is there anything else that can be done for a collapsed lung?
Wow, very sorry to hear this. I’m not really sure what was exactly done, but it sounds like chest tubes were placed because he had a pneumothorax (*I’m reading deep and assuming it was a good ER.) Warmth, o2, shock IV fluids and a chest tube is everything you can do immediately. I think the only mistake made is giving you to much reassurance with a big dog vs little dog fight. These situations can be very nasty and often the wounds you see are nothing compared the the internal damage. I think you did everything you could do and it sounds like they did what they could do. IF (I hope this is not the case) they placed drains under his skin and NOT a chest tube or negative pressure valve (various technical names for these and multiple options) AND/OR they did not continuously suction air off his chest, then maybe more could have been done. The word “surgery” indicates that they placed a tube and did things right. The only thing I assume they did that you left off was massive pain medication.
Sorry. I hope this helps. It sounds like it was done right.
My little dog was attacked by the neighbor’s dog today. Physically she looks and feels fine. Psychologically she is very quiet timid withdrawn and untrusting. I’m guessing in time she will be back to behaving normally. Can you offer any suggestions to help her trust and feel 100% safe?
Unfortunately I do not have any Magic bullets for this. Keeping your dog calm and inside for a few days then slowly starting your normal regiment might help. There are anti anxiety drugs but this is really a short term fix. You can call a local animal behavior vet but I think time will be your best tool. See how she looks after another week. Make sure she is not hurting somewhere.
Hi, My toy poodle was attacked by my big dog(lab mix). Everything is under control now. However, I noticed that she does not poo. Is that normal for an injured dog ?
Nope, should be going to the bathroom normally after a day or 2. There might be some stress related constipation, but if the dog is eating, it should resolve. Try adding lots of water to the food and going for longer walks to work the system. If there is no stool for a week, that is a major problem and needs immediate vet care.
I have been reading these stories because last July my dogs got into a fight and I noticed this week where the wound was is swollen. Wondering if it is scare tissue. My story goes like this, we rescued Marlee 5 years ago from a kill shelter. She had a rough start. Her mom died after bring rescued of parvo along with most of her siblings. Marlee didn’t have parvo but did have everything else. She has a very sensitive stomach and for her 1st 2 years we could only feed her chicken and noodles that we made for her. When she was 3 or so we rescued another dog. Princess, a 5 year old German Shepard who was left outside chained up and neglected. I should let you know too that Marlee is part German Shepard and part Fiest. So anyway before we brought another dog into the house we had the 2 meet, they played and played and had a great time. We decided to adopt Princess. Both dogs got along very well. We left them both on leashes for the first few days to be able to grab them if something were to happen since this was Marlee’s territory. Then after all was good, it happened, 1st fight, over a napkin that feel out of the trash. It wasn’t bad, no blood, no cuts. We knew this would happen, they had to establish the “leader” dog. Everything went back to normal. They were playing, walking, and sleeping together. Then one day on a walk another fight. Again the dogs were OK but my husband got bite on his thigh pretty bad. Kept the dogs separated for a few hours and then all was back to normal. There were more fights and all got worse. We took them to training together, we tried so much. The big big problem was that Marlee is a runnier, Princess a herder. Marlee is VERY sensitive to weather changes and we figured out that is when fights would happen. Marlee would be freaking out about the weather and want to chill, Princess could sense this wanted to heard Marlee or “mother” her. Once we figured this out we had peace. We could but both dogs in their crates with an anxiety pill and after 30 min. we could let them out and they were just fine. Then July came, not sure why but they got into a fight, it was bad. Princess tore Marlee’s leg open. We got them separated and I took Marlee to the animal ER. They cleaned it up had to bandage it and put an Ecollor on her. Had them separated for a few days and were thinking of re-homing Princess. A week later I had both dogs outside, they were playing great. We went to go inside and both dogs know they have to sit and clam down before we go in. They did, one was on each side of me. I took a step to open the door and that’s when the worst happened. Princess attacked Marlee, grabbed her by the neck (she still had the Ecollar on) while Princess had her by the neck she stared shaking her back and forth. Marlee was defencless. My husband came running out and we were trying to separate them. We learned that the proper way was to grab the dogs by there back legs and pull. This has always worked, until July 4th. Princess wouldn’t let go!! My husband had Princess and pulled, I had Marlee, I lost my grip and went flying down the steps to our walk out basement. Landed on my head! Once I was able to get up I got Marlee again. My husband was punching Princess in the head and she still wouldn’t let go, my husband grabbed a 2×4 that was near and hit Princess with it while still behind her and trying to pull. Finally she let go of Marlee. I got Marlee into another room. We are lucky that Princess didn’t turn on my husband. I wanted to rush Marlee back into the animal ER but apparently I was pretty beat up and needed to go to the ER myself. So we got Princess in her crate, cleaned Marlee up and left her in the bathroom. I had a concussion, major bruising on my legs, arms, hand and head. We were planning on putting Princess down. While in the ER I was talking to the lady at the local kennel we took the dogs too. She said not to do it, we were making the decision out of haste and we needed to sleep on it. She told us to bring Princess to her and we would figure it out. Maee needed 15+ stitches on her neck, another 7+ on the back of her neck, and a drain tube from the back of her neck to the bottom. She had lots of meds for infection and pain. She fully recovered and we didn’t put Princess down. Princess was checked out to and had no injuries. The kennel kept her for us, had a special trainer come on and work with her daily. A dog rescue center rescued her and worked with her (this was the trainer too). She was then placed in a foster home with an elderly woman living there. They took to each other right away, the foster home only took her a few days at first then the visits got longer and longer. Princess was adopted by the family and is now an emotional support dog and doing great. Both dogs needed to be the only dog and Princess needed a job. So sad stories can turn out good. Just wanted to say too that with dog bites, dog on dog, dog on human, you need to have them checked out. I knew Marlee had puncture wounds but she had worse than that. When Princesses bit into Marlee her teeth got in and separated her skin from her neck on the back. Something you can’t tell until you have xrays. I miss Princess dearly but I know both dogs are much happier.
I will be taking Marlee to the vet to have her neck looked at to see what the swelling is all about. She isn’t acting different nor acting like it hurts, however with her history I don’t like to chance it.
Wow, great story. Thanks for sharing.
My shih tzu was attacked by a German shepherd about a week ago. We immediately took him to the emergency clinic and had x-rays done. He has bruised lungs, puncture wounds (one to the wind pipe), and his neck was chewed like “hamburger meat”. He stayed with them for the weekend and was transferred to our vet for observation for one night. He is on pain medicine and antibiotics. He is happy to be home and his wounds are looking good. Yesterday I had to leave the house, so I put him in his crate (which I usually don’t do) to limit his movement. He has been trying to jump and run, but we were told to keep his activity to a minimum. When I came home his neck was very swollen and his rib cage seemed to have air between the skin and rib cage. The swelling on his neck seems to be partly air also. I called my vet and they said to see if it goes down on its own. It’s been over 24 hours and it has gone down some, but not to where it was before I left him yesterday. My vet is closed and I’m not sure if this is worthy of a trip to the emergency clinic. Is there anything I can do to help him?
So he has a chest or trachea puncture. This can be very serious. If there is more air or it is not getting significantly better in a day or so, I would certainly bring him back to the ER or a specialist. He really really needs to remain calm and not active until this can heal. There is not too much you can do if the puncture or hole is closed now and healing, if it seems worse or growing this is very serious. I would want to watch his breathing and respiratory rate and effort as a good indicator of how he is doing. You need to be the judge of his future ER visits based on these symptoms. Increased respiratory rate or effort is an emergency. Good luck.
Dr. Stewart my small Chihuahua has been shook by the throat by a pocket pit he is showing signs of not breathing to good there was blood in his mouth when we finally retrieved him from her jaws. We are thinking he is mostly soar from the shake and we cannot afford to take him to the vet is there anything we can do to make his soreness a little easier.
There is really nothing you can do except rest and vet visit. This could be very serious! I think you need to work out some funds to see a vet ASAP!
My 11 week old Chihuahua was bitten by my older Chihuahua. When we got home she was laying on the floor shaking and bleeding. We rushed her to the vet who said she was in shock and gave her meds thru a needle to help with the pain and the shock. Her bite was on her neck. Now it’s been about 3 hours and she is just laying there whining and crying. Is this normal?
That does not seem normal and you might need more pain medication. Can she move and walk and drink water? Did they offer to keep her at the vet office for pain medication and treatment? It seems like she should be better off that the way she is after seeing your vet. I would call the office again and ask advice or ask to bring her back in. The short answer is: no not normal after 3 hours and pain medication.
My Maltese was bitten in the nose and mouth area by a lab. We took him to the vet after cleaning all the blood off of him. The emergency vet did an X-ray and it showed no broken bones in the head area. There are no wounds on the outside so we think maybe the inside of his nostril was punctured. The vet didn’t offer that opinion. That is mine. She gave him an antibiotic and something for pain. The pain med made him pant harder, so I stopped giving it to him. I still give him the antibiotic. 2 days later he is listless and his breathing seems rapid at times. Then it slows down. His sinus seems to make more noises than usual. He drinks and his appetite is very good. He is just not his self. I will call his regular vet this morn. What should we be lookin for?
You have seen all the things I would be looking for. I would certainly bring him to your regular vet. Very often things slowly show themselves that initial ER visits are unable to do. I thin the xrays and pain meds with antibiotics is a great first step and now something is not right. Go to your regular vet and really examine his nose and mouth. You might have a tear, but there might be a limit to what you can do too. You are doing the right things.
I forgot to add that he is about 13?yrs old and before this he was in excellent health. He was very energetic. Thank you for your time. We appreciate your help.
Just to update the Dr. held him for observation almost all day and did several X-rays of chest and stomach area. She said he had an enlarged heart and a 3 heart murmur. I can see that he seems tired after some strenuous activity. How come he didn’t have this problem before the dog bite? At the emergency clinic they gave him 2 injections, one for pain and the other an antibiotic . Would the medications have any effect on his little heart? The oral is Metacam and the antibiotic is amoxicillin Clav. We knew about the heart murmur, but she said it wasn’t that bad about a year ago. She has recommended some heart meds. I know his age is working against him. His appetite and water intake is still normal . Any other thoughts about the meds or the diagnosis. Never found the injury to the nose or mouth. Thank you again.
Zero chance the medication has anything to do with his heart. Most likely it is an incidental finding that they just caught. It is possible the stress of the ordeal exacerbated the condition but more likely you are now sensitive to his injuries and noticing subtle conditions more. The heart medication and future treatment is a good idea and the pain medication and antibiotic sound correct. I think you are getting good vet care and I would certainly listen to what they have to say as to the future. Good luck! Heart medication can really work wonders and you might see an incredible improvement with his energy.
Hi Dr Stewart
Yesterday my maltese s shitzu, Delta therapy dog was attacked by a mastif at the dog beach. My dog was just standing still letting the mastif greet and sniff him when the mastif suddenly attacked and grabed my poor dog across his shoulders. Luckily the dogs were right in front of me and my housemate so my house mate quickly grabed the dogs jaws and tried in vain the pry them open. While this may have been reckless of my housemate, his actions may have saved my dogs life as the mastif did not have a chance to shake my dog. It took ages for my housemate and the owner to get the mastif to let go of my dog and we immediately rushed him to to vet. He has quite deep puncture wounds to both shoulders and is currently in surgery to have the wounds cleaned and drains inserted in both shoulders after spending the night in hospital under observation and to stabalise vitals. My question is regarding my dogs recovery. The vet said my dog will probably need to stay in hospital again tonight. How long after his surgery should we be confident that no hidden internal injuries or complications will arrise? What sort of complications might I expect? What sort of time frame are we looking at for my dog to fully recover and return to his duties as a delta therapy dog, visiting the elderly and young children with learning difficulties? And what will be required in regards to caring for his drains as he is healing? He is apparently favouring his left leg but the vet said xrays r not necesssary at this stage…. I am a little concerned about internal/hidden injuries since was clamped in the mastifs jaws for so long. His vitals are good at this stage being 24 hours since incident. I would really appreciate your feedback and any suggestions I could take to my vet. Thank you.
Ok, I would like to give very bland responses to your questions because you are CURRENTLY in a vet office under veterinary care. I think this is fantastic and you should ask your vet all of thee questions. Your vet is seeing the dog and knows WAY more about the case than I do. The generalized answers are:
1) Without seeing the dog I can not predict unseen injuries, but 2 nights in a hospital under GOOD veterinary care would let me think most of the injuries should be apparent and dealt with. Very rarely are severe injuries discovered days and weeks later.
2) Complications are very diverse and varied depending on the injuries suffered. You can have long term soreness and minor muscle and skin damage or longer term bone and ligament damage. Impossible to tell. I would NOT suspect any permanent injures to remain if the vet is surgically fixing the problems now and the dog is under the vet care for 48 hours.
3) No idea on time frame, it depends on the injuries. No less than 2 weeks would be a guess but how long depends on what they find and fix in surgery.
4) Drains are easy to care for and are only placed for typically 2-4 days then removed. Ask your vet about this. There is little care except keeping them clean and keeping him from licking them.
5) If the vet thinks the left leg (front or back?) does not need xrays then it is probably just bruising and bite wound damage that should heal.
You have a long road to recovery with pain medication and antibiotics for sure but most dogs make good recovery success if under proper vet care. As soon as he is feeling better and the wounds are healed I see no reason he can not return to his Delta duties. I would be concerned about and areas of pain remaining and returning to work, so please do not rush the process. If someone hurts him, he might be more likely to bite or growl and this would be bad.
Your vet will answer specific questions because they know the dog. I agree with 48 hours of care and surgical drain placement so you are off to a good start. IV fluids and antibiotics are key and hopefully he is getting both.
Thank you so much, Dr Stewart, for your fast and detailed reply! The vet found some muscle tears during surgery on his left front leg/ shoulder, repaired them and has placed a drain on his right side only. Hopefully he will be coming home in the next day or so. I really appreciate you taking so much time to answer everyones questions as I know how busy vets are! Of course I have been and will contnue to be discussing my dogs case with my vet as much as possible but I was in such a state of panic while my little guy was in surgery that I just needed some reasurance. Thank you so very much for your help and I will keep you posted on my dogs recovery. Kindest regards, Pam.
My 5lb papillon was attacked by my sons 45lb dog when no one was home yesterday. When I got home she was shaking and when I picked her up she cried out. She had a jersey coat on and I didn’t see anything wrong. I started to pet her and she screamed out again. I lifted part of her jacket and saw blood. I immediately freaked out. When I got the jacket off she had multiple puncture wounds around her neck. I immediately took her to the vet. They had to do emergency surgery. She now has an 8 inch cut across her neck. Shoulder to shoulder. They had to clean out the entire area. The skin was pulled away from her tissue. She also has 2 drain tubes in. They say she will be ok but it’s going to be a long healing time. One of the wounds was 4inches deep. I am distraught. I don’t know why this happened but I’m glad I got home shortly after this happened. I will never let them around each other again. I don’t want my sons dog at my house. He refuses to get rid of her. She is my everything and I hate that she had to go through this trauma. My question is will she remember the attack? Thanks
Hard to say for sure, but most likely she will remember it in some way but not like you think. She might be more careful about larger dogs and might be more timid but it would be impossible to say if she is going to act any differently. They dont really do the PTSD like we would assume. She will likely not cower in front of every large dog if that is what you mean.I think if the vet is comfortable and certain then I feel certain she will make a full recovery. Keep them apart!
I just brought my baby home. They said she will make a full recovery but it will be a long road for her. Hydrotherapy twice a day and strong Ned’s for pain,inflamation, and antibiotics. She will get drain tubes out in 4 days and then stitches out in 9 days. Muscles will be very sore as well so her mobility is limited but at least she is home with me and I can give her 24hr care. I’m so thankful she will be okay. Thanks for your info. I will keep her away from other dogs for my piece of mind and her safety
Great to hear. Good luck.
Two days ago my 60 lb lab mix was attacked by another dog that got away from its owner. Not sure what kind of dog it was but it was about the same size as my dog. We quickly got the other dog off mine but it still managed to give 2 puncture wounds to my dogs leg. I immediately took her to the vet where they cleaned it out and stapled both wounds. They gave her antibiotics and something for pain/swelling. I can tell she is still in pain but getting better. Since then she will not poop which she normally does at least 2 times daily. She has been eating a normal amount. When I take her out she just walks back and forth sniffing like she is going to go but doesn’t. She finally went a very very little amount early this morning but that was it. I am thinking it could be because of all the medication. Any suggestions? Should I take her back to the vet or just give it more time.
Try a scoop of canned pumpkin in her meals. Im serious! The kind that they use to make pumpkin pie, in a can. It has amazing properties in dog GI tracts. Oils and laxatives can not touch the stuff. Increase her fluid intake (add water to her food and treats) and a scoop of canned pumpkin once or twice a day until normal stool. Good luck!
Update: I gave my dog a little yogurt with her food and took her for a little walk and that seems to have CLEANED her out. Hopefully now she won’t have any problems pooping and her wounds will heal up.
Great, the yogurt helped because she was lactose intolerant most likely. Watch out for diarrhea! Good luck.
Thank you! I will try the pumpkin if I see anymore problems. No diarrhea so far just normal after the yogurt so that’s good. I think she was just traumatized as well but seems to be getting back to her normal playful self. She had never had any confrontation like that b4. She loves other dogs and never had one try to fight with her like that.
My little maltese was attacked by a husky 2 days ago and although she was shaken she seemed okay and I couldn’t find any bleeding at the time (in my stressed and shaken state!). After about 24 hrs she was still yelping when picked up so I did another proper search of her and found two puncture sites on her back but they seemed fine.. Just a little red and the redness has since settled down and they seem to healing just fine.
She seems close to her normal self and I can pick her up now no problem.. (She just won’t jump up onto our bed like she usually does but other than that she’s acting completely normal) And her pain seems so have completely subsided but she now has bruising coming up on her stomach.. It’s progressively spreading around her stomach and one leg but her abdomen is still soft and she doesn’t react if I touch the area. Heart rate is still normal and her breathing is fine.. Checked the gums and their still normal colour with normal capillary refill.. Is it normal for her bruising to come up 48hrs after the injury or should I be worried that it’s something a little more sinister?
I would be a little worried and want a vet to look at her ASAP. There might be under the kin bleeding or bruising and I would get this checked out very soon. Good luck!!
Got her checked out, all is well. Just some soft tissue damage and some intense bruising. Got some antibiotics and analgesia and orders for some rest for the next few days! Thanks so much for your reply.
Great news! Always better be safe than sorry. Hard to evaluate without seeing your pet, glad it worked out.
My dog has been attacked by a pitbull on her lower leg/foot and we have wrapped 2 bandages around herbfoot/lower leg and the bleeding has slowed down the gash was very big and deep please help and tell me what would be best to do and how much time I have to get her to a vet? Please thank you
There is a magic window to visit the vet for the “best” opportunity to close the wound, but after that 2-4 hour period the next best thing to say is ASAP. The vet can help flush the wound, clean it, assess the damage, appropriately bandage or close and start antibiotics and pain medication. Why wait? Take your dog to the vet now.
Hi Dr. Stewart,
Over the holidays my Rhodesian Ridgeback/Lab mix female 3 y/o dog bit a family member’s Jack Russell. She is a very anxious dog and nervous by nature, also has become territorial over the past year or so. I take the blame on this happening because the introduction of these two animals was the absolute worst possible time, and way. I was on the deck when a large group of new family had arrived with their hyper and pretty aggressive Jack Russell. While on the deck with my dog, they opened the door to let the Jack Russell outside. The bite punctured both sides of the Russell’s neck, just broke the skin. I know their dog healed, and is ok.
My problem now is my emotional trauma to the incident. I know she is a good dog, but now one with a bite-history. So, now I’m conflicted because the best thing is socialization. But, that gives me so much anxiety I’ve avoided it entirely with her. To add to that, I met someone whom has a dachound. My fear is that I won’t be able to date this person because my dog can’t be trusted around small dogs. Although, I feel like it was just that one particular out-of-hand situation. I’m just not sure how to handle my anxiety associated with having a dog that has bitten before.
Any advice?
Thanks.
Wow, that sounds traumatic. I really have no good and CERTAIN solution for you except keep the dogs apart until you slowly introduce them together in a neutral environment. Even then I can in NOW WAY guarantee that the Rhodi will not bite the smaller dog at some random moment, over food, environment or …… There are certainly good animal behavior specialists and training groups you can take her to and slow monitored introductions are always helpful, but you personally might never feel 100% comfortable. I wish I had a better answer. You can always use a basket muzzle in the beginning which is not nearly as extreme as it looks, but would prevent a catastrophe. Sorry.
My male Boston bit my other boston and there were no puncture wounds. Tonight I noticed his eye was swollen shut. Swollen under the eye and causing the eye to shut. I have cleaned his eye and put terra cortil inside the eye. If not better by morning I will take him to the vet. Can he lose his eye?
Without seeing the eye I cant say for sure, but with eyes better be safe than sorry. Bring him to your vet to have he eye assessed. Might be ruptured, swollen, bruised, scratched…. never know with Boston’s. Good luck
My Chihuahua looks like he has internal bleeding is that normal after he has broken four ribs and is recovering from a dog bite.
Has a vet seen him??? I sure hope so. Internal bleeding is NEVER NORMAL, skin bruising is normal and that might be what you are seeing. Impossible to tell without a vet visit and someone looking at it. Skin bruising around the wound or breaks is “normal” but not good and often very painful.
I was out walking my long-haired Chihuahua today, when out of nowhere a dog ran up to him and started attacking him really aggressively. I managed to get him away fairly quickly (thank goodness!), and took him to the vet almost immediately after. She didn’t find any puncture wounds, but her focus was mostly on his face since that’s where I told her he was mostly bit.
She give him a painkiller injection and told us to make an appointment for the next day (which I did).
He seemed fine immediately after, but about an hour later, he was almost permanently whining, and sounded in a lot of pain (he’s not generally a whiny dog).
It’s now five hours later and he’s still whining every time he moves, and won’t eat or drink anything – no matter what I try and give him, even tuna which he normally loves. He also won’t let anyone near him, and walks away any time we come within a foot of him.
He’s also been very sleepy since but the vet said that was to be expected.
Is it just the trauma of what happened that’s making him whine and refuse to eat/drink, or could there be other wounds the vet missed? His long hair does make it difficult to see for me to check, especially when we can’t get close to him.
And more importantly, will he be okay until the appointment tomorrow, or should we try and see a late night vet?
He’s generally a friendly dog that loves to play, with people or other dogs, and he’s never snapped at anyone or another dog in his life. But I’m afraid this will now make him wary of others.
Bummer, that sounds terrible. It is possible it is PTSD and the pain and soreness that is contributing the the whining and lack of appetite. I can not tell you if there are missed wounds or deep bruising, but if he is walking around and somewhat active that is a good sign. The pain medications we use are never enough to fully compensate, but they might help. Did the vet give you any extra? I would be concerned if the the whining and the lack of appetite lasts more than 6-7 hours and would bring him back for more pain medication and another exam. Make sure he is breathing well and his gums are pink and moist (dont get bitten.) These can be very traumatic and the soreness and fright might last a long time. USUALLY, not always, but usually they make full mental and physical recoveries. Good luck.
Hi,
I’ve had my 4 yo 50lb pit mix for about 3 years. We have gone to the dog park literally hundreds of times. Last weekend she was playing with a dog slightly smaller than her off and on and all of a sudden she grabbed the dog’s neck and started shaking it. I was right there and so was the other owner and we had it stopped fast. No damage to the other dog but it was not easy for me to get her to let go.
Obviously no more dog park for us, but do I have an officially aggressive dog now? I’m a little nervous to have her play with the neighbor dog or anyone else, even after so many years of no issues.
Sadly, you will never feel comfortable again. You can try a basket muzzle or behaviorist, but you always need to be on edge. Sometimes dogs do get aggressive, but it can be a one time or forever…. Sorry. I would always be very alert but you might never see this behavior again if you are lucky.
I have one Kintamani dog named Bali who was bitted without apparent reason by two street dogs last day, and my Bali was putting so blood, the vet made a compress and talked to us don’t worry, because she is vaccinated against rabies. The incident was only it, don’t have more problems. My dear Kintamani dog is fine and healthy, she’s a warrior. But I’m so scared with those street dogs, because I don’t know if they’re vaccinated. What I do if I’m bitted by one?
See a doctor if you are bitten. Rabies sounds like a real problem where you are and it is very serious. You need to see a doctor if you are bitten!!!
Thanks, dr. Stewart! Your commentary explained me what I do if I’m bitten by those street dogs. My dear Bali is fine, now. She’s jumping on me and licking my hand, then, she needs play with me. Heheh I’m thinking about pick up other Kintamani. How long should I wait for the rabies outbreak calm and have another puppy that has not yet been vaccinated?
Hard to tell, but 3-6 months and you will be totally safe. Sooner if there is no signs of sickness. Ask your local vet or health department what they recommend. Glad to hear all is going better!!
Ok, thanks. I want to tell it to the vet.
Hi, my name jaecyn. i have a 3 month year old chihuahua, and a 3 year old frenchi. i need help asap.. when i was giving my dogs a treat i first gave my frenchie, and then i gave my chihuahua. when i gave it to my chihuahua, i guess my frenchie thought it was hers, so she attacked my chihuahua. after she got attacked she screams like a dying goat for 10 minues straight.. after this incident she hasnt been acting the same. usually she would run around the house, and jump on people and just be a playful pup, but now all she does is stay away from everybody, and just lay down.. that night i picked her up and i saw that she has a fat neck, looking like a double chin, i guess something is swelling up. also, when i was watching her, she keeps bending her neck like its in pain.. now what scared me the most is that when i went to feed her today, she swallowed and she screamed, ans cried for a long time.. i dont know whats happening to my little chloe but i really need to know quick.. im only 13 and my dad refuses to take her to the vet, until we know whats the problem.. please help my little chloe, i only had her for a week. )’:
She needs to see a vet. How can you refuse to see a vet UNTIL you know the problem. The vet will tell you the problem. Convince your dad that this is serious and she needs to be seen. It could be an abscess or a wound on her neck or something more serious like a slipped disk or crushed throat. It seems like she needs to see a vet asap and have a work up. I would try to trade your dad for some choirs or something. If the dog is 3 months old that is even more important to see the vet, it could be fixable but very serious given her size. Good luck.
PS: Now, I had MORE informations about was occurred with my Kintamani, Bali: those street dogs was tried to attack me, but, Bali was trying to stop and was seriously bitten, but the incident don’t was more than this (thank God!). My dear Bali’s a warrior, a heroin. She SAVED my life. If she don’t tried to stop, I would be bitten by two rabid dogs.
I would pick up another Kintamani dog for make company to Bali and Cleo, my Yorkshire terrier. Kintamani dog is the BEST DOG IN THE WORLD, very loyal, protective.
I need to know if the canine rabies has something to do with the hot and humid climate… In my city, is having an outbreak of rabies and people say it’s because of the hot, humid climate, but vet says no. I have this doubt. Can you explain me?
Sorry for the late reply, I was on vacation away from a computer. Rosita I honestly do not have time to explain the whole process, but your vet is correct. There is rabies in cold climates just as much as hot climates. It is a matter of contact with rabid animals and vaccination protocols. If there are many rabid animals the outbreak will get worse very fast and fail to get better until vaccines or traps are effective. Climate is irrelevant for rabies.
Thanks, dr. Stewart. First to rescued Bali from the streets, now, she saves me from the attack of rabid dogs. It’s look likes movie thing, no? Now, I have an eternal debt with my dear Kintamani dog. What did Bali save my life?
I came here to try to find a similar situation as mine. But there is just too much to read. So I’ll lost my story. 2 weeks ago my pomeranian was attacked by one of my other dogs. He had a dislocated elbow and several neck wounds and had 2 drains put in his neck. Had 2 wait 2 days after that to take him to a different vet to fix his leg. The attack happened on a saturday. Took him to have his leg fixed on a monday and then back to the vet that did his leg on wednesday and had to have his leg redone because it was back out. He was constantly lanting and i thought it was due to the tight bandage that went all the way up his neck. So i took him back to the original vet that he saw on the day of the attack and she cut down his bandage and made some slits so he could have some slace. I thought that seemed to helo him. He at least was able to get comfortable. But the oanting hasnt stopoed. Yesterday was 2 weeks since the attack. And this oast wednesday when taking him out to potty he fell over as he was oeeing and acted like he was choking. I ram him inside and he had stooped breathing and was totally limp. I gave him cpr and had to take him to a 3rd vet that was 24hrs because my vet was closed and the vet that did his leg lrocedure is too far. She couldnt say what happened without seeing it…even with our detailed description. She did x rays and everything looked fine. Also he had x rays the day of the attack and heart and lungs were goond. And the day i took him to have his bandage cut down and expressed concern over his panting and the fact that it sounds as if hes having a hard time breathing she listened to his lungs and everything checked out. So this 3rd vet prescribed albuteral and prednisone and sent us home. It happened again thursday when i was going to take him out except we were just in the kitchen. Cpr again amd took him back to the 2r hr vet. She gave him a dex injection and he stsyed there 2 nights for observations and had no issues. So i still have no answers. He hasnt done it again thank god but has scared me and made me think he was about to a couple times and i rushed him inside. From day 1 he was prescribed deramaxx and clavamox and tramadal. He finished deramaxx and ckabamox. I have stopped the tramadal and also the albuteral and pred. He still sounds as if he is wheezing. And if hes not on a potty break them he is in his crate. And will pant frequently.
Sorry for the late reply, I was on vacation away from a computer. WOW! What a lot to take in. Sounds like a crazy story. Deremaxx and steroids are a terrible mix to start. The pred and the dex do not go with deramaxx and can lead to terrible stomach ulcers. This is possibly one of his problems. The tramadol is a great drug but can cause the lethargy and maybe some panting. The clavamox is good. The panting might be pain, might be a too tight bandage (as thought) might be trauma, might be disc disease if his neck was truly hurt, might be a collapsing trachea and or bad heart (given his breed.) Given the fact that CPR in a dog is less than 1% successful, I would suspect that massage and helping him breath was what brought him back. This would make me think heart disease, trachea or lungs. I would see a specialist or a good vet and ask to have a full heart work up. Not sure what else to say, without seeing the dog its hard to give any more advice. Interesting.a d good luck.
Two big dogs attacked my 2 year old boxer dog and he got bit in the neck and arm . His neck is very shwollen what sould i do?
Go to a vet and get it checked out ASAP. This is something that is best treated quickly with care and medication. They need antibiotics and wound care.
Hello
Today I was walking my large dog in a new park. there wer epeople coming towards us with two terriers. my dog is dog friendly but doesn’t tolerate aggressive dogs. i thought since they were coming towards me with no warning signs they must be friendly dogs. but then the fat jack russeel went full lunge with snapping and growling. my dog lunged back and dragged me 5 metre to grab the jack russel and shake him. it sounded horrible the little dog was yelping and we were yelling. i hit my dog on the head and made her let go and she rolled over. i dragged her away from the other dogs but then stood there to ask them how there dog was. they said there was no blood and seemed okay but were rightfully upset.
we went our seperate ways. i bought my dog a halter muzzle so she cant drag me like that again. but i’m so scared it will happen again i’ve only had her two months and she’s been so nice to all the other dogs i’ve met. but she gets growly if they try to dominate her but this is the first time she’s lunged or attacked.
i feel sick to my stomach. how do i prevent this from happening again or do i have to rehome her? i can’t keep her locked in the yard she needs walks but now i’m too scared to take her out incase she does it again and gets put down.
please advise.
I was so in shock i didn’t think of it at the time but should i have given the people my number incase the dog was harmed? Then I could pay his vet bills. Even if he is an aggressive little dog my dog shouldn’t have responded like that. i don’t know how to train her not to do this.
You just have to be aware of her dog aggression. Our own dog growls at other dogs and we walk him every day. If you see dogs coming, just pull her aside and keep her away from them and ask people not to come close. She might get better but it is not worth the risk of having her attack another dog or get attacked. Just adjust your behavior around hers. You can always go seek behavior counseling and try to modify he actions. This is often successful but timely and with some expense. We have adjusted in our family, I’m sure you can do the same. Good luck, I have no easy answers.
Thank you, I’ll try those. I don’t want to return her to the rescue but it can’t happen again. I’ll only let her play with dogs I know she’s been okay with before and keep the halter on for walks. She dragged me like nothing.
I could maybe afford one specialist, I struggle to get her to listen to me some professional advice might help.
Good luck.
Now, I have another problem (about dog bites): when I was going to the school, my Kintamani dog, Bali, run out of my apartment (don’t ask me was it occurred, because I REALLY don’t know, but I think it was when the maid opened the door) and was bitten by the neighbor dog (I think it was a mini Pincher). After this occurred, Bali’s leg (place where she was bitten) are turning more painful, red and swollen, and she’s walking with difficult. The vet prescribed Tylenol and Predsim (a corticoid). The vet told us these remedies are for humans, but he told us don’t have risks. I gave her medicines, but, now, Bali’s so lethargic (she was a calm dog, but Bali’s like to play with me, now, she’s very sleepy and don’t interacting with me). I’m thinking it’s so strange. These symptoms have any relationship with the remedies?! Now, she’s lethargic since two days ago. I’m nervous with it.
Rosita, you need to ask the vet many of these questions. We never prescribe an NSAID and a steroid together but if your vet has very limited options this might be all he/she can do. If you dog is now lethargic I would go back tot the vet and get a re-exam to see what is going on. 2 days of lethargy is a lot and you should go back to the vet.
My ,17 year old pug_pom pulled his own teeth after the the vet said he would not survive it. Then later he was severely bitten by a large dog on the neck and head the new vet examined him said might make it if I had a $2000. ,deposit or I could put him down. It’s been a week with love and care he’s eating and drinking going to the bathroom. Pretty much he seems to be a strong little fellow.he’s very well loved. Sue
Great to hear!
My stray pitbull that I took in 3 months ago just attacked my dachsaund right in front of me outside on the backyard for no reason. It took me three times to repeatedly pull him off and hold in down, yelling for my new neighbors to come help me as my little guy dragged his body away from the other one for the third time! He’s hurt with puncture wounds on his neck n groin. Now I’m worried about loosing my little guy! He’s 8 yrs old n I just moved here and no vehicle and don’t know anyone. I stopped the bleeding but don’t know if there is any internal damage. I’m so scared of loosing my boy!! He’s my whole world. What do I do? Please help suggest!
Get to a vet, there is no advice I can give you except get to a vet. Ask a neighbor for a ride, call a local vet and ask if any of their clients live close. Just go to a vet.
Hi Dr Stewart,
An update on my post from here
http://9zm.079.myftpupload.com/when-dogs-attack/#comment-37926
Unfortunately this dog attacked my other dog, seemingly unprovoked (no food or toys were present at time, behaviour was loose relaxed and happy). It was quite a long and serious attack and I’ve surrendered her to the authorities. My other dog is rather sore and bruised and a bit growly around food but I’ll bring in the trainer anyway to work her through this new food aggression problem. I hope she can continue to be right with other dogs, will get her in on some behaviour classes to work through her anxiety.
The dog i’ve kept is on antibiotics and painkillers for her many punctures and gashes. She is thankfully quite big and survived the attack. A little dog wouldn’t have.
I also find that I’m a bit nervous and second guessing the other dog every moment. Even though she tried to get away from the fight i know she’s got some fear/insecurity in her background and borders on food aggressive. I’m hoping after she heals up we can work on this but i’m afraid my current nervousness around her is affecting her.
Probably not helped by all the strangers popping in and out, council workers and rangers and stuff.
Thank you for your advice, the one vet i tried to get into said they were to busy to see him and not enough cages left if they had to keep him. Suggested I find a different vet that had the time n space for my little guy. I found another one and I’m taking him there! I’ll keep you posted. Thank you!
My 4 month old 24 lb. Shepherd mix was at a dog park and got attacked on the neck by a bulldog mix today. I examined for blood and cuts but didn’t find anything.
He was in shock and so was i. I got bit by the attacking dog as I picked my puppy up and away from him.
My puppy played with a 6 month old puppy after and seemed fine. On the car ride home he seemed very tired, kept closing his eyes an d he was breathing hard. It was a hot afternoon but I had the ac on in the car. At home he was affectionate to a neighbor and even wagged his tail.
He’s eating and drinking and went pee outside and played with his toys. I sometimes would touch his neck lightly and a couple times he’d wince his eyes. But no whining or crying.
Also after the attack back in the car it seemed his collar was tight so I loosened it. And then when I got home his collar was too loose. Does that mean he had swelling a d it went down? Also in touching his abdomen it was making a raspy feel sometimes but since he got home haven’t felt that.
Do you think he will be ok or with no blood or proof of bites could he still have internal injuries? I don’t have any money for a couple days and hoping he will be ok without vet visit.
Thanks
USUALLY (not always) no blood an no lacerations is a good sign. If your dog is looking good and doing well then you probably can wait. Rest and food/water are the best thing now. Keep a close eye on your pup and if you have ANY concerns then you do need to see a vet. If all goes well then you might have dodged a bullet.
My little Chihuahua Mix was attacked today by two strays that came into our yard. One of the dogs was obviously preparing to shake her, just as the doctor said above, as her hip was all wet. I was able to respond within seconds of the attack, but still, she had an abdominal puncture wound and what appeared to be some nerve damage in her right leg. She certainly was not herself, even though her wound did not look too bad. However, I did not examine it closely, just wrapped it in a saline soaked gauze dressing and was able to get into the vet right away.
Turns out it is a much more serious wound, deep into her abdomen. I could see her internal organs when the doctor pulled up the margins of the wound. She has survived surgery, but is not out of the woods yet.
My purpose in writing is to add one more example of why it is so important to get to the Veterinarian’s ASAP! I even have some medical training and could have seen that the wound was worse had I explored further, but she was obviously hurt and I took her to be sure she was okay. She isn’t.
Thanks!! Great example.
I get home today to find Pink, my chihuahua poodle, was acting strange and not her usual bubbly self. When I got a closer look I realized her face was extremely swollen, which caused me to check her, and soon learned she had teeth gashes all over her tiny head (Nothing too deep). Of course this was the work of my younger but bigger dog, Hendrix, my terrier dachshund.
They are usually best friends but he once in a while snaps on her. He is def Alpha dog.
I cleaned her wounds and gave her half a baby aspirin which was recommended by my vet before for pain. About 2 hours passed, and she had a full blown seizure! It lasted about a minute. After regaining consciousness she was fine…even played around and ate her food.
I iced her head to make the swelling go down and it worked almost immediately.
Should I be worried? I have a flight to catch in about 12 hours and was gonna leave her with a sitter. Now I don’t know if I should fly her with me.
Wow, yes you should be worried! A seizure? That didn’t worry you? First, I know some vets recommend aspirin, but I NEVER recommend that especially for a small dog. That dose of aspirin can be very damaging and there are many many better options out there so why risk it. Facial swelling and bite to the fce can be very dangerous. Without going into more detail, the simple answer is go to a vet right away….It might be a case of low blood sugar for the seizure but you never know.
Hi Dr.Stewart,
I have a 60lb rottie/pit mix. He has been amazing around all breeds and sizes, children of all ages, always gentle. Until today. At the local dog park there is a fenced in area for small dogs and one for big dogs. The owner of a Bichon walked her dog past the small area and right into the big one. By the way all dogs are off leash here. A few minutes passed and the dogs seemed fine. All of a sudden my dog chased the dog down, shook it and lock jawed down. Luckily, after what seemed like an eternity my husband was able to pry our dog’s mouth off this little dog. We feel terrible about this situation…and are deeply saddened. We are now thinking about what’s next….and that would be compensation. We would like to work out something with the owner. We are lucky to have multiple ER vet specialists, near us. The owner brought her dog to a notorious exteremely over-priced facility. I’m sure the bill will be thousands of dollars. Are there any things that some establishments are known for over pricing? or “unnecessary procedures”? Honestly, I just hope that poor little dog survives. I still can’t wrap my head around our dog’s attack….he has never shown aggression to anything or anyone. He’s not even dominant! I wish this was all a dream and I could just wake up tomorrow like nothing happened. I appreciate your time Dr. Stewart. Thank you.
I would think you are expected to pay the whole bill for the dog recovery. There are possibly excessive things that can be done, but since there is never certainty in medicine it is impossible to determine what is necessary and what is maybe not. You can not question the bill. There are probably no unnecessary procedures on a bite wound bill and hopefully the little dog will survive. No more off the leash parks for your dog. Sorry. I hope the other dog is ok.
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Alex
May 16, 2015
Hello, we have Lost two of our dogs In the last 24 hours. Our 8 year old female English bulldog was found viciously attacked in our backyard. She had 1-2 inch wounds (about 30-40) around her armpits and top of her legs and smaller puncture wounds on her neck. She was just laying there on her back in shock. We have two teenagers, GSD female since puppy and 5 months ago we have adopted a teenage pit from the shelter. I have several questions. We took the bulldog to er right away she wasn’t crying much. They put her under and stitched he wounds. We picked her up in the am to take to our vet. Even though on pain meds she was still crying. On the ride to the reg vet I was talking to her and she wasn’t really crying out anymore but visibly in pain. Dropped her off at our vet as they said that she needs iv meds. She couldn’t get up. We came around 5 to pick her up and heard her cries. I asked isn’t she in the pain meds why is she crying? They said she was really mauled and they can only give it to her every 5 hours and that bite wounds are really painful. We decided to let her go to heaven. Now I have regrets what if she just needed emotional support from me and that’s why she was crying? I feel awful for leaving her in her worst time with strangers. Do you think that she needed loving that it possibly wasn’t the pain?
Now to the dog(s) that attacked her – after coming home we’ve, examined them both. The pit had blood articles where his teeth and gums meet from the bulldog so he was def guilty. Due to the level of mauling we have had him humanely euthanized. No guilt there he was a goof ball I swear he didn’t even know what he did must’ve just snapped. Regardless I couldn’t re-home him knowing what he can do. Now the shepherd – she had blood on her fur above her chest almost at her throat – not her own. No evidence on her teeth. The vet says they could’ve teamed up on her. My husband thinks she is innocent and I don’t. What are the chances for her to have the blood on her and be innocent? I really appreciate your help,as we have other dogs and need to make sure they’re safe and this will never happen again.
Unfortunately I can not help you determine if the GSD was involved. It is true dogs do team up, but it is also true a pitbull can snap and do a lot of damage by itself. There might be no way to ever know. As for the Bulldog, we see dog fights all the time and are usually able to control the pain with good IV medication. At home or oral medication is not nearly as strong and this can be a problem. We sometimes get cases that are so painful we keep them sedated for longer periods of time or use a constant rate infusion (CRI) of opiate pain medication (we do this a lot.) If your dog was at a vet, they should have been able to keep her comfortable (even at risk of her life if euthanasia was the other option.) I can not help decide if you did the right thing, but I can say second guessing will not help. You made a humane judgment call and that is usually a good decision. Sorry for your loss.
my dog have been attack and his ear is really bothering him. what can i do to help the pain. i dont have any money for no vet at the moment .
Keep it clean and get to a vet. There is nothing to do except see a vet. Try the spca or a shelter for some free care. Do not use over the counter medicine. Keep it very clean and dry.
My 3 year old Rottweiler whom has had basic obedience training has all the sudden become very food aggressive? He bit my 4 year old 4lb chihuahua with no noise no warning and one bite. She has been treated by an emergency vet and given meds to help while we wait as the bite was in a place that has caused her severe damage she can no longer see or walk very well she can at least walk some but her equilibrium is off. She hasn’t eaten anything for 2 days and has only drank and I have offered her everything. Any insight on this whole situation would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry to hear about your chihuahua. I think routine vet visits to assess progress might be needed. Without seeing her and knowing more about her injuries I cant be of much help. Random spontaneous food aggression is a problem and is something we all have to worry about if we have 2 or more dogs. Usually the nip or bits are not so serious but the size difference in your pets made that more of an issue. I would certainly feed them separately (duh) from now on, but you might want to seek out a behaviorist or aggression expert. I fear that there is nothing you can do to calm your nerves when the two dogs are together. I know that I would always be on edge and on guard from now on. This means any time food is around, like at pick-nicks or dinner or anytime. You also need to be careful around other peoples dogs in the same situations. I wish I had a simple answer but sadly I do not. Try a behavior certified vet?
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I did not realize this was so common until I found your blog, I literally read almost every story here. It made me feel alittle better for being so naive to begin with thinking my two dogs were best buds and nothing like this could ever happen. I will take your advice and consult someone to help with his behavior. I did forget to ask if he was fixed would this help in anyway? People have mentioned it and I kinda feel since he’s 3 it really wouldn’t help much? As far as my little chihuahua …..sigh I feel so bad for her but wonder could she pull thru this and regain her sight regardless I’m amazed at her strength thru this whole ordeal. The vet personally called to check on her a few hours ago and wants to see her back but said these things take time to see what the outcome will be. Again thanks for making this informative blog it was very helpful to me!!!
Your welcome. I would say, only an opinion, that if he was fixed he would have been MUCH less aggressive. Male large breed dogs can get very aggressive at ages 2-6 if not fixed. They have a lot of testosterone and need an outlet for aggression. I cant say for sure, but neutering him would be my fist step. Even late in the game it helps. Good luck.
Your replies are so thorough and courteous! What a great service you’re performing, thank you!
I have a close relative who has a dog quite a bit larger than our 8 lb puppy. My relative brought her dog over and he was exhibiting what, to me, we’re clear signs of canine unease (looking at the puppy from the corners of his eyes, raised hackles when he would pass, short, grumbly growls every time the puppy walked too near the stick he was playing with). I asked if maybe we should separate them, and she insisted that her dog was just asserting his dominance and was always impeccably behaved when at friends houses with dogs, dog parks, etc. and since I have very little experience as a dog owner and she seems to take her pup very seriously, I gave in.
three minutes later he pinned the puppy and snapped. She retrieved him immediately, this maybe lasted 2 seconds. My puppy was terrified and hers went outside and stayed there for the duration of her visit. My puppy did sustain a teeeeeny tiny puncture wound on the loose skin of his neck and due to reading your responses he will be going to the vet first thing in the am!!
However, I was wondering who was at fault in this situation…NOT for laying blame, but to remove completely the chance that this ever reoccurs!
Should we have met somewhere like a park a few times first?
Were the behaviors I considered odd, really normal as she asserted, and this was a fluke…or should I go with my instinct next time and remove him from the area?
Is it common for dogs to repeat these sort of negative reactions toward a specific dog following one such interaction?
Thank you!
Your instinct was dead on and your response was correct. I think the big dog was going to be unhappy regardless of where you met. It was not the big dog’s territory and so that is not an issue. The puppy is just a puppy and the other dog was expressing dominance and aggression and might need some training. It would be interesting if one or both were intact (not neutered) as that might be a cause. Otherwise, I think that dog might need some serious social training before a second visit. You can try a park with multiple dogs next time, but I would still be very very very wary. Good luck! Thanks for the complements.
Over a month ago a family members dog was bitten, the vet deemed the wounds minor, and the bill was less than a hundred dollars. However, over a month later, the dog needed to be taken to the Vet again and he is claiming that the wounds from the previous dog bite are infected, and needed over $300 of more treatment. I would like to know, first, would the wounds show infection after that much time? And if so, was this neglect from the care taker, vet, or is it common enough that the bill should be sent to owner of the dog that bit? The original bill was payed by the accused dog owner, but they are wondering which avenue to take, since they feel they if she might have done more to clean the wounds, but the vet is telling them that it is the fault of the dog bite, and should make them pay. I am also asking, because I have never been a fan of this Vet, and would like them to switch, but my main concern is whether the infection would show up after so much time, or is the Vet overcharging and using this past injury as a reason?
First, if you distrust or dont like a vet, just switch. Your records can be faxed in 5 minutes and any vet will take you on with your pets. Do not feel obligated to any vet you don’t like. Second, bite wounds can get infected late after the antibiotics and done and the wound is mostly healed. They can have crushing injuries to the tissues that presents late as the tissues die or never recover. A month is a long time, but not unheard of. I can make a case where a month later more vet work is needed. $100 and then $300 is insanely cheap in my region so be lucky the price was so low. I would think the “biting” dog owner should still pay, but good luck with that…..
Thank you for your response, but he is not my vet he is my sisters, and he told me my dog needed an expensive surgery that when I went for a second opinion, was not necessary, and I switched then. I just do not trust him and wanted to make sure he was not pulling the same thing on my sister, because if they do go after the owner of the other dog I want to make sure they have a case to stand on.
You can always go for a second opinion before you commit, but it is medically possible.
Rosie is a 24 lb. rat terrier/chihuahua mix. Adopted from humane society a year ago. She’s had a rough life, been in and out of shelters several times prior to my getting her. She’s almost totally deaf, and I don’t think she sees very well. She doesn’t know how to cuddle or show affection, but I’m working on her. Tonight, while walking her, a neighbor’s dog got away from her owner and charged Rosie. I got them separated and didn’t think that any actual contact had been made. However, I just noticed a puncture wound in the outer corner of Rosie’s eye. Very little blood. No swelling yet. Doesn’t appear to be any damage to the eye itself. She seems to also be sensitive in the neck area, but I can’t see anything. She’s not big on touching, so it’s difficult to tell anything. It’s Sunday night. No ER near. Tried to clean area and check things, but now she’s growling and snapping at me. I want to be a good mom, but the vet won’t be in till 9:00 am. Any thoughts on anything I can do?
I would let her rest, and eat and drink normally until Midnight then get her to a vet in the morning. Sorry for the later reply, but I only get to this when I can. After midnight pull the food and water in case she needs sedation in the morning. Most likely she will not need anything except pain medication and antibiotics, but better be safe than sorry. Good luck.
Hello my male mastiff and my 8 pound Pomeranian got into last night and my mastiff got ahold of my Pom. Nothing major a small amount of blood tiny wound. Now my Poms temperament is different he is still shaking ears are down and tails down. Not sure if I should take him to the vet he can walk fine jumps on and off the bed doesn’t seem to be in a lot of pain just sore.
Better be safe than sorry and get a vet visit. It might just be sore and bruised enough to be acting off. It is possible the Pom is also unhappy to remain in the same house as the mastiff, in which case you have a problem. I would go to a vet for a look over though. You might not see something fixable….. good luck.
Hi. I hope you may be helping me to figure out why my dog died. My female sterilized cocker vanished from our courtyard (circumstances yet to be determined). Tried to find her, we were both relatively new to the neighborhood so I didn’t know where to look, she didn’t know to come back. Either way, 24 hrs later I had someone find her severly bitten in the abdomen (several bites), throat, and some other punctures on the legs, nozzle, ears. She was obviously in shock, still loosing some blood from her abdomen bites(not a lot but still fresh blood), the rest of the bites seemed closed, and she was severly bruised (legs, throat, hips, belly). More over, she had several flyes lying eggs on her wounds! Took her to the vet immediately, she was roughly cleaned and clipped, temp taken (38.6 C), given several injections (what I believe to be antiinflammatory, hemostatics, pain killers and antibiotics). She was also put on a IV drip (250 glucose I think). Her belly wounds were flushed with some antibiotics. She came around though we are not sure she was aware of her surroundings. Started wanting to get up, even got up briefly several times. She peed normally (no blood). I asked if we should take her to a nearby city (50 km away) for an Xray exam, the vet said we should wait till next day and she’d tell us.
She’d try to stand up then fell back. To cut it short, here in Romania in my small town we do not have overnight vet facility, so we were send home and asked to come back following day (in about 14 hrs time) and to check her temp once in a while. Back home we were asked to give her a shower to clean the debris and apply iodine tincture on the wounds; she seemed the same: lifting her head or getting up briefly, walking a few steps and then lying on the blanket. She never wanted to drink water or touch food and her mouth was clenched. Her throat was quite swollen as if she’d have a large double chin. Well, in about 6 hrs and half after being found (and about 29 hrs from her dissapearance), at about 22.45 hrs, she apparently all of a sudden peed herself, started shaking and passed away. I know it could have been a number of reasons, from punctured intestines, to severed windpipe or tissue of the throat , to septic shock, to trauma shock to embolism or anything else. She never deteriorated slowly. Though she kept being disorientated, she practically died in matter of seconds. At the time of death, her rectal temp was 39.5 (C). We asked the vet if we could bring her the following day for an authopsy, but they said unless we could keep her in a cold place (arround 8 C) the results of the internal organs and tissue would not be relevant. So we burried her the same night. Is there anyway the hemostatic medicines could have cause pulmonary embolism, since she died so fast? Was the medication given enough to keep her going the whole evening and night, till the following day when we were due back in the vet’s office?
Now I only wonder if more could have been done to save her from that untimely horrible death. It’s not beacause I want to hold my vet accountable. We don’t do that in Romania. I just want to KNOW. It’s pointless to say how dear she was to me and how torn apart I am. Thank you, Dr. Stewart!
Very sorry to hear about your loss. It sounds like with limited veterinary care there were not too many options. There are a few things to be concerned about. Was she adequately hydrated after the injury enough to take her out of shock? It sounds like her temperature was appropriate so maybe she was. I would be worried that she needed more IV fluids. We like to keep these animals on IV fluids for many hours and with large volumes. The double chin and swelling in her neck is also a concern. It sounds like she could breath well enough, but maybe she has a damaged throat that continued to swell and cause major problems. Internal injuries are also a concern. Maybe whatever got to her really shook her and caused major internal damage (or brain stem damage). I really can not say without having seen her, but it sounds like she was VERY injured and maybe a trip to the city might not have even saved her. Sometimes the injuries are so bad that there is nothing you can do. It sounds like the vet there did everything possible (very well even), and maybe the only thing more would have been more IV fluids and a check to see if she was septic (systemic body infection) or internally bleeding (blood counts) or in DIC (multi organ shut down, checked with a blood count.) HOWEVER, if she had any of these problems, even the city might have a hard time saving her. These are also quite advanced tests and might not be possible in your area. It is a very sad situation and you did everything you could and should have done for her. You should feel good about that.
Thank you for your kind words, dr.Stewart! I have meanwhile checked, and the city clinic was quite prepared with EKG, oxygen room, vital monitoring system, Xray and of course hospitalization. I made a wrong judgement call, and my advice to all pet owners is to always think of the best but prepare (and check, and act) for the worst. It is better to be safe than sorry. Thank you for the kind words, once again!
Dr. Stewert, hi my family and a few friends were just outside a little earlier playing horse shoes and fetch with our two large sized dogs. My dads friend had an older chiuauaha that was in the truck, he went and grabbed herout say her next to him to fold a blanket and sat down on a pillow which had pee on it sat up and hollered causing his pup to bark well my female boxer/mastiff came running around the corner and was on her caused three puncture wounds nothing around anything serious, but i am just interested in a few questions about shock. …. the chiuahuah really isn’t showing any signs of distressed and we ate keeping close watch on her for absolutely any kind of even the smallest hint of a sign of anything, because she will be rushed to a vet right away. I’m a very big animal person and am extremely knowledgeable about most and most things about many different, but if i feel i dont know something or not enough about something or even question mutes about anything i look it up or ask about until I’m content and understand what i didn’t before. But any way we are taking her to the very tomorrow to get looked at and treated for her the punctures, and will keep a close eye through the night for even the smallest of any kind of change, is there anything you would tell me to closely watch for at all?
Shock can be hard to define in symptoms lethargy, vomiting, seizure, dehydration, death, loss of pain, loss of movement, increased pain, vocalizing….. I would make sure she is acting normally and able to eat and drink and will urinate and defecate if needed. She needs to be normal, except for the wounds. The sooner you start antibiotics the better…. as in…. if you start antibiotics within a few hours you have a chance to prevent abscess. If you want a day you might have a problem. Good luck.
Shock can be very dangerous to animals and humans. It’s a life-threatening situation and can be traumatizing for those who’re living or looking the situation, of course. So, at the minor shock signals, you have to take the pet or the person to the hospital IMMEDIATELY, because it’s a situation who can bring the animal or person affected to death. NORMALLY, shock can be caused by the extreme cold or heat, traumas, bites, diseases, but they CAN have various other causes. For more informations, visit the local animal or human hospital, all depends of who’s (if it’s an animal or if it’s a person) being affected by shock.
Our Chi-Poo was bitten last night by a Husky. There was one puncture. We cleaned the wound and it stopped bleeding. She wouldn’t move around but was shaking and panting. We kept a close eye on her all night. This morning she seemed to be a little better. There was no shaking or panting but she was lethargic. Her ears and tail were down. The wound was clean. Her eyes were bright. Her nose was cold and wet. After awhile, she made a mess on the floor. This was a surprise as she is house broken. A little later she vomited on the floor. Then awhile later she made another mess. Is there anything that can be done until we can get to the Vet?
Get her to a vet. Sounds like she is shocky or traumatized. She might need pain medication or a detailed exam to see if there is anything else going on.
Hi, I am watching a 25lbs beagle/jack Russell mix. He got into a fight with a dog that was probably 20lbs heavier than him over treats. It lasted less than a minute but he has a wound the size of about a dime on his right neck/shoulder area. We cleaned the wound and covered it with gauze. Should I just keep an eye out for signs of infection or take him into the vet? He is not my dog so I’m not sure if I am just overly worried because of that or if I should be taking him in to get checked out?
Take him to a vet. Those wounds are much bigger then the skin wound and can have deep pockets. Also, covering it with gauze will just hold in the infection. Go to a vet.
Hi, I am watching a 25lbs beagle/jack Russell mix. He got into a fight with a dog that was probably 20lbs heavier than him over treats. It lasted less than a minute but he has a wound the size of about a dime on his right neck/shoulder area. We cleaned the wound and covered it with gauze. Should I just keep an eye out for signs of infection or take him into the vet? He is not my dog so I’m not sure if I am just overly worried because of that or if I should be taking him in to get checked out?
My mini schnauzer was attacked by our family pit bull. He was bitten in the front of his neck. He was bleeding but He seemed ok. I wanted to take him to the vet, but my husband was scared an said he could be put in jail if we went. Our pit has never attacked before. My concern is my schnauzer seems normal, but should I take him still to the vet. I told my husband he has to find another home for the Pit. I have a 6 year old an a 18 year old and we are all scared to even go outside with the pit now. Is it too late to take the mini schnauzer to the vet?
Its never too late to have him checked on and get antibiotics and pain medication if needed. They can not put you in jail, dogs in the same house fight all the time. If you need to find a home for the pit, just warn the people about other dogs. It is not your fault (usually) that dogs fight. Take him to the vet for a check up.
My pitbull lab mix has attacked our small chihuahua/Pomeranian mix around 5 times (the last being two days ago) only hurting him once, and we had finally found a way to keep them both (separating them) but just today he attacked our 7 year old Pomeranian over a bowl of food and we have decided to get rid of him. However, we are unsure if the Pomeranian is alright? He is walking with a slight wobble, not eating or drinking (not even treats) and looks dazed. He is also panting lots and has been going to the bathroom fine. Is he okay? We can’t afford to bring him to the vet unless it’s an extreme emergency. Please reply with any possible information, thank you.
There is nothing I can tell you without seeing your dog. Sounds pretty bad, dazed, not eating treats and wobbly?!?! I would try to get him to a vet asap to have at least a quick exam. That sounds rough, so I cant give you any advice that will even help. Sorry. I think a vet visit sounds appropriate.
We have 4 rescues: 70lb female boxer-PB mix, 60lb male PB mix, 40lb male Jack Russell Mix, and a 10lb female mini-dachshund. We had a PB that passed away in 2013 (from a dog food recall) that was friends with the doxie (PB was 11 doxie 8 months when introduced), when the 70lb mix came along (got her at 8 weeks old) the older dog started grooming her to be the alpha I think. The doxie and the PB mix became instant best friends, when the oldest passed away they would comfort each other, the doxie acting as a mom to the puppy- at the time they were the same size. fast forward October of last year- we get the russell mix. He’s timid and shy, clearly severely abused- very calm and sweet. In February of this year we got our final dog- the PB male, he’s as dumb as a rock and very vocal, howls- it’s funny. The doxie attacks him all the time, she play-attacks all of them but him the most, he’s covered in scabs. He hides from her, or tells us in a pleading way to make her stop and we do. All of the dogs are between 2 and 3 years old. The two bigger dogs band together and go after the medium dog and I make them stop- it is playing but I think could quickly get out of had. The medium dog is very scrappy and fights back- we watch them closely to make sure nothing turns serious. All four dogs love each other- share food, share toys, share bones, sleep together in a heap. Today unprovoked the 70lb female grabbed the 10lb female by the neck and slammed her to the ground a few times- my son after beating, smacking and yelling at the big dog was able to work the little one free only to have her go after her and do it again! The vet said that the little dog is an instigator and aggressive and the big dog had finally had enough. It is true the little one is a bully and very nasty BUT at the moment of the attack NOTHING was going on- nothing, I am devastated- although the Vet thinks the little one will be fine, she is lucky to be alive. He said to keep them separate (the three big ones away from the little one) and walk them separate as well and to train the little one or she will continue to cause problems. I just don’t know how I will ever trust the big one again, my heart is broken because she is my baby and the sweetest most submissive dog in the world. She has never been aggressive, even when street dogs provoked her and tried to start something.
pitbull bite and locked on To fox terrier did not shake him we got Terrier loose. He. ate he drank. Breaths fine, came outta shock. next day now neck very big and huge very very swollen whAt can u do from home
Not much, it is an infection and swelling. You need to bring him to a vet for antibiotics and pain medicine, maybe even have the neck drained.
my 6lb puppy tried to lay down on the same bed as my friends dog this weekend. he nipped her right in the face with hardly any warning. my friends say he did not raise a lip, or growl, just chomped down on her mouth when she sat down. I was on the other side of the kitchen table and just heard her yelping. She has 2 large puncture wounds, one on the side of her snout and one under her chin, and 2 sub-surface marks on her snout.
this is a case where she wanted to lay down as she does with her brother (i kept 2 out of the litter) and the 60 lb dog tore her face up. She already is a special needs dog, she has megaesophagus and is very under weight, stunted growth, etc. I dont understand.
I have another dog that does not like this lab one bit. He has nipped him before, but nothing to cause damage and I always correct him if he lashes out. One day it could be him. But now I know her dog has issues with little dogs, and i won’t even risk it. Im afraid this is the end of a decade long friendship because my friend has not even apologized, asked how the pup is, on top of that shes mad with my boyfriend and I over what happened. I had to reach out to her the following day to say i dont blame anyone and I wasnt angry. Surprise surprise, shes actually the one mad.
so frustrating. if this was a stranger I would absolutely demand her to pay the vet bills, but since its a friend…it could get very ugly.
Bummer, might teach you about you friend.
Hi! Both of my dogs are health and fine, they’re very well treated, and I saw a video of a rabid dog on YouTube and in that video was written something like “characteristic howling”, so, it made me with a doubt: do rabid dogs howl? :/
My 4 lb chihuahua was attacked by a dog that came into our yard. He had one puncture wound on his head, which was bleeding and his lip was hanging funny. He was in an obvious state of shock, so I rushed him to the vet where the first question I was asked was what kind of budget I had. I told them I couldn’t spend a lot (which in hindsight, I should have specified that by a lot, I meant thousands of dollars). They put him to sleep to examine him and came back and told me that his jaw was broken. I wasn’t really given a lot of options, other than I could take him to the neighboring big city (I live in a very small town) to an oral surgeon. His jaw would require a metal plate or pins or something to hold it together, which would cost 2-3 thousand dollars. She recommended that I have him put down. She said it would be cruel to wake him up when he was going to be in so much pain. My dog was 13 years old and we picked him out the day he was born. I have been a mess since it happened. I can’t eat. Can’t sleep. Cry all day. I need to know that I made the right decision and the vets recommendation wasn’t made because she took “Not a lot” to mean I wouldn’t spend anything on him. Did I let my baby go to soon? Was there hope for him?
These are very hard questions to answer without being there. She was correct that for certain jaw fractures you need to see a boarded surgeon for a plate and screws to fix. However, some dogs can recover with time and TLC with jaw fractures (some, not all). I think at 13 years old the chances of a good recovery are far less and the chances of infection and severe pain during recovery are higher. Thousands is what a surgeon would cost and up to a thousand is easily what conservative treatment would cost, so I’m not sure what you had to spend or could spend. The end is I can not answer your question well, BUT at 13 years old I think you might have made the correct decision. Older dogs do not heal well from large bone breaks and severe trauma and he would have have a long road to recovery. For your dog’s best interest I think you might have done the right thing. Sorry for your loss.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I may never be able to fully forgive myself, but you have brought me some comfort. I appreciate you taking the time to read and address my concerns.
My snchnauzer was bitten by a pit bull
she has a small chunk taken out of her head and various bite marks around her body. She is also not acting normal. She’s only two and I worry for her. My mom doesn’t have enough money to take her to the vet but I don’t want to lose her.
The only thing you can do is keep the wounds clean and watch for infection. I would try the SPCA or another helping organization. You need to bring your dog to the vet. Read the previous comments about wound care. Basic wound care is the best you can do now.
Hi, dr. Stewart,
I would like to move two dogs (Cleo and Bali) from Brazil to Panama, but I don’t know how I make it neither what I would need. Could you explain me how it’s the process of moving to another country with dogs, please? Yorkshires and KBDs (Kintamani Bali Dogs) aren’t internationally know to be dangerous breeds, are they? No, no, I was just joking, because I know they aren’t dangerous breeds (in normal circumstances, as well), and perhaps we would move to Panama, but what I would need to do it with my dogs?
Rosita I truly have no idea. You need to call the destination country consulate.
My 8yo Female Lab attacked my 3mo Male Chihuahua last night. There are no visible wounds, I was in the same room so I was able to break it up pretty quick. But now he is acting different. His ears aren’t straight up and perky like before. He isn’t playful and he cries a lot. I feel so bad for him. Do you think he will get back to his playful self? He won’t even let my other dog come near him and they play together all the time.
You might want to have him checked for bruising or under the fur damage. Otherwise it might take time for the stress to resolve and the fear of the other dog. He might never get over it, or he might just need time. Sorry I cant help more.
Hi. What I would need if I plan to found a no-kill shelter for homeless animals? 😉
Please help!
My puppy was attacked by a big dog and he can’t move his right front leg.
At first I thought he died already because he wasn’t moving at all, he wasn’t even crying. I guess he was shocked. Now though he’s crying and whining and trying to stand. He’s also shaking and he gets startled easily.
I’ve tried search the web but it’s always ‘take him to the vet’. But there’s no vet around here(I am in a very poor country and in a rural area) and we couldn’t really afford one. I don’t know what to do!
I am not sure, his leg is probably broken, because it is limp and he can’t move it at all. He have this open wound on his shoulder, I applied hydrogen peroxyde there and I am not really sure how to clean it because it is sticking with dirt and his fur. Does human medicine work on dogs? because I’m thinking of making him take mefenamic or antibiotic.
Please, is there any home remedies I can do? Your response would help a lot!
There is a limit to what I can tell you except keep the wound clean, keep him immobile and rest the leg and get to a vet or a human doctor (worst case scenario.) Sounds like he needs a splint, a good wound cleaning and shaving the hair around the wound. A human doctor can do that. He also needs antibiotics. There is no real home remedy that will fix a broken leg and open wound. Clean care and rest are the best things. Sorry, good luck.
Dr. My local dog was bitten by big dog he may be he is in a serious health i gave him turmaric milk.The dog was bitten from his both of hand & gets swelling around them his also hurt from the teeth of his some of the teeth where get broken.So now what can be do in homeopathy way.
Sounds like you need a vet. I do not know about local homeopathic care.
Hi, dr. Stewart, how’s Pomeranian temperament? I heard some good things, but… What do you think about them? 😉 PS: I’ll buy another dog (because I’m a dog-a-holic person) and I’m thinking about a female Pom… But if, just if, we win at lottery, I would like to found a no-kill animal shelter, because I simply love animals. Despite the fact of being Christian, I believe that dogs guide persons to Heaven, so, I’ll never mistreat an animal, specially a dog, and I would like to found a no-kill shelter for homeless, abandoned or mistreated animals, because I love them and I’ll never mistreat them. Seriously. And I’m thinking about buying a female Pom to make company to my dogs and me 🙂 although I was wanting a big dog, like ANOTHER kintamani, but mommy don’t let me because I don’t have so much free time to take care of it 🙁 one day, maybe, I’ll have another kintamani… I simply love them! To talk the true, I love all pariah, spitz and primitive dog breeds (group 5 of FCI classification). Weh, how’s Pom temperament?
My frenchie was nearly attacked last weekend by a german shepperd, I of course had my dog on a leash when the GS approached and started niping his neck and growling while showing his teeth, I kicked the GS and lifted my dog. His owner came running furious yelling at me for kicking his dog, I tried to explained I was just trying to protect my 7 month old way smaller dog but she threatened me. I find it really hard to understand why some dog owners can encourage such agressive behavior and endanger other pets and people.
Viridiana, I think that the owner of the German shepherd was ENCOURAGING his/her aggressive comportment, because it looks like that his/her dog’s showing an aggressive comportment, and the owner’s overprotecting it. OK, you shouldn’t have kicked the dog, but you was just trying to protect your one, and I can understand it. Sadly, some owners encourage their dogs to act aggressively, some of them do it due to ignorance, misinterpreting the corporal language of a dog, but others simply encourage it thinking that a good guard dog’s an aggressive dog, who ISN’T true, if you want to know! A good guard dog is an EQUILIBRATED dog, who DON’T attack other dogs or persons without being provoked. And your attitude of leashing your frenchie was the ideal 🙂 always keep it on the leash and consult the vet ASAP if your beloved dog show any symptom of trauma or shock, because those things are very serious. I’m NOT a vet neither I’m seeing your dog, so, it’s only what I can recommend you. Namaste and good luck with your dog.
I had a similar situation to a lot of these
My 75 pound German Shepard just attacked our 14 week old great pyraneese/belgian malanoise puppy! She has a puncture wound on her head by her ears but shes acting fine. The bleeding has stopped and it looks like the wound is already beginning to scab. I dont know if even though shes doing.okay if.i should take her to the vet. Any ideas?
If the wounds are scabbed and not swelling, discharging or painful you can probably wait. I ALWAYS recommend a vet visit if you have ANY concerns. Better be safe than sorry and you can save lots of money by early treatment. Good luck.
Hello everyone. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with my sam. He may have been bitten (by a larger dog ) or possibly had a stroke maybe? I suggest stroke because his left limbs are almost paralyzed, he can move them a little, But can’t stand even with help. His right rear leg appears stiff and unwilling to bend. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain, just frustrated.
He has a fresh bite mark on his left ear, the vet thinks the bigger dog could have damaged his spine. She gave him a steroid shot and pills, and tramadol. If anybody has seen this before I’d really appreciate knowledge. Thank you
Very odd, if he is older I would worry about cancer in the spine or brain. Stroke maybe but that is very very rare. Try to find a vet neurologist in the area they will figure it out fast. Good luck.
Recently my 10 yr old miniature Chihuahua was bitten in the face by a German Shepard. I took her to the vet but I couldn’t afford a $600 bill. So I took her home with pain medication and chicken broth as the doctor said. The swelling in her eyes has went down a bit but not all the way and I’m worried she may have a brain injury. I’ve kept a close eye on her. She responds to being pet, and her nose is sore. She is able to walk but doesn’t prefer it. She responds to just about everything that she should to.
Hi, dr Stewart,
How time! Have a happy New Year! I know I’m a bit late, but no problem, I hope that you would have a happy 2016, with lots of good surprises and 🙂 I want to adopt an unwanted dog at the local animal shelter of the city I’m living, here on North of Brazil, but what’s the better: a puppy or an adult one?
My Chihuahua recently just gotta got attacked to day i just stood there i was afraid the other dog that attacked her backed off i went to go pick her up and she was bleeding on her leg and I carried her and tried to take her back to the house told my father that another dog attacked her and he did his best to treat her leg she’s limping and my father said she should be better in the future he doesn’t keep her inside i really want to keep her inside so this doesn’t happen again my dog is getting some rest now worried about her every minute hoping she doesn’t get out of her dog house and go’s somewhere. Is it bad if my Chihuahua is really adventurous she likes to go around and comes back as soon as i call for her i wish i can find the owner of that dog and sue him for having a aggressive dog and that my Chihuahua has no advantage over it
Bring her to a vet, keep her inside. Not sure what else to say.
I’m concerned.
My bloodhound puppy that my boyfriend and I just got was bitten by my older dog. The puppies head above his eye looks like it’s swelling. He yelps when we touch it to try to examine for puncture wounds. He seems quick to respond and is acting fine. I don’t have the money to take him to a vet right now. Any suggestions?
I would caution you, or anyone, that if you just got a new puppy and can not afford a vet you are in for trouble. This sounds like he needs to see a vet. You can try giving it time to heal, but if there is damage or infection then it might get worse. Nothing you can easily do at home. Maybe warm compresses if that helps. Save money and take him to see a vet for vaccines and this at the same time. Good luck.
My poodle mix got bit by 2 pit bulls last friday. We took her to a vet hospital where they had to do surgery since there were rib fracture, dislocated jaw, leg injury etc. after paying $4600 the vet hospital said she might need a CT scan. We haven’t had the CT scan done yet. She’s back home now but she doesn’t want to eat and is not very active. What can we feed her since we even tried feeding her lunch meat per vet’s suggestion but she still doesn’t have the appetite and I do not want my dog to die. Please help.
If you spent that much money (seems about right for the injuries described) you should have a direct line to the vet in charge and ask them anything you want! If lunch meat and other good food is not working, then they need to place a feeding tube until her jaw heals and she feels better. It might also be the pain medications causing constipation, and nausea. I would go back to your vet hospital tomorrow for a re-exam and consider reducing pain medication (not eliminating it) and talk about a feeding tube. Good luck!
Thank you dr. stewart. Is it too late to get pet insurance? Will her condition be considered pre existing if I get insurance now and in a couple of weeks have her CT scan? The owner of the dogs did not have much money and can only give us $2500 which is what we already paid the vet’s place so the rest I had to apply for CARE program. I’m hoping that pet insurance will cover if she needs further treatment.
Ha! Pet insurance would not touch her with a 10 foot pole is my guess. You can try, but this would be doubtful. Sadly I think you are on your own.
One dog licked my arm, who was with mosquito repellent, and, now, is drooling a lot and unable to drink water, and I gave him some milk, to induce vomiting, so it could eliminate what’s doing bad to him. Now, it didn’t stopped drooling and is vomiting blood. I’m very concerned. Should it be intoxicated by mosquito repellent? should I give it more a pot with milk?
If that is all it got, then give it time. Otherwise if it keeps vomiting then take it to a vet. It might be something else.
My dog got bite yesterday by big dogs and my dog is little. I saved her the dogs didn’t even attacked her for 39 seconds, but the problem is the my dog is old. 9 human years. When I picked my dog up she yelped for a bit. But Now she can’t jump and she finds a stuggle to lay down and I can’t pick her up because she will yelp. What should I do?
And she limps very little when she walked yesterday. But today she seems no to limp that much
Bring her to a vet! She is hurting and might have a major injury. Other than that, let her rest as much as she wants. You need to have her seen if this continues or gets worse.
My little 10yr old Jack Russell was attacked when my hubby took her for her walk. Out of nowhere a big dog attacked her. When my hubby picked her up the big dog tried to continue attacking. Lyal came home very shaken up and bleeding on his arm. Bella (our dog) was limp, and couldn’t stand on her left front leg.. This happened about 7pm. I checked her leg and foot.It appeared ok coz she didn’t yelp. It wasn’t til later I noticed blood on the back of her neck. I took the collar off and noticed a deep puncture wound. I tried to stop the bleeding. It’s now 12.20am, and it still bleeds on and off. Although she’s gingerly walking around,,she is much too quiet and won’t let me out of her sight atm. I’m now noticing that she’s keeps trembling, and now my concern is that she may be suffering shock. I also noticed since that when I try and pick her up, she yelps. After reading comments on her I will be taking her to my vet, coz they’ll let me pay it off. Can you give me a suggestion on the best way to try and keep the deep puncture wound clean from the blood that still seeps through on and off, and to also calm her from shock until I see my vet. I really appreciate some advice from you. Thanks.
There is not much you can do except get her to drink and eat a little. I would try to see an emergency vet or your vet asap. Its too late to get her out of the initial shock (bring her straight to a vet next time). The bleeding will stop with pressure for 5-10 minutes and if it doesn’t you have a much ore serious problem like an artery or vein cut. Dog fights are very serious and this needs veterinary attention soon. Pressure and liquids are the best I can suggest.
Dr. Stewart quick question please: Question to everyone. My bulldog got bit yesterday on his neck/ear….no dripping blood just a few teeth marks and red skin so I cleaned him up gave him a bath and he was good but then this morning I noticed that his entire neck where the bite happened was all wet…not bloody at all but just very wet/moist as if I poured water on him which I did not and there’s no way he could have licked the back of his neck so does anyone know what this moisture is?
Serum oozing from the wounds most likely. It means there is crushing damage to the tissues and muscles. If i continues you want a vet to look at it. See if it smells, is off colored, or excessively sticky. Those are all signs of infection.
How hard is to have an overseas adopted puppy adapt well to its new home? He’s a small, brown Royal Bahamian Potcake, which I felt in love while seeing some pups at Potcake Place website, a NGO from Turks & Caicos islands, and I’m planning to bring it home, here on extreme North of Brazil 🙂 I’m just concerned about how can I adapt him to another country. What do you recommend me to do?
Not sure, you need to call the department of agriculture in your country.
Please give me some direction. We live in the country with no ER vet for pets. It is about 11:00 p.m. here.
My 13# Yorkie was bit by something possibly a coyote. He has some small punctures on his right side between his lower rib cage and his right hip. The wound didn’t bleed much. He had a lot of slobber on his left side with no wound. As expected he is extremely tender on both sides more so on the left though. His breathing is a little labored when he sits down but seems better when he lays down, it almost looks like he labors to exhale? He may have a leg injury also. I worry about internal injuries. Are there some signs I should be watching for? I’m just not sure what to do or look for? What would Shock look like?
Thank you
It is the morning now, I assume you have taken him to the vet. Sounds like he might have been shaken, like picked up and shaken and done some real damage. Nothing I can tell you without seeing him except that he needs a vet. Labored breathing is a bad sign for any animal. Good luck.
Cleo, my Yorkshire terrier, is with a strange rash on her body and with some wounds, and, apparently, it itches a lot. We’re using a bactericide cream, but, apparently, it isn’t solving the problem. The vet doesn’t know which can be causing her mysterious rash, so, our hypothesis are about a mange. My only doubt is: can a dog have mange without hair loss?
My huskies are 7 mo ths old and my cbinese crested is*was* lead dog. All are fixed. My male has his big boy teeth now and grabs the crested girl.. she gets hurt. How do i get him to not bite down? The crested doesnt seem to .ind and all maintain there doggie communication. The created will snap him back. Tho it is after i have rescued.. her i do know it is important they maintain there social pack mentality. I fear he will snap her in half. He grabs the back of her neck. And now her back.. in a crested. Thats brutal.. my dogs all know safe zone.. my crested will not come to it. So ultimarly how do i keep the wee dog safe and the pack in social harmony? 1 male husky 56lbs 1 female husky 45 n female crested 12 lbs.. ty
I’m not sure what exactly you are asking but it sounds more like an animal training and behaviour question. I would seek out a licensed dog trainer and or a behavior specialist for this.
My toy poodle, Smarty, died yesterday. He was bitten on his neck by a large dog that we adopted. Since it’s holy week in where Iive, the two closest vet clinics are closed. We had to rush him to another city (30 minute drive), but he was already DOA. I think it was instant kill. After getting bitten, his eyes were closed. But after 10-20mins, his eyes opened and his tongue was already hanging. It seems the large dog hit a nerve or something in his spine. I’m truly heartbroken because he had to go through that. I could have accepted his death if he died of an old age. He will be missed. 🙁
Sorry for your loss.
I have 3 dogs… 2 big dogs and 1 small. We came home and found my smaller one dead in our yard. He was out of his collar that was attached to a chain ( because he gets out of the fence). There was no blood anywhere, he was just dirty and wet ( we believe slobber). Is it possible 1 or both of my dogs attached him w/o any blood? What should I do regarding my dogs? We are devastated because he was our senior dog, it’s hard to even enjoy my other 2 w/o thinking they did this. Help!
Hard to say. Yes they certainly could have attacked him with out blood. I’m not sure I can answer that any better than you. You can have an autopsy done to determine cause of death? Sorry for you loss.
My German Shepherd mix dog attacked my chihuahua, and now he isn’t moving or eating or drinking. He was moving the day he got attacked, but now he’s just lying on a blanket and occasionally gets up to vomit, does he need to be take to a vet as soon as we can, or can it wait until his appointment in a couple days?
As soon as you can. Not moving just vomiting?? NOW please.
My little French bulldog who is 15 yrs old was attacked by one of my other dogs when I wasn’t home. He has a bit wound on the top of her head closer to her face than her neck and some scratches on her neck and some swelling around the under part of her neck She was walking around the day she got attacked which was Friday and seemed ok. Saturday she woke up drank a bunch of water and since then has pretty much just laid down or stood in one spot not moving not walking and now she won’t eat or drink anything not even her favorites when she sleeps (I think she sleeps) her eyes are half open like she in a daze not even blinking. No vomiting though. What could be wrong with her
Could be anything, like shock or infection, pain…. you need to take her to a vet. I imagine she is in a lot of pain and needs a vet visit to help her. Pain would be my first guess.
We have learned that a neighbor’s pit bull (who has attacked 2 different dogs) has not been to a vet in a number of years and is not up-to-date on its shots. What risk is there for the dogs who were attacked from the pit bull’s bites and/saliva? Is there a risk to the humans who dealt with the bloody aftermath?
Only Rabies. Very little risk unless the dog has rabies.
My 1 year old Beagle/Cavalier King Charles mix was bit in the dog park today by a Belgian Malinois. No blood was drawn but he bit down on my dog’s thigh and he squealed and cried for quite awhile. He’s walking fine but my happy go lucky, very social puppy, has been withdrawn and “depressed” since. His best dog friend came over for a play date and he was completely disinterested when typically they can wrestle and play tug of war for hours. In the middle of the night I woke up to him panting. I took him out and he peed and pooped, so maybe he just needed to go, but he just seems different. I think his leg feels tender but I’m afraid of checking too closely because I don’t want him to focus on it and stay traumatized. Is it worth a vet visit? And how does my sad dog get back to his old fun loving self?
Sounds like its worth a vet visit. It might be that he is just painful and needs an nsaid or maybe there is more damage than you can see. Worth a check up I would say.
Hi my Pitbull puppy was attacked by her father and is now having trouble breathing. unfortunately I lost my job and a single mother. I can not afford to pay hundreds of dollars to take her to the vet (which is what i have been told when I called i would have to pay) do you have any advise on what i should do??
Try the SPCA or local rescue. She needs to see a vet if she is having a hard time breathing. That is not something that can be fixed easily and I can not diagnose based on that brief description. sorry.
My dog was just attacked by what seemed to be a bulldog mix. She is a small chihuahua mix. She was bitten on her right ear but there is no blood. It lasted about 3-5 seconds. She seems to be ok but I am not sure. Should I take her to the vet?
My psychic powers say….. if you are concerned then you should go to the vet. I honestly can not tell very much from that description.
Hi Dr. Steward,
Need some advise. My Yorkie (Eddie) charged a Husky this weekend on a camping trip far from civilization (so couldn’t get him to the vet)….and the husky clamped down on his back. I separated them and Eddie had blood in his mouth, which I now assume is because he bit his tongue because there has been no other blood at all. I immediately inspected his entire body for bite wounds and found nothing that broke his skin. He has one small bruise on his rib cage. I’ve gotten him to eat and drink. Gave him small doses of aspirin in his food. He’s peed but not pooped in 3 days. I can get him to stand up but he won’t put weight on his left front leg and won’t walk. He just lays back down. I can move all of his limbs and have rubbed every inch of his body with no negative reaction from him…but I’m concerned about his not walking. I thought he might just be in shock and very sore and bruised but now after 3 days I’m concerned it’s more serious. Can you give me any advise?
Brink him to a vet. I can not really diagnose anything without seeing him. You are clearly concerned and should be about his leg and defecation. I would be concerned with soft tissue injury, back injury, shock, possible fracture….. just because there was no blood does not mean there was not significant trauma. I would bring him to your vet asap for an exam.
My dog pit bull attacked my min pin small dog and her neck is swelled badly she is having problems breathing I love her so much and don’t want to lose her I have no money and have no clue what to do can anyone please help I need her to live she is my everything I love in nky please tell me what to do can I give her antibiotics for humans I do not know what to do please help me please
You need to get her to a vet or SPCA. There is nothing, sadly, we can tell you to do beyond what I wrote in the blog about wound and bites if her neck is swelling. Call everyone you know to scrape the money together or try a local shelter. Cold compresses will only go so far if it is very serious. Sorry
Hi.
While walking my dog (50lb Am. Staffi mix) I stopped to talk to a neighbor who was walking his 14year old Yorkie. I somehow tripped and fell onto my knee after realizing my dog had wound her leash around my ankle while we were gabbing. When I fell, I dropped the leash and his dog went crazy barking. Startled..,my dog ran over and grabbed the dog and shook it until I told her. .NO!!! She dropped him immediately. I truly believed she thought she was protecting me somehow. As I yelled NO! she dropped down shaking apparently not knowing what she did wrong. His Yorkie was still walking but I told him he needed to take him to a vet to make sure everything was okay. They did surgery on this dog and put drainage tubes in because there was two puncture wounds and wanted to make sure nothing was punctured internally which there wasn’t. However, the dog died at home that evening. Probably because it was 14 years old in simply had a hard time with the surgery.The vet bill was $1,300 and then he wanted an additional $260 for The Cremation and Ashes back. I paid all of it. Although I felt responsible I did not feel that I shouldn’t have had to pay the entire bill. It was a horrible accident I spoke to the vet herself she said as such. She said they we both on leashes, it was an accident. Any thoughts from anybody else about this. Trust me I shed a lot of Tears over that I felt so bad. However I don’t like to be taken advantage of either.
I think you did the right thing and paid all of it. I would have done the same and been thankful the other owner did not report my dog as a dangerous dog (In VA that would be the case.) It was all prompted by your dog, regardless of the odd situation and the other dog would not have died. I think you did the honorable thing and maybe it saves the relationship with your neighbor.
Hi, my brothers male American bulldog (2year old) attacked my male terrier mix whose almost a year. He’s aprox. 15 pounds maybe even a little less. He only has one puncture wound on his neck… I’ve only had my lil one for about 2 weeks now and we’ve been slowly introducing them. Today was the third time they were aloud to be in the same room. I’m kinda worried about him because there is what feels sort of like an air pocket under the skin, it feels weird and bubbly and slightly is able to move around. It feels like this all over the right side of his neck near his puncture wound but mostly just below his right ear. This happened this afternoon and so far he’s been acting normal but tired. He hasn’t wanted to do much. He peed and pooped, but he hasn’t been drinking much water and I keep worrying about him scratching the puncture wound. I’ve cleaned out the wound and have left it open to let the fluid continue to drain from it. But Since it’s a weekend i would like to hold off on a vet unless the situation is really bad otherwise I’m afraid I won’t be able to cover the cost for emergency vet in my area. Should I rush him to the vet or can he wait 24 hours to get it looked at? He’s still happy and wagging his tail and doesn’t seem like he’s in too much pain.
So what you are describing sounds like subcutaneous air or (subcutaneous emphysema) which could be a normal pocket of air from the attack open to the outside world or MUCH WORSE a puncture to his chest, trachea or other airway. The second scenario is a serious emergency and the first is just an emergency. The advantage to a vet visit would be pain medication, early antibiotics to prevent and infection (versus fighting an established infection) and shock therapy if needed. I always recommend a vet visit in every case the owner is concerned or in any case there are bite wounds. Usually ER vets only run about 10-15% more than regular vets, BUT catching a problem early can sometimes save you multiples of that…… you are the ultimate decider. Good luck!
Hello, I have a 13yr old chihuahua, January this year he was attacked by a pittbull, he had him around his shoulder blades, he had deep puncture wound,s on both sides, we took him to the vets and had drains put in, she said the skin was torn off the muscle, he seem ok considering all he went through and it took months for him to completely heal. But the last few months he does not seem the same, he only seems to worry about food, outside, and consistently being on you, he is sometimes jumpy and has spurts of energy and just runs like a little puppy, it almost seems like he knows us but doesn’t know why he is here, I really don’t know how to explain. But my question is do you think it’s a delayed reaction to the attack or just simply aging, thanks you
Sounds like normal aging and cognitive loss. There is a pill that has been proven to help in dog cognitive dysfunction but it is fairly pricey. Ask your vet. This sounds like normal dog dementia and aging….sorry. Good luck.
This may sound odd to ask but if a dogs jugular vein or carotid artery is punctured about how long would it take for the dog to lose a fatal amount of blood? 4yr old male Pitbull about 60lbs
I lost my 4yr old pitbull last weekend due to two of his siblings. I was out of town and a friend was supposed to be checking on them morning & late evening. I guess you could say I’m looking for some closure, I just hate to know he suffered!
I would greatly appreciate any information you would be willing to take the time to tell me or answer my question.
Wow, I actually have no idea. Jugular would be slower than the artery. My guess is less than 10 minutes?
I appreciate you taking the time to try and give me an answer. I’m not even 100% sure what wounds he sustained because he was already buried when I got home. I guess I’m just needing answers that I’ll probably never get. Can you tell me what are the most common causes to prove fatal from dog on dog aggression from your experience with pitbull dogs?
I apologize for asking questions you may not be able to answer considering every situation & dog is different but anything you know & share I would appreciate!
Very hard to answer as you are right they are all different. Usually it is permanent damage to the airway or throat. Pit bills can be very aggressive as can all dogs and will not stop until the other dog has been killed. I do not think trying to figure out a cause of death is helpful, but rather try to find a solution for the aggressive dogs. So sorry for your loss.
I appreciate your time & knowledge!
A pitbul attacked my Mom’s 4 month old morkie last night and they see a broken rib and puncture in it’s stomach. She also has bruising and is on antibiotics and pain medication. What is the next step with the finding of the puncture wound in the stomach? The pitbul ripped the dog out of my mother’s hands when she waled into the veterinarian. Very awful situation.
Whoa! The attack happened in the vet office?? That is terrible. If there are broken ribs and a puncture in the abdomen (not stomach) then there is a lot of work to be done by a very competent vet, or vet specialist. Your mother should try to have the dog transferred to a specialist for a consult if possible. Ideally a surgeon but a medicine specialist can help too with an ultrasound and evaluation. I would ask the vet office where this occurred to help pay. Septic abdomen is a very serious problem and can be a side effect of this injury as can be severe severe complications and death. So sorry for this event.
Two pitbull-type dogs attacked my pomeranian/papillon cross today at the off-leash park. One had him around the neck but the most serious injury was a laceration in the lower abdomen, with his intestines spilling out. I rushed him to a vet immediately where they gave him pain relief, surgically flushed and explored the abdomen and sutured him up. He will be staying at the vets for two more days. They say there is a risk of peritonitis and due to the bruising and crush injury that the wound will have difficulty staying closed. What is the risk of peritonitis in this case? And what is the prognosis if he is under close monitoring?
The intestines were not punctured by the way.
Impossible to say the risk, but it is very high due to the injuries. Hopefully the vet did a good job with the surgery (it was the absolutely right thing to do) and your dog is in good care. There is nothing more you can do and if there is peritonitis you can treat that with more surgery or medication if needed. There is a very long road to recovery but hopefully all will go well and your dog will be fine. Nothing but time and healing now. Good luck. With the right treatment this is a very survivable situation.
I’m not saying this is uncommon, however I just thought I’d comment hello from the owner of a large Rottweiler who has never bitten anyone or anything (other than food and her toys). She has a kitten and a quite instigating chihuahua friend.
HI there, My one year old female GSD, has been spayed, attacked my 8 year old Fox Terrier boy. Out of the blue. Never shown any aggression towards any of the dogs. Unfortunately the damage was too severe and Foxie Boy had to be put to sleep :((…. Any advice???? Is she going to be a problem? So heartbroken and confused.. cannot look at her the same anymore 🙁
Sorry to hear this. I can not help with dog aggression, it is a very random and complicated thing. I would try to contact a trainer or a dog behavior specialist vet.
Hi,
My 4 month old golden retriever puppy, Murphy, was attacked by an adult husky last night. Luckily, there are no major injuries. However, I’m concerned about his emotional well being. We’ve worked hard to socialize him with other puppies and people but I’m concerned this incident may cause him to be fearful of other dogs or even think that what the husky did was acceptable behavior. Any tips on boosting his confidence and ensuring this event will not impact is behavior towards other dogs?
I am certainly not a behaviour specialist. I would advise contacting a local trainer or dog behavior vet ASAP. Other than that I would advise more positive interactions at dog parks and with other dogs to help him socialize after this event. This is not uncommon and dogs seem to recover well socially.
Hello Sir, Other Dog Attack My Labrador dog so he is injured and littel injured in his tummy little blood also blliding but now blliding is stop but my doggy have a pain so what to do please advice me
Hello sir, please reply me fast
Sorry, not how this works.
Seek Veterinary care as soon as possible. I can not help without seeing the dog.
Dear Dr Stewart,
My sisters Jack Russell was badly attacked by neighbours dog that jumped over their wall. She had major damage to her neck, so bad that they had to put a pipe/tube in for her to breath. They said that the muscles by the vocal cords was damaged and hence the need for the tube.
She was doing much better, after the operation to see what other damage there was she was getting better. They said that they believed that after the swelling went down, those muscles might start working again for her to breath normal again.
Sadly,very sadly she passed away, 4 days later. They said that she vomited and some of the phlegm got into the tube. They tried everything to get her back.
My question is, what caused the vomiting and what else could the vets have done to safe her?
And what action can one take against the neighbours for not seeing to it that their dog is locked up in own yard?
Most of your questions I can not answer sadly. I am not sure of the details of the dog’s injuries, but neck injuries are very serious and anytime there is a “tracheal tube” there is great risk fr aspiration and choking if not 100% lucky and monitored. I assume this was all performed at a 24 hour specialty hospital. Other than saying sorry, there is little I can comment about this. As for the neighbor’s dog, there is even less I can advise. Accidents happen even with the best pet owners. I assume the neighbors assumed full financial responsibility for the bills and they are remorseful. Better collars and fences are the only thing I can suggest. Big dogs like to shake little dogs by the neck and the outcome is often fatal regardless of the heroics performed by the vet. Sorry for your loss.
Sir, I have a lebra female puppy of 3 moths aging. Day before yesterday she attacked by some local dogs of my street. Then I took her to the doctor. And there was a fracture on her right thigh and some wounds on her body. I started treatment for a quick heal as doctor gave antibiotic and start rebiz course. Today I saw there a her stomach was swelled. Now doctor is is saying puppy required a 3 days antibiotic course then he will be in condition to say about my puppy condition. Please suggest me what should I do. She is counteneusely taking food but I am puzzled about my lab….please
I do not understand the question. I would trust the vet because I can not see her and can not diagnose her without seeing her. Antibiotics, pain medication and fluids are the staples of dog attack treatment. A broken bond needs to be splinted and fixed soon with expert care. Good luck. Sorry I can not be more help.
My 14-week Frenchie was playing with a lab when suddenly it changed from playing to my puppy’s abdomen (dorsal side) being in the land mouth. The lab didn’t ever get a tight hold before I got my Frenchie out and there are no puncture wounds. He has labored breathing to begin with (being a flat-faced pup) but just seems to be breathing heavier and is shaking a bit. Is this something to chalk up to him just being a little scared or should I be worried of something worse?
I would always be worried that there might be a broken rib or hernia or something. If it lasts more than a few hours see a vet immediately.
We had an unfortunate fight happen (totally my fault for carelessness) when I took my 80lb hound and our 40lb 6month old Pitt foster puppy out to go potty on Saturday. They are great friends and love to play together. They did their business and then started to chase each other playing unfortunately the puppy had on her harness and my hounds foot got caught and twisted in the chest of her harness. He started screaming in pain and suddenly they were in a terrible fight locked together face to face. I ran to them and was finally able to separate them sustaining several injuries myself which required stitches. We checked both dogs befor we went to the hospital and they both seemed ok, some puncture wounds but no major bleeding. Later that night the younger dog was limping and her shoulder which sustained the majority of the damage was swollen. I gave her a pain pill that we still had from her spay surgery and planned to take her to the vet in the morning. The next day she was walking fine, running around happy as a clam and her wounds all looked good so I thought that we were ok. Now 4 days later she is acting like the leg is hurting her again. I am thinking it may be because my kids let her get up on the bed and jump down. The area is still pretty swollen. It is going to be a holiday weekend this weekend so I am going to try to get her seen tomorrow although I have no clue how I will manage to afford it. Would antibiotics be a good plan at this point after this much time? The wounds have scanned over and all look perfect. Could this just still be swelling after this long? Is there anything that can relieve her pain until she can be seen? So worried about her, especially since I feel like it was my fault for leaving her harness on when they went out together even though I wasn’t planning on them playing.
Wow, sorry to hear this. Without seeing her I can not fully diagnose the problem, but it sounds like maybe there was some soft tissue damage that might be bothering her. If there is swelling there is either infection or tissue damage usually. Infection needs antibiotics and warm compresses, tissue damage needs rest and maybe pain medication. I think the vet should be able to tell easily enough. Infection usually feels softer and fluid filled on touch. Soft tissue pain is usually elicited with manipulation. Pain pills and possibly antibiotics can help but strict rest for 2-3 weeks is the best and cheapest treatment you can do.
Hi,
I’ve researched dog bites tonight as I witnessed something disturbing tonight at a client’s.
They’ve had a small Jack Russell for about ten days, and yesterday he was bitten by one of their bigger dogs because he was annoying to them. The jack Russell bit the big dog near the eyelid, and was bitten around the jaw. I could only see a small wound bleeding a little in the corner of his mouth.
The behavior of theach jack Russell startled me however. At first, seeing him from a distance, I thought he was old because he seemed to have trouble walking, just a few pace at a time. Then he waived his tail when I got closer and enjoyed being pet. That’s when he started puking with difficulty. Some pink, gooey stuff came out in a small ball, twice, and he seemed in a lot of pain having to open his mouth. The owner put him away in a small cage.
The big dogs didn’t come near him as they were locked in an area at the end of the garden. I was told the big dogs are raised for hunting rabbits and are pretty though to deal with.
I’m really afraid this small dog is in fact in a lot of pain and possibly way more injured than he appears to be. The big dogs are trained for killing small animals if you think of it.
The attack wasn’t described to me so I don’t know what happened exactly. Could the puking be a sign of shock and/or internal injuries?
Jessica
Certainly, but without seeing the dog it would be hard to say. If they shook the dog or grabbed him around the center any number of symptoms might be created. I would strongly advise they seek veterinary care (obviously) but it sounds like that might not happen. He could be in shock or have head trauma as well, those might account for the staggering…just thoughts.
My Yorkshire Terrier was out playing in a small dog park when a Husky suddenly picked her up in his jaws and shook her around, before my sister managed to get her out. There were no puncture wounds, though there was some bruising where the dog’s jaws were around her. She appears to be acting the same except that she’s more frightened (tail between her legs) and she reacts when we press on the bruised areas (e.g. when she was bathed after). As she is an old dog (13 years old) and not very active in the first place, it’s difficult to tell if she’s being more sluggish than usual, but am just wondering how likely it is that there is internal damage and if there any signs we should be looking out for. Thanks!
If she is eating, drinking, urinating and defecating well and not having any breathing problems then you are probably safe and she just have bead bruising. Any of the other symptoms and I would be concerned. Panting and respiratory distress would be my big red flags for internal injury.
rottweiler mixed with german shepherd not even 1 year old (he’s about 9 months old& was brought in at 3months) smaller dog 60% smaller gets grabbed by my rottweiler an luckily im always there happened 3 times already, and my rott. will not let go (the smaller dog is 2 years old & was the first dog here) he shakes his head trying to hurt him and i have to use force because he ignores whatever i do an say an is focused on the little dog. the rottweiler listen’s to me but when this happens its like if i dont exist. the smaller one growls and thats what triggers the rott. i noticed that. how to stop it ? the smaller one trys to be alfa i think thats why they have gotten into it, at first the rottweiler would be scared of the little dog but not anymore. little dog stays inside now, except when pee and poo, i take him inside or else if i leave him in the back he stays at the corner of the backyard……. how to make them get along… i got an even smaller dog in the back(around same age probably i found the littler one) with the rottweiler but they always play and get along sleep together idk why he cant get along with the other one that stays inside…..(the smaller dog was here about 2 weeks before i brought the rottweiler.
extra**** the small dog didnt get along with the smaller dog then when the rottweiler came the small dog got along with the smaller dog but wouldnt get along with the rottweiler now the smaller dog gets along with both greatly, but now the small dog and the rottweiler don’t
I can not really understand what is happening, but it sounds like dog dog aggression which is hard to treat without behavior therapy and changing the environment. I am not an expert on animal behavior. Sorry.
thank you tho.
A few months back, both of our dogs had been attacked by a pitbull. My family and I live in an apartment complex and there is a small walkway that connects the back gates to the laundry room. The neighbors pit had come through our gate which had unknowingly been unlocked. And since the sliding door was also open she came into our apartment. Our dogs had been laying around in the house at the time and the pitbull pulled our smaller chihuahua across the room fracturing its paw. The pitbull then got a hold of our second dog, which is also a chihuahua mix. This time its jaws were locked onto its neck. It took a 250 pound man laying his knee on the pitbull’s neck and prying open its jaws with a large rolling pin to separate them. We immediately took them to a 24-hour vet after this and they’re both fine now. However, is there any way to remove a large dog from a smaller one without hurting either of them or any person in a situation like this?
Wow, sounds horrible! I do not know any sure fire way except prying the jaws. People often try large volumes of water to the face (drown to dog with a hose) but this would not work in your house. Sorry, but good question!
My chihuahua (6lbs) was attacked by a Rottweiler while I was at the dogpark last week- although nothing physically looked wrong with her, she was acting very unusual (in shock) after the attack so I took her to the vet immediately. Turns out the Rottweiler severely bit her, breaking the muscle on the right side of her spine in half and bruising her stomach. A week after she is okay, but the vet is still unsure if she will need surgery to sew the muscle on the right side of her spine together. I was wondering how likely it is that her muscle naturally grows back together (fixes itself), or if surgery is usually the only way to fix such a problem? Also is such an attack decreasing my chihuahus lifespan? She is only 5 years old.
Without seeing the injury it is hard to tell and I would trust your vet (assuming they are up to date and a good vet.) Very often these will heal or mostly heal on their own. The life expectancy of your little girl should not be shortened by this.
Thank you for this post. I am trying to convince my boyfriend to get his chihuahua seen by a vet after a BDLD bite last night. There was only a small skin break but he sent me a photo and her whole tummy is bruised… 🙁
My puppy had a limp after he was hit by something. It’s gone now and he’s walking fine. Could he have just gotten scared because he’s fine with it being moved and touched.
Yes, very possible or it was just a bruise or light sprain.
Thank you very much he seems to be walking fine and was even running the same night
Hey! Cleo (the Yorkshire terrier – I already told u about her), may be pregnant, and the father is a mid-sized Schinauzer…. It was an accident, ’cause we were traveling and left her, as well as Bali (the Kintamani) with a friend, and she was in heat phase, and the Schinauzer’s owner didn’t knew this, I guess, and so his dog left cleo’s pregnant. She’s a 3,00pound Yorkshire, and he’s a 16,00pound mid-sized Schinauzer… Wha’ is some of the necessary care for a pregnant dog?
Looking forward,
Your Brazilian-Indonesian bud
Get your dogs spayed would be the first advice. Now that she is pregnant you need to have an xray to see how many puppies are in there. That way if there is any problem you know how many are “stuck”. I would try a natural birth but have an emergency vet near by and aware of the situation. If you want a planned c section you can do that too 60 days after breeding. This is not ideal.
Ok… Thxs, doctor. BTW, yah, we have an emergency vet office at our neighborhood, luckily. And, BTW, why doesn’t u (as well as her vet) recommend her to do a cesarean, even thought the puppies’s father is bigger than her?
My small dog was bit by a large pit bull. I tried to grab him and he drag her in his mouth as I was pulling him approx 10 feet before I tackled him down and pulled at the base of his tail for him to release her. She has two puncture would on her side and immediately we notice a huge pump on her side. Our vet is closed and the ER Vet Hospital is more than we can afford. Is there anything Ayla home we could do for her? Do you have an idea based on my description of is just swollen or if it may be something worse? If they have some type of payment plan we will take here but I don’t have thousand of dollars to pay for X-rays imaging and Ect.
I really can not tell from the description. Just tell the ER you have financial constraints and let them give a pain shot and script out antibiotics.
About a week ago I was camping with my family and we didn’t tie our old fella up cause he is half blind half dead and he has arithiritis in all 4 legs. So we were all eating breakfast when all of a sudden we heard a yelp. It came from teddy our dog. The dog wouldn’t let go and my mum had enough and pulled the dog back. (It was only a nine year old walking a Japanese ikita) it went to go for her. But thankfully it didnt. But our teddy was completely shocked and our friends girlfriend turned around and quickly wrapped him in a blanket (I’m 11 and my baby sisters witnessed this happening) my mum and I quickly took him to the vet. And our vet said that he was going to be okay and that he has 7 puncture wounds. She also said that the only thing that saved him was his fatness (teddy is quite fat). So he is drinking,eating, going to the bathroom and walking. I’m certain he will be fine. By the way he
is 13
I meant deaf
My chihuahua was recently killed by a pit bull. Is there a place where I can report this for statistical purposes? The attack was completely unprovoked. The pit bull owner said his dog had never shown that behavior. I didn’t use to believe it was the breed, but my daughter’s friend’s small dog was just killed by a neighbor’s pit bull.
ONly your local animal control or SPCA. Sorry for your loss.
I have an four month puppy and he has an older sister who always tries to get him and yesterday she did. She bit him on his head and check. The side that got bitten is swollen and I can’t afford to ho to the vet SO WHAT DO I DO!!!!!!!!!????
Read the blog and comments. I have answered this multiple times. Keep it clean and watch for infection is the summary.
My parents were keeping my 5 year old Weimaraner and they own a small 5 lb dog. He has always been aggressive with her and I always correct him as if he were any other dog. My Weimaraner has never been physically aggressive with him in the past, but would provide him with vocal warnings. Unfortunately my parents are not diligent with correcting the small dog’s bad behavior and yesterday morning he attacked the larger dog and she responded. The small dog’s back legs are now paralyzed and he is under observation at a university for the next 48 hours. I was not there to witness the incident and I’m afraid my mother might be sugar coating the truth to keep me from feeling bad about it. One of the Vets who treated the small dog told my parents that had the Weimaraner wanted to kill him she would have. My question is, as the large dogs owner, was her reaction to the smaller dog attacking her normal? If the small dog was larger than the delicate 5lbs that he is would his injury be this serious. I wasn’t there so I don’t know if she was being highly aggressive or if her behavior was normal for a dog in her situation.
Really hard to say. I think dog aggression is size independent and the fact that one is 5lb and the other is much bigger only effects the outcome not the cause. Sorry I can not be more helpful but dog aggression is a very complicated situation and I’m not sure we will ever fully understand it. Keeping 2 dogs together is always a risk.
I have street puppy named roadio who I feed everyday before going home 1 day back he just disappeared nd came back today afternoon severly injured . An older dog managed to put a hole into his stomach through his teeth nd by the looks of it ,jhhe looks like he lost loads of blood.in the afternoon using a cotton we made him drink a little milk nd gave him antibiotics . Currently he isn’t moving at all he said just breathing 25 breaths in a min.is there anything I can do to save his life?
I really can not help without knowing more. Can you take him to a vet or shelter? If not then keep the wound clean and dry and try to get him to drink more water and eat some food. I have a blog on wound care….that might help. Sorry I can not help more.
My 15 pound shih tzu poodle mix aggressively attacked my 8 pound. 12 year old Lhasa apso over a bone tonight. She attacked her on the back of her neck and my husband had to pull her off to get her to stop attacking. Our Lhasa seems fine, no puncture wounds or anything and is eating and drinking, but I am worried about this happening again. She seems afraid , when these two dogs have always gotten along really well. We’re getting rid of the bones, but am wondering if there is anything else we should do?
I’m not an animal behavior expect but if this never happened before and the bone was the only variable then I would start by feeding them separately and never give them treats together. Food aggression is very common and might be the culprit. You can always seek advice from an animal behavior specialist.
I took my 19 week old Lab Pit mix to a friend of mines mom’s where I wasn’t informed she wouldn’t be home. Showed up to a yard full of dogs. Toro (my dog) couldn’t wait to play with them because he hasn’t had much interaction with other dogs. 3 boys and 1 female lived at the home. My friend was cautious about him getting out the car but regardless it had to be done because he wasn’t staying in a hot car. As soon as he got out (on a leash) as I was shutting the door there was an instant attack. All 3 grown males were trying to get at my baby. I managed to get to the other side of the car with him until one latched on & went into practically a death roll as bad as a gator. I picked him up instantly and got bit myself in the process by another dog but the one latched on to him still hadn’t let go until I got him mid way up to my chest. I got inside and I only seen one puncture wound at the very bottom of his neck in the dead center. I didn’t think it was anything serious. Now 4ish days later the wound has turned black. It dosent hurt him for me to touch it. He’s not acting sick. He’s updated on all his shots. I just need to know if this is something I need to be concerned about. I’m a first time doggy mom and I panic over any little thing. I just need to know if this is something to be concerned about. I can’t really afford a vet but if need be we’ll find a way to get my little man the help he needs!
Take him to a vet, that black skin is dead and will slough off soon. There might be a major infection under it. I would seek veterinary care soon. Sorry. You can try warm compresses to see if the skin will slide off or if it will heal at the edges, but just dong tug on it. I would say pain medication and antibiotics would be best.
MY pitbull attacked my smaller dog and she has a puncture wound on her head and around her trachea. We are a poor family living off barely anything so we cannot afford veterinary care. She puked up some blood at first and after about 10 minutes she puked up all the food in her stomach. It’s been a day later and she sometimes coughs like she did before vomiting and we have to feed her with a syringe and some juice from wet dog food cans. She drank a little water earlier but started hacking a little bit afterwards. We gave her some Amoxicillin she’s been a little sick afterwards and we’ve been dressing the wounds with peroxide and neosporin. After the Amoxicillin she hasn’t wanted to walk around or do much. She’s about 8 pounds and she’s a papillon. Im really desperate for any help please.
This sounds really bad like she has neck damage and needs veterinary care. If there if there is any damage to her trachea or esophagus then there is very little you can do without surgery. I would stop the peroxide and keep the wound clean with soapy water. Without seeing it and knowing what is going on I can not give you much more advice except to get her to a vet or an SPCA.It sounds serious and she soulds like she might be suffering. Sorry.
She’s been eating some more and will drink water, but she still keeps hacking. She stops hacking after being calmed down but if she’s not calmed down it seems she tries to throw something up but doesn’t. Would an SPCA help us out? Or would they charge alot or put her down? Thanks so much for your help.
I really dont know, but you need to do something to help her. You can try them??
Unfortunately my mini daschaund was in an altercation with a 2 year old pit bull. The situation is very sad my daughter is ten and her best friends dog was the pit. My son who is 12 is also bff with the brother. I personally do not want to blame the owners of the pit or myself for what occurred. It was a horrible accident of course my dog is the little dog weighing six pounds and the pit almost 125 pounds. They are both female dogs, both from homes with multi dogs and children. I happened to be leaving my nieces whom lives next to my daughters bff as the 12 y/o was bringing back the new puppy from a walk. My male daschaqund was playing with the German Shepard puppy as the pit charged out the door my male played dead but my female ran towards the female pit as the pit ran towards her. My daughter was screaming I closed my eyes and held my ears because the screaming of my dog was agonizing. It took the pits owner multi try’s to get her to drop my minindash. When Avery went to run the pit for her again but quickly dropped her. My daschaund was screaming I picked her up she cried as I walked the few houses back. Literally I saw one puncture wound but she is black. My guy said ER vet I was worried about internal injuries. Well she had puncture wounds I did not see so she has ALOT of sutures from ear to ear two normal drains and one J drain. Thank god I took her. Now she is whimpering and I can’t tell if it’s pain fustration or a combination of both. In general she is very needy and acts human like. She is only six pounds. I hope she will be ok. My daughter has cried all day as well as her bff. Their family is debating given away the pit but I do not want it to be on our behalf. Dogs are animals animals are animals we can not predict their behavior. I could see if she has hurt other dogs or even a person but this was the first time. She is two and I guesss recently has started to become skittish my daughters family cannot have other kids over and won’t take the chance walking her because she has become hard to walk. I guess I am asking for advice. My dog is really yelling this evening and I think our friends family wants us to weigh in the decision. I am just happy we are all being understanding of everyone’s feelings.
I’ve just lost my chihuahua today at the jaws of my staffy. We came home to find him dead with not a drop of blood on him other than his teeth. My staffy had puncture wounds to the neck and had quite a lot of blood on her throats from the wounds. The vet said that my chihuahua had trauma to the back of the neck as gas had built up and after X-rays said that he had broken ribs believed to have been where she shook him. I’m absolutely devastated I don’t know how I am ever going to look at her again. They were always separated when we went out but she managed to get into the ultility room to him. I have 2 other smaller dogs another chihuahua and Chinese crested and I’m so scared now. I don’t know what to do with her she’s such a sweet dog and has never shown any signs of aggression towards any other dog previously.
How should I address this problem I have a Chihuahua that I got for my two kids he is about 3 years old and a pitbull who is very aggressive towards cats and other dogs out side the yard the pit bull has attacked their chihuahua three times now and it has happened in front of my two children who are nine and five I’m scared that the pittbull will kill the small dog and I’m terrified that he will turn on my children please what should I do
Seriously? Get rid of one of the dogs. There is nothing else you can do.
My Jack Russell (Male 12 yrs old) was attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Male 5yrs old) at a dog day care centre 3 weeks ago. The attack was spontaneous and I demanded to see the CCTV footage. It took 3 kennel workers to get the bull terrier off, and he wanted to go back to finish the job. Fortunately the kennels are footing the vets bill, which at present (week 4) is around £3000. The question is:
Initially in shock, he has severe spinal trauma to lumbar, paralysis and puncture wounds. There were no internal organ injuries, just muscular damage and nerve impact, a couple of discs are slightly out of line.The vet stabilised him and did xrays and an exploratory, removing one of the vertebrae lobes, which had snapped off. He had pain relief, anti inflammatories, and antibiotics. He was very swollen, and stiff (bruising and scar tissue ?) but has regained the use of his hind legs in a sense, some co-ordination or adaptation to walking and even running (hopping like a kangaroo). The problem is his bladder and bowel function which doesnt appear to be working, and he’s lost the wag in his tail ,which is flaccid. He is now on carprieve and diazepam. I have taken him home the past two week ends. Stools are involuntary and firming up now that the antibiotics have stopped being administered. I have to (and the vet does during the week in their care) catheterise him 3 times a day. He does cock his leg and has made signs to squat , there is limited rectal sensation according to the vet. The vet consulted a neurologist who had limited experience of LDBD spinal issues, but said that urine retention was positive and time will tell, they also recommended diazepam. He is still not leaking urine, but difficult to express (maybe due to bruising and tension in the abdomen and back). What do you believe is the prognosis for return of bladder and bowel functions (we are on week 4). I have read upto 3 months recuperation ??? Best and worst case scenarios. He is a smashing little dog, good natured, playful and socialised, he’s regained his spark, business, and character, so really want to do all I can before having to make a desperate decision about his future. Thanks for your support and advice.
Wow, that is terrible! I wish I had better answers for you. I think a neurologist would be better suited to answer this by a long shot. It sounds like you are in the UK (obviously) and I know there is a good vet school at Cambridge and Edinburgh and presumably neurologist at each or close by. I would take him to a neurologist because this type of trauma might never heal, or it might take months. The risk is that the spinal area controlling the bladder and rectum is damaged beyond repair, as indicated by the limp tail. Eventually the limp tail will be a problem too with sores and possibly might need amputation (I assume it is already docked which will help.) I’m really saying I have no idea, but there are vets who could give you a much better prognosis. In the states there are neurologists in every major city and I imagine there are a few in the UK within a days drive. I would make this a priority. Catheterizing the bladder and leaking stool is not a good long term solution. Very sorry not to help more but it sounds like the recovery should have already started by now and might not be coming….. good luck. Please report back I am curious of the outcome and what a neurologist says. Very sad story.
Hi my lil dog got bit by a bigger dog theres one puncture wound under his right arm. He cries when i touch it and even growls a lil(understandable) i dont have a car for another two days. All hes doing is sleeping do u think hes in critical condition and do you think he will make it for acoue days till i can get him to the vet?
Sorry but there is no way I can tell from that description. You need to use your best judgement. I always recommend a vet visit as soon as possible.
This is not a BDLD incident but, my Groenendael evidently got into a fight with multiple dogs. He doesn’t have any viable injuries other than he is now missing his right upper K-9. It was ripped out root and all! He has a lump on his belly that is soft and about he size of a lemon but can be moved around. He’s eating and drinking but will not lift his head above his shoulders and also refuses to lay down for more than a couple of minutes if that.
I didn’t see the fight but I heard it (we live rural on 20 acres and he runs free though is an inside dog.) When he came home his rough was soaking wet with saliva as well as his haunches. I just can’t seem to figure out why he won’t lay down. He’s a whiner when it comes to being in pain so…… I’m at a loss here.
That’s visible, not viable.
Kuper is 11 years old, by the way and not prone to fighting unless defending himself.
Sounds like neck or back injury and you should have the lump checked out. If his canine gets infected that is a major head ache too, and you should make sure it is removed from the root fully. The neck and possible back pain is a concern. Bring him to a vet for an evaluation is the best advice I can give.
Today when i was on a walk with my pom , suddenly a street dog came running towards my pom and bit him. ????
I took my pom-snoopy to vet immediately after 1 hr, vet gave him some dosage and cleaned the area near neck which was bitten and told me to keep a watch on the dog who had bitten and make sure he doesn’t die otherwise it would be serious.i am afraid of that words and also i missed the lastSiddhartha vaccination date. Just wanted to know how to identify if the dog who had bitten has any disease or something. Please suggest me something which would make me feel better.thank you
I can only assume the vet is looking for rabies. That would be seen as anything neurologic like seizuring, circling, blind stare into walls, being unbalanced, or falling over. Foaming at the mouth and fear of water are often transient symptoms you can see with rabies also. Google rabies videos and information because that is what you are looking for. I have no idea what the prevalence of rabies is in your area but it is a HUGE concern. The wounds on your dog I assume were well cared for otherwise and will heal.
Sry typing mistake ..
Its last vaccination instead of siddhartha vaccination**
My chihuahua mix got attacked by a big dog today. I took him to the vet and he got stitches and antibiotics. Now that we are home he is panting really hard even when he is laying down resting. Does this mean he is in shock?
Not necessarily. Call your vet back as they have just recently seen him and ask what they think. He might just be in pain or have a hard time breathing with the sutures…… not necessarily in shock.
Recently our 9 lbs chihuahua ran out and was attacked by 3 chow mix dogs. We took our dog Trouble to the vet where they kept him on IV and pain meds, xray showed 3 broken ribs, 2 that were broken from the spine. They sent Trouble home with a morphine patch for pain and antibiotics and said he would be in alot of pain but he would be ok, that night he let out a whistle with every breath and his heartbeat was rapid and very strong, could feel his heartbeat just pounding. we kept him as comfortable as possible and he did get some rest before waking making a choking sound and then he passed., me and my daughter who was his bff and our whole family are devastated we did all we could to help him survive, I called the vet to cancel Troubles follow up apt. scheduled a few days later and let them know he passed, the vet said his chest cavity must have filled with blood, although nothing can be done now I was wondering if you are familiar with these injuries and if you would have any idea why the vet would say he would be ok and not mention the possibility of his chest cavity filling with blood. Also I was wondering if the whistling sound with his breathing was an indicator of the internal bleeding?
Im very sorry for your loss. From what I’m reading I would probably change vets in the future, but I was not involved with the case and do not know the details. A flail chest or whistle is never a good sign. Very sorry for your loss. Please remember the good times and do not blame yourself.
My 4.5lb 5 month old chihuahua got attacked by a German Shepherd last week and had her jaw broken in 2 different parts. The vet advised for us to do surgery, and they put a plate and stitched her up. Two days later we took her back to check on her stitches and she was ok. The next day her stitches opened up, and we took her the next day as it was already in the afternoon and she seemed ok. The stitches her up again on Monday, took her again, yesterday for her check up and the stitches opened up, and they re-stitched her up yesterday, however when I picked her up, the vet advised that the infection is really bad, and when we take her back on Friday, if infection is still bad, he recommends to put her down. I’m just so baffled, because she seems fine, she eats on her own, and doesn’t seem to be in pain. I’m just so scared of what the outcome is going to be tomorrow. I can’t believe there is no other option!!
Without seeing her I can not advise too much, but I would seek a second opinion before putting her to sleep. Is there pus and infection evident and is she sick? Was the surgery done by a boarded surgeon? Is you vet modern and up to date in his/her practices? I would question this too.
I would really appreciate it if you could reply. My pekingese-shih tzuh was attackek yesterday by a boxer. The boxer held him by the neck and shook him, in order to stop him (becuase he would have killed him for sure), the boxer’s owner started hitting boxer with her legs and she certainly kicked my dog as well. My dog’s neck was completely full of saliva, but there was no external bleeding. We took him to the vet an hour after the incident, and they said he’s fine, they gave him a shot (because there was bruising around his neck) and we have to come back for two more shots. Now, my dog is urinating normally, his stool isn’t bloody or anything, he was shaking a lot yesterday, today he was shaking right after he turned his head in a wrong way. He’s been lying in his bed the whole day, he barely moves and obviously doesn’t want to play. Even though there are no signs of a serious injury or internal bleeding (except for his shaking here and there or he doesn’t want to play or anything), I’m still very scared for him. He’s an old dog, he’s 11 and even though we’re going to the vet tomorrow, they were practically laughing the other day because we were very worried about him-they said it’s nothing and that the other dog just shook him a bit.
They did not give him any pain medication? I would ask for pain medication and that might make him feel better and stop shaking. Otherwise if they found nothing wrong I need to assume they did a thorough exam. Not much else I can tell you except rest him a lot and pain medication. You were lucky.
He went in for the shot again today and the vet said we should look very closely and carefully at his neck to see if there are any bite marks because obviously she has no time for that… He’s not shaking anymore today, he’s eating normally, but he’s still walking slowly and his neck is still very bad. The boxer has been sharpening his teeth on rocks for many years and luckily, his teeth got blunt, so there were no wounds. However, I checked my dog’s neck today and it’s literally blue underneath all of his hair, poor guy must be suffering. Thank you so much for your answer, and we’ll be taking care of him.
January 7, 2017
I have been taking care of someone’s bichon frise for two and a half weeks. I took him to the dog park for the first time today. After an hour of everything being fine, and everyone saying that the dogs there were okay, an aussiedoodle suddenly attacked the little dog, his giant mouth on my little dog’s back. My dog yelped a lot, and the owner got their dog away. My dog continued to cry and yelp for a minute. His back looks somehow crooked, as if he is standing wrong. He can’t jump up or down from the bed now, and he yelps in pain if he tries. If I try to lift him he also yelps in pain. His tail is down and he is sad and he is trembling.
I know I need to bring him to a vet tomorrow, but since it is the night, could anyone tell me what are the possible injuries that could cause this? I have checked his skin and there are no puncture wounds, but obviously something got damaged internally, but I have no clue as to what, and I am very concerned.
Muscle damage, tendon damage, spinal damage….. the list goes on. I hope you made it to a vet or a vet ER more importantly. Good luck. Might be just bruising and pain, or something worse.
My 3 y/o Lab I rescued attacked my carin terrier completely unprovoked. The carin terrier has extensive bite wounds and thanks to the ASPCA NYC animal hospital, he had surgery and I was able to bring him home tonight. He has 4 drains but on his back I feel subcutaneous emphysema. He ate and urinated, Is this part of the healing process or should I reach out the animal hospital ?
That is a common side effect from drains and severe bite wounds. It can be very painful and take a long time to go away. If it is getting worse and/or he has breathing problems then that is serious but if it is stable or slightly reducing then it is normal. Good luck and sorry.
Thank you so much.
My big lab dog which is about 80 to 85 pounds attacked my little full full blooded rat terier which is 7 to 12 pounds I’m not completely sure but they got in a fight last night and the lab was swinging her around and she has a wound on her back towards the front right shoulder and another one on her front left shoulder and so I put a napkin over and held a little pressure to stop the bleeding it didn’t bleed much out side and once we got inside about 2 or 3 mins later I put some ice on it for a little while and she stayed on the couch just shaking away of corse I checked on her over night about every 2 hours I went to see her and this morning I went in there and tried giving her some food and water but she wouldent take it and know I let her outside while I had the big dog in a kennel so the little one can go do it’s business she peed a little but she’s shaky and panting now she walks real slow and put her two front paws on my mom when she got here but she won’t eat or drink what should I do?????
Take her to a vet. I have not seen her and can not assess the damage. Your dog is in pain and needs to see a vet for an assessment and at the very least pain medication.
my Chilhualla Lola was attacked for the 2nd time by my motherinlaws germanshaperd. this evening. i wasnt there when it took place unfortunatly however my gradma and dad were there and they stated the shepard ran into the house when my dad opened the door to come in and grabbed my Chilhualla (Lola) up from the couch and my dad ripped the shepard off from lola. however lola has two puncture wounds on her uer chest left side .one wound being deep and the most severe. as well as a open wound on her upper shoulder blade. she was a rescue dog and previously was abused and tramuatized prior toe addopting her so lets just say she means the world to me and we have a bond like no other but you bring her to get her nails trimmed at the my vets. she puts up a fight worse than a 100lb dog. she nips. never ever has bitten. shes full of anxiety. so i called my sister which is a Vet tech for over 13years now working at our hometown vet. hospital. she explained what signs to watch for and to start her on antibiotics and tramadol and correct dosage. as far as touching her to even attempt to clean wipe or look at her chest i cant even make it to her wound she snaps and yelps like ive never heard before and runs away. i dont know what to do. i believe her left leg or upper part is injured too im not sure. i just moved from MA to Ohio and within 60mile radius theres 1 vet hospital i called her emergency line and explained i cant afford to pay on whatever the bill comes out to be right now i asked about paymemt options or plans she said well i really cant help you then let me know if you figure that out and call me back. i dont know what to do please help me and Lola. shes my bestfriend i cant have her get infections on me or worse internal ptoblems. what should i do?
From the sounds of it, she needs to see a vet. You need your mother in law to help pay the bill and get her to a vet. Chest wounds, pain and shock would be a concern of mine. You sister probably should not be prescribing drugs (especially a controlled drug like tramadol) but that is a good start. Chest wounds are very serious and she should have xrays to determine the amount of damage done or the wounds probed at the very least. Other than seeing a vet you are doing everything you can and be careful not to get bitten by her in pain.
My dog recently got into a fight with a neighborhood dog last night. My dog is a pit/lab. The other dog a pitbull. We were walking on a leash other dog was not and attacked. Now my dog has a small puncture hole in the left side of her neck. Right after I brought her in and checked her out. There was no bleeding. She is running around and acting like she normally does. What should I do?
Read the other responses regarding cleaning and watching. Also , there are tips in the blog. As always I suggest a vet visit.
My little chihuahua recently got bit by a larger dog who was good aggressive, she didn’t try to continuously bite her and let go immediately but she still got her pretty good, she had 2 minor puncture wounds on her head, on right above the eye and one towards the apple of her head, neither of these wounds bled, they looked more like scrapes if anything but she did have one puncture wound on her neck that bled for about 10-15 minutes. It’s been about 13 days since this happened and she was given pain medication as well as a antibiotic but none X-rays were done, she is eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom as normal and most the time is walkmg around acting as she normally would. But my concern is every other day or so she will be walking around and then all of a sudden just start screaming like I’ve never heard, it last for serveral seconds and during this time she is frantically running around trying to hide and urinates on herself during this episode. Is there any chance it could be brain damage? But like I mentioned she is fine 99% of the time and these episodes will happened at complete random without her being touched or even in the present of other animals. I’m just really confused and am wondering what other test I might need to have done at a vet.
Wow, that is a weird one. Sounds like she must have some serious pain that kicks in like neck pain or back pain that makes her have an episode. It is possible it is behavioral but unlikely in my experience to be so random. I would highly suspect neck pain, back pain or maybe unrelated knee pain. Try to video an episode for you vet to watch, then see if you can re-create it with neck or back manipulation. Honestly I have no idea but a good thorough vet exam with a description of what is happening would be merited.
My border collie sustained punctured wounds on her neck, belly and hindlegs after being mauled by an unknown dog two days ago. The vet reckoned the wounds are superficial. My dog was given iv fluids and was started on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory. Last night,we noticed significant bruisings and swelling on her neck. No respiratory distress. She appears comfortable and tolerates soft food. But she eats grass whenever she can sneak out of the house, then dry retches. She is due to see the vet again in 2 days. Should I be concerned and take her earlier than her booked appointment?
Only if the eating and breathing change would I rush to a vet at this point. The bruising is to be expected. The grass is likely unrelated to the wounds and more related to the antibiotics making her have an upset stomach. Talk to your vet about probiotics or stomach calmers.
Hello,
My long-haired chihuahua was attacked by two big dogs yesterday afternoon. I broke up the fight and took her to the emergency vet. She has a 4 inch laceration and torn muscles in her neck. They cleaned her wounds, cut her hair, and surgically repaired her neck. She has a drain in that wound. She also was torn open on her abdomen, but after exploration and imaging, the found no further damage and surgically repaired this wound. She has teeth marks all over and she will not tolerate being moved or picked up. She came home at 4 a.m. and slept in her crate until about 10 a.m. when she got up and walked briefly. She laid back down and has not gotten up again, but did shift her position a few times. I have kept up with her medications and left her alone, however, I am worried about her lack of interest in food and water. When should I expect her to want to eat or drink? Thank you!
Good question. If you are handling the pain appropriately with medication and she got fluids to help with shock, she should start to eat soon. I would expect her to eat and drink normally withing 24-36 hours. IF she continues not to eat or drink bring her back to a vet for more IV fluids.
I moved to San Angelo Tx in Dec. I made my yorkie appointment at a grooming shop. The minute I got her home she wasn’t acting normal. She didn’t dance around celebrating like she always had. She jumped up on her blankie and just laid there looking depressed. I had already made up my mind she wasn’t going back. The next thing I know she looses her appetite, I mean seriously lost her appetite. I had to hand feed her everything. I cooked more meals to try to get her to eat than I’ve made for myself. I was convinced her teats were filling out that she had become pregnant at the grooming shop. I was informed by the shop when I called that there were three dogs that had not been neutered that could have had contact with her. I couldn’t believe it! Now I’ve noticed that her gums are turning black that could mean a few things, One, lack of circulation, two, internal bleeding and three, severe dehydration. I’m taking her to the vet tomorrow. So I didn’t want to ask a question, I wanted to give a heads up to all your readers. If your dog comes home and acts strange after going to the grooming shop, Go immediately to the vet.! Sorry, just hoping this will save someone a little heart ache, and your dog from suffering. Not to mention the cost I feel I’m about to incur.
I have a toy manchester terrier. yesterday he was bitten by an unknown animal he has a puncture wound on his back which lead air into his body causing him to bloat. Vet advised he had a 20% chance of making it through the night. gave him pain meds and antibiotic. Today he’s still alive and seems to be moving much more and is eating. the wound has healed but he whole body is bloated. called vet prescribed more pain meds and said the swelling will go down. but he looks twice is size. is there more i should be doing?
Sounds like you might need a more modern vet. IV fluids and better pain meds maybe, possibly surgery? It is very hard to tell from your description but these types of injuries often require a fair amount of work and do not resolve quickly. Where is the air coming from??? The bloat should be only if active air is entering the subQ, that is very bad and should be explored. Get xrays and a full assessment would be my plan.
I’ve had my maltipoo for a couple of months now and recently got an amstaff. The amstaff doesn’t really have a problem with my maltipoo but the little guy is aggressive and today they got into an altercation at the park. The amstaff grabbed the maltipoo by the neck but he didn’t leave any noticeable wounds apart from some blood near his gums. My worry is that the maltipoo is a bit swollen around his neck and it seems painful when I touch it…he’s also been isolating himself and is not as active. Should I be worried or the swelling will go down?
If the swelling does not go down I would certainly see a vet. You might want to start pain medication and anti-inflammatory medication for the little dog to help with recovery. Sounds like you were both lucky.
I came home from work on Tuesday evening and our four dogs were outside waiting excitedly for me to get out of the car. As I made my way a short distance to the gate, our German Sheppard attacked our Dachshund mix. We took the Dachshund to the emergency vet and he was cleaned up and stabilized, but had paralysis in his hind legs. The emergency vet didn’t do surgery to fix puncture wounds and recommended I took him to day vet hospital. This vet decided not to do surgery until my boy was able to move his back legs. After two days of changing bandages and managing pain, etc., the Dr. called this morning to say that surgery was scheduled for this afternoon, but now she/Dr. recommended putting him down since there was no guarantee of quality of life after surgery since he wasn’t peeing/pooping on his own.
Putting him down isn’t something I want to do, although many around me think I should. I am committed to doing what I need to do to help him.
Should the wounds have been treated right away? I’m not a Vet, but my thoughts are that his body is sending everything to keep his body going while he has open wounds from Tuesday evening to today/Friday. He is responsive to us when we visit and doesn’t have the 1,000 yard stare. Thank you for comments.
Nope, closing the wounds is not usually the best course if they are infected (almost all dog bites are) unless you put in drains or leave the wounds open large enough to drain. Changing bandages is very acceptable with massive doses of antibiotics. I agree with that approach. The paralyzed rear legs is a serious concern with a Dachshund as they are so prone to disk herniation and that is most likely what happened. If the bite wounds are on the back and there is nerve damage or spinal damage then there is really very little you can do. If the bite wounds are not and the dog is paralyzed from the shaking and a disk herniation then you would need a mylogram and spinal surgery from a specialist. This is a big deal, like $4-6000 and is not 100%. It all deends if you have a specialty group in town. After a few days of paralysis then the prognosis is very poor. What I’m saying is that the wounds are only second to the paralysis and they were handled correctly. The rest is dependent on what services and specialists and finances you have access to. Sorry. I would agree that at this point it is very unlikely that she will walk and have a good quality of life again. Very sorry.
Thank you for your comments and help to those of us that are hurting. -Anita
My small dog has gotten out somehow and was attacked by two larger dogs and there are no punctures but you can see the larger dogs had him by the neck and is not moving eating or drinking. He’s attempted to move but he wasn’t able to move at all when I first saw him he tried to get up and walk he stood up but just fell back over and hasn’t moved since and has vomited once.
You have a dog that is not moving, eating or drinking and can not stand up and vomited and falls over when assisted? What on earth do you think I can help with? Bring him to a vet ASAP! He is suffering and needs urgent medical attention.
I have a Yorkie cross. One week ago today he was attacked by a Lab. Fortunately we were able to intervene quickly and my boy was not seriously injured. We went to our vet promptly as he did have one puncture wound on the back of his neck. Our vet treated him and until today I thought we were making progress. Today I found a large lump about two inches away from his sutures. (I don’t know if its relevant but yesterday the skin in this area felt hard) Closer inspection of the lump showed blood like fluid oozing from it. Back to our vet. We were able to see a technician today and are going back in the morning to see a vet. The technician suggested the lump is an abscess and he does have a slight fever. (He has been on antibiotics for the past week in addition to pain killer). How serious can an abscess be? It’s not going to be left untreated – we will see the vet in the morning. Is it likely other physical effects of the attack will surface in the near future?
Ask your vet these questions, but you need the abscess treated as soon as you can. The infection, fever and possible spreading are a concern. Other abscesses and bruises or wounds can certainly appear in the future but it becomes less and less likely with time. This abscess should be cleaned, drained and possibly left open to heal. Let your vet make that decision. I think as the time passes there will be fewer issues. Good luck!
My dog got off her run and went after a small dog tonight.
The other owner and I were able to get her off the other little dog before she did any visible harm. They’re other dog managed to put a couple punctures into mines butt. One is min or the other doesn’t look as minor. I’m in a rural area and am not able to get her to a vet tonight.
My questions are;
How worried should I be for the little dog she went after? The owner says she seems fine and can find no signs of injury. I asked them to take the dogs to their vet at the first sign of trouble and said we’d take responsibility since their dogs did nothing wrong.
I plan on taking mine to the vet in the morning, will that be ok since I’ve not much choice, or should I drive the couple hours to the nearest 24 hour center?
Also, this isn’t her first go around with another dog, although the last time the dogs were in our yard and we’re the aggressors. At what point do I have to consider the possibility of putting her down without the law demanding it? I’m no longer sure I can trust her.
Well you certainly can not trust here around other little dogs starting now. Why wait for the problem to get worse. Just start being conscious of this and keep her away from other dogs. You dont have to put her down unless you can not control her,and even then there are behaviour drugs and therapies you should try first with your vet. I would say a vet visit in the morning should be fine to get her checked out. A few punctures should be able to wait. Ask you vet about basket muzzles and behaviour modification if she must be with other small dogs.
Hello my sisters little palmaranian lab mix was attacked today by a rotwillier at the dog park and bitbehind his ear on his skull. He was bleeding A lot we took him to the emergency Vet since it was sunday, and mothers day every place was closed. They took a look at him said he wasn’t in dire condition at the time but demanded we pay 1,050 $ upfront before we do anything, so we just took him back home made sure he’s comfortable. The lady at the vet said he could die from infection if not blood loss. We wanted to take him but don’t have that sort of money rightnow so we decided to take him to a normal vet in the morning, I’m very worried! Can a dog die in one day from a BDLD Bite??
Without seeing the dog I can not make a comment. If they thought he was VERY sick then I would be concerned. YES of course they can die from heard trauma and BDLD bites but it all depends. I hope he was able to see the local vet and everything went well.
My 17 year old chihuahua picked a fight with a huge pit bull and lost ???? . I had to beat the big dog with a stick to get him off her, Fearing my safety, I was not as aggressive as I should have been in separating my them. My poor little elderly dog has 2 huge holes above her shoulders, and major swelling on one side of her top breast. I immediately put antiseptic on the wounds , steril Pads, and wrapped her up in an ace bandage to apply pressure to prevent bleeding out. When I hold her I hear a gargling sound and she looks to be breathing deep although there are no puncture wounds around her lungs or lower torso . Her mannerisms are chill, (like she’s depressed and in pain) I called the vet and they basically told me they were booked for a week, and oddly enough said because of her age she may not recover if there is internal injury that needs surgery. It’s been about 12 hours and she is improving, should I just take her to another vet?
Note: they absolutely would not give me a diagnosis or triage help at all , but yet booked for a week. Is this a bad vet? Or am I over eggagerating what could be wrong in my head ? Mind you, I’ve had my chohuaha for almost 17 years. She’s my baby … I hate to see her suffer, but does this vet have my dogs best interest at heart ?
That is a terrible vet and you need to find another vet. That dog is suffering, and might have open chest wounds. I would never go back there…..and I RARELY say that.
Hi.. not sure if this will be answered. Yesterday my husky attacked my besenji chihuahua . It was over a tug of war toy and I think me partially with the whole territorial thing. They have bumped heads several times growling or what not but never has it gone this far. My husky would not let go. We had to punch and hit him with the toy and he didn’t budge. Finally we jumped on his back and pulled him off. He would have killed him. I’ve never seen this side of him as he’s so loving and sweet. My little guy had bites all over his neck and throat that had to be stitched up and also had to have drainage on two of the larger bites.
My question is I didn’t do further scans or ultra sound as he didn’t really attack his lower body .. and I was just focused on tending to the wounds I could see. Do you think I should go back ?
Also is this typical husky behavior ?? To be aggressive ? I’ve never seen this behavior besides when the two of them challenge one another. How do you recommend breaking up a dog fight in the future when nothing you do works?
DOg behavior is not easy and you need to keep them separated until you feel 100% confident that you can prevent this in the future. You can and should contact an animal behavior specialist for advice. The vet should have recommended what was needed for your little dog as I cant tell you without seeing hi. Good luck.
Hi, I was at the park with my 60 pound Aussie, and we were walking with two smaller dogs and their owner. (These dogs are all friendly with each other and were on leash at that time.) A little dog on a retractable ran up and challenged barking, and snarling toward mine. Mine barked and backed away. When mine barked at the little one as he backed away another big dog that was walking with the little one, presumably part of the same household as the little one that challenged us came after my big dog. Mine is fast and dodged the dog and danced just out of reach. The big dog then turned his attention to one of the two smaller dogs I was walking with and had him pinned until the other owner finally gained control of her big dog. Mine barked once and left the situation, but was having my big dog near two little dogs part of the problem since he barked?
Dog behavior is unpredictable with so many variables. I really cant answer with any authority. I would knee jerk and say the big dog was just the aggressive type of dog with any confrontation. Barking and multiple dogs will sometimes cause nice dogs to be aggressive. The fact that no dogs were severely injured is great and probably indicative that is was more show than actual aggression.
My 16lb puppy of 4 months was attacked by a pit bull. The pitbull got a hold of her leg and broke the ulna and radius completely apart. It’s not shattered only broken. The bone did not come out of the skin, but there was only one puncture wound where the fracture occurred. I took her to a vet right away they wanted to amputate. I got my puppy and took her to another vet. 3 hours after the attack, my puppy started receiving care and stayed hospitalized. After 4 days of being hospitalized and on antibiotics, they have a splint on bandaged but the wound is still draining. I was supposed to be able to take her home on the 4th day but the vet told me she is now presenting fever. Is it normal for her to be getting fever after 4 days on antibiotics? Could the result of the fever still be amputation? They want to keep her another 5 days minimum.
Sadly this is very hard to assess without seeing the dog. Yes, a fever after 4 days of antibiotics is very bad. Splinting with an open wound and possible open fracture is not ideal and usually leads to amputation. Yes is the short answer I think amputation is a very likely at this point. 5 more days will surely let you know if you need an amputation. Sorry, I hope it works out for the best.
My sister in laws small dog, Baby, was attached by a large pit bull. She took Baby to the vet that suggested that she be held overnight and be assessed once she came out of shock. Now that they can get a full examination of her the vet is stating that her esophagus has been crushed and will no longer be able to eat or drink and is saying that she will have to be put to sleep. Is there anything that can be done at all? Not sure if the vet is just not experienced or if it is really that serious that there is nothing that can be done.
I have never heard of a crushed esophagus. The might might be talking about the pharynx but I would maybe have a second opinion and see a boarded surgeon for a follow up. The esophagus is a soft flat tube that can not be crushed. The trachea can be crushed but then the dog could not breath. Second opinion or more clarity.
My next door neighbors large dog who is aggressive attacked a toy poodle. The large dog picked the poodle up by his head and shook him. The poodle after attacked bit a small child and then walked a little way off and laid down. He did this a few times again and didn’t get up again. He laid on the curb panting for air and died a few hours later. Animal control was called and they took possession of the poodle since the owners weren’t home and had no rabies information. Turns out after animal control took the dog and cut his head off to be tested for rabies the poodle was found to have a thoracic hemmorage. The state vet said he didn’t know why this poodle died. Could it have been from the attack or shock of the attack or both?
The poodle died because of the attack? Why would this be in question?
The owners needed closure. The vet who did the necropsy specialized in birds and not dogs. They suspect the attack from the large dog is why their dog died. The case went to court since a child was bitten by the small dog after the small dog was attacked. The vet who done the necropsy didn’t help their case at all.
What a shame. It should be obvious why the dog died after the necropsy, but the state vet probably never saw the dog. The tech probably prepared the brain and the state vet looked at a microscope slide for the rabies judgement. It might be just a case of protocol. I would think the small dog had some severe thoracic trauma and possible neck and back damage after the big dog attack. Sorry for the loss.
Because the state vet didn’t give the owner any answer as to why their dog died. They needed closure.
My 2 spayed female German Shepherds ganged up on my 4 1/2 pound Chihuahua Sunday afternoon . I took her to the emergency vet her heart and lungs were fine no broken bones. we thought we were in the clear until the veterinarian started the wound care. He said she had degloving on her back some on each side of her torso, I guess you would call it, and that he felt sure the wounds would fail . The size of degloving was about 3″ by 1.5″ on the right side. He told me the left side was worse but didn’t show me. He wouldn’t explain to me what he meant by fail he just kept repeating himself and basically refused to treat our little Chihuahua. He mentioned that it would be “no quality of life” several times . He had told us he would wake her up from anasthesia so we could say goodbye but the nurse refused. She said if we woke her up she would be screaming. I couldn’t think clearly and was unable to ask the questions racing through my mind. My question now is, based on what I’ve read on the Internet about the degloving injuries they can heal and anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks. Were we fools to let go of our beautiful, wonderful Chihuahua? He said he thought she was older than 10 based on her teeth having been pulled. she may have been 11 but I don’t see what that had to do with anything because she was a very vibrant healthy dog with no health issues other than mildly luxating patella which never gave her any trouble . We love our dog so very deeply I signed the paperwork to have her euthanized, not wanting her to have to suffer because I’m selfish and want her with me. since I got home from the emergency vet I’ve read about these types of injuries being treated with medicinal honey and bandages that are changed daily. I think he was just wanting to stitch her up. I am sick with grief, not only grieving the fact that she was injured at all but now I’m wondering if I made the wrong decision and having her put to sleep . He warned us that the cost could be over $7000 and we told him that was no problem . Almost $1500 later I’m told that he did not realize the injuries were so extensive – but in my own un-medical opinion these were superficial wounds. Why would he make us euthanize her? He looked me in the eye … so I guess he really believed what he was saying, but now I wonder if he just was not skilled enough to save her. he seemed rather young. What are your thoughts?
I will not question the vet who had the dog in front of him. Sometimes big degloving wounds are indeed not treatable or very hard to treat. They will often fail and need to be fixed again and again. A boarded surgeon can do wonders with big wounds so I am not sure options you had for this. I really do not know the answers but if you feel up to it I would ask for a conversation with the vet or the office manager and let them know what you think and hear them out. Emotions run very hot and make people forget things. Give it a few days and then ask the vet. Sorry I hope this helps but without seeing the injuries I really do not want to pass judgement. Sorry for your loss.
My male chihuahua papillon mix always is the instigator with my pitt puppy. The pitt will grab him by the neck and shake him when chihuahua atracks her. The chihuahua has a really thick coat and I never see ANY damage just slobber, however the pitt pup always has a cut up face. Is the pitt trying to fight nice? I know she could destroy him if she wanted to. Any suggestions for modifiying their behavior so I don’t need to be pulling them apart? Today’s fight started because they were both barking at the pool guy out back, and then turned on each other.
You need to contact a behavior specialist and separate the dogs. It will end poorly one day for the smaller dog I can assure you. Sorry.
My dog was perfectly fine until my brother grabbed her by the neck and she suddenly became agressive and attacked my smaller dog and this is the second time she has done it
Since my puppy is bitten by big dogs, he is not walking back legs …..pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls help me ……..😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
There is no info here. Bring your dog to the vet asap!
Hi Dr. Stewart,
I have an 8 week old lab puppy that got bit by a bigger dog. I was around when it happened so I was able to separate them immediately. But now the puppy is breathing hard and not gaining weight. He is still drinking water and eating wet food mixed with puppy dry food though. At night he gets to breathing really hard and starts shaking, almost like he is seizing. I have taken him to the vet and he is on antibiotics. She referred him to a vet surgeon specialist. Today is Thursday and his appointment is on Tuesday. What, if anything, can I do to help him breathe better until his appointment? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time and opinions…..
Without knowing why he is breathing hard it is hard to assess. If the breathing gets worse before the appointment then I would go back to the ER and get him some oxygen. Is it possible it is due to pain? A diaphragmatic hernia? If he breathes much better when his front legs are elevated then I would be more concerned…..sorry and good luck at the surgeon.
My little dog was attacked by my sister’s pit bull last night. He got a few Staples and they gave us pain meds and a prescription for antibiotics. We can’t get the antibiotics until tomorrow…will it be okay to wait to start the amoxicillin that long?
It’s not ideal, but sounds like you don’t have a choice. They couldn’t give you any in the vet office to start?
My 11 lb min pin was attacked by a group of coyotes about 2 hours ago. She has two dime sized gashes on her back, so I dabbed some Betadine Solution on her gashes. She has short breaths and is walking with awkward hunchback. Ive been getting her to drink some water, and I just took her outside to go potty. She pooped and peed, but I did notice a lot of blood in her pee. Any sugestions please?
You need to bring her to a vet. The wounds you see are usually very minor compared to the true damage below the skin and as a result of the shaking and compression. You will possible see huge skin die off. She need antibiotics, pain medication, a rabies shot booster and possible fluids for the shock. I would take her to a vet ASAP.
My mother and husband have a 100lb red nose pitbull (male) who is NOT dog friendly. My brother was given a 10 week old blue nose pitbull (female) a few weeks ago and had my mom puppy sitting while my brother went to work. She would mainly keep the big dog in a separate room and have the pup in another room and in her crate. Well SOMEHOW the big dog wan into the room where the pup was and it just so happened that my mom had just recently walked the pup so she was still outside of her crate. Well big dog attacked her by the neck and it took a garden hose and a lot of screaming to get him off of her. They rushed her to the vet, her gums were white and she was loosing a lot of blood. BUT they were able to save her. A week at the vets and she is standing, eating soft food food, waging her tail, but when she walks she walks to one side almost in a circle. The vet said she will need therapy to fix this but didn’t really say why it’s happening or what actually is causing her to walk this way. Any help, suggestions, advice?
Without seeing her it is hard to say, but it sounds like either brain damage, back damage, ear damage or something else serious. Give the vet time and the dog time to recover because sometimes these resolve. Other times the damage to brain is permanent due to oxygen deficiency or other trauma. Hard to say. Time is your best treatment and diagnostic. Sorry.
My dog (a cocker spaniel/dachshund) got bit by my friend’s dog earlier today but she wasn’t punctured. I didn’t see any blood and she seemed fine after a while to the point to where it was like she didn’t get bit at all. Then I brought her home and she started acting all different. I assumed she might’ve been bruised on her side cause she won’t really lay on it or let alone let me touch that side. I’m bringing her to the vet tomorrow to get her checked but should I be worried?
Probably just bruising but watch her breathing and eating and gum color to be sure it is not an emergency. Good luck tomorrow. Hard to tell with that description, but I suspect she will be fine.
My Maltese and my American bulldog got into it recently Friday night. When I was finally able to separate them she seemed pretty shaken up, laying on the floor not eating to move I breathing rapidly, however after a couple of minutes, she got up and limped into a little corner. I inspected her while she was still shaken, and while she let me handle her she was a little whiny. I noticed some bruising on her side, under her left arm pit, but not puncture wounds or blood. Since I wasn’t able to take her to the vet, I watched her all night and she slept on the bed with me. In the passed two days since the incident she is still a bit whiny/shakey when I pick her up, and is still limping, but she is eating and going to to the bathroom by herself. Should I still be concerned? I’d like to add that she lets me gently touch the bruise and extend her leg without freaking out on me so I don’t think anything is broken, but I’m not an expert.
You hit the nail on the head, you should see an “expert” to get an opinion. At the least you can get her some pain relief and anti-inflammatory medicine. I can’t tell you what to do, but I would encourage a vet visit. Sounds like this was more than a nip. There is always the chance for serious internal damage and maybe even broken ribs or torn muscles. Sorry and good luck.
We have a 7 month old, 16 pound Miniature Eskimo Spitz that we are taking to obedience class. Most of the dogs in this class are around the same age of our puppy. During a break at the second class, as we were leaving to go to the potty, a Great Dane which was ahead of us, turned, growled and lunged at her twice almost pulling the owner down. I just kept moving quickly with my pup to get her away. It really scared me espcially going back in the training area again. I stayed across from the Great Dane . I told the trainer about the incident but especially after reading these accounts I don’t want to go back. There are others larger dogs in the class and when we leave to go to our car there are other dogs coming…Pitbulls and German Shepherds. I have had dogs all my life, I’m 66, and haven’t had many issues, with dogs, fortunately. Our largest dog was a Black Lab who lived to the great age of 17 but I don’t have experience with really big and powerful dogs. What do I need to know to protect my pup when I am in this situation again? Was I too close to the Great Dane? It surprised me so maybe I was too close. Any suggestions would be appreciated. We do want to travel with our little girl pup…who is spayed…by the way.
Thank you!
Great questions. I would ask the behavior specialist in the training class. Hostly there is very little I think you can do except stay away from bigger or more aggressive dogs. Easier said than done. I would love to hear other people’s suggestions.
My name is laron my dof was attacked by a pitbull he’s semi walking and breathing heavily can someone please tell me what to do he was a gift i dont have the money for a vet at the moment what can i do to help him
you need to find help and money to get him to a vet! This does not sound good and he sounds like he is suffering. Try an SPCA or other shelter.
So my friend’s dog was bitten by my dog, who I had to leave with my friend because I can’t take care of her for a few months. She’s a medium sized dog and her dog is a very small pomeranian. I’m worried she won’t take care of my dog anymore because her dog won’t eat, drink, or go outside. What should we do?
I think you need to bring the small do to the vet to have a check up, then keep the dog separate or find a new home for the bigger dog. This is a sad story, but I think the dogs need to be separated. Ask the local vet if they have a place that will take your dog? So sorry.
My 6lb Pom was in our back yard playing and the neighbors put their Mastiffs in their back yard. It was all fenced but the fence between our yards was dilapidated and in need of repair. This was his fence and at the time I didn’t know his dogs were Mastiff’s anyway the dogs started barking at one another through the fence. I got one Pom to come in the house but my little one stayed outside. The Mastiffs broke through the fence and got my little dog. I immediately took him to a Emergency Vet Hospital. They had him there about four hours took x-rays gave me some antibiotics pain killers and released him I took him home and within a hour he passed away…
Sorry to hear that. Why did they not keep him in the ER? Was he that sick or were there financial concerns, or did he look well enough to go home??? Very sad.
So my dog is a min pin and was messing with my girlfriends brothers dog she is a pit mixed with lab..and comes very terrorial when it come to food she bite my min pin in the neck and side of cheek…the bite mark looks deep but I can’t get a good look but his neck looks like he has a big bubble in there can anyone tell me what is wrong…also she is a rescued dog and she is 12 years old and my min pin is only 8-9 months old she gets along with the other 2 smaller dogs but idk if it’s the pit in her to snap like that.
Go see a vet, there is no way to tell based on a description but it sounds bad. You dog needs pain medication and likely antibiotics.
Dr. Stewart, I have a Yorki terrior mix that was recently but by a Newfoundland. The bite was over his right shoulder blade and is about an inch long, a quarter inch wide and to me it looks deep, but it bleeding very much at all. We cleaned it immediately, cut the fur around , shaved the area and put neosporin on the wound. We placed gauze over it and then wrapped it up. We have cleaned it out the last 24 hours every 4-6 hours and reapplied. He seems to be running around fine, with a little pain here and there, but overall good spirits. Should still bring him to the vet, or what signs would there be of the wound healing?
It would have healed faster with veterinary care and possibly stitches or staples and antibiotics. You are risking an infection and slower healing. I would also have recommended pain medication for the little guy, but if you have waited longer than 24 hours that window is closed unless he gets an infection. Just watch for infection.
My little bijon frise did not survive an attack by a larger dog earlier today. She had puncture wounds on her neck and stomach and returned from the fight seemingly okay, then lay down for a while as if to rest. She died 30 minutes later as we were trying to get to a vet. I’m devastated.
So sorry for your loss.
Grateful for this article. Even though mine isn’t a happy story, I feel somewhat comforted we did the right thing. My newly rescued, large mixed breed dog went after a cockapoo this morning. It was entirely my fault. A gate was left ajar and my dog, hearing the small dog barking in the street, made a beeline for it. It didn’t attack at first but its prey instinct kicked in as the small dog became more excited. It was on a leash, by the way, and fortunately its owner is my good friend and neighbor who is an extremely nice person. My husband was able to intervene immediately and hold our dog’s nose, making it drop the little dog. It was a single bite and, fortunately, and my husband had our dog immobilized at that point so she couldn’t shake it or do more damage. Lots of adrenaline all around! The little dog bit me twice as I clumsily tried to check for injuries. She was understandably terrified! But there were just two tiny puncture wounds and almost no blood. After a couple of minutes, with my dog securely back in the house (and completely freaked out — she knew something awful had just happened), the little dog seemed fine. She was her perky self and happily trotted back home. My neighbor thought she’d put some hydrogen peroxide on it and that would be that. I insisted we go to the vet though, just in case, and get her checked out. Off we went, the dog happy and calm, bright-eyed, no whimpering, no labored breathing, happy to sniff around the reception area. The vet took X-rays and couldn’t see anything but said we should go to a big emergency clinic in the next town — the dog would require exploratory surgery to determine if she had internal injuries. Off we went. It’s now 3:30am. The dog required major surgery. I’m not entirely sure of the complete findings — my neighbor and I went home while her husband waited until the surgery was over. He said the abdominal wall was damaged and the next 24 hours are critical. The estimated bill is over $5,000 (on top of the $325 the first vet charged us and not including post-op care) which I can’t afford but will pay, of course. I am glad, though, we took the dog in right away. She would have undoubtedly suffered horribly if left untreated. 😢
Glad you did the right thing!! Good luck to the little dog!
Thank you so much. The poor little dog is still hospitalized but the vet is confident she will be okay. I’m certain my dog is feeling some trauma, as well, and has been depressed and very quiet since. I hope you keep this helpful article up indefinitely so others will get treatment right away if this happens — or, better, avoid the situation altogether!
Is a thoracic hemorrhage deadly to a small dog? Do these occur after a large dog violently shakes a small dog?
Yes, and Yes. Depends on the severity of both and where the hemorrhage is an how severe.
I’m lost which big dog attacked the little dog? And owner just watched ???? This is all news to me that this took place in my hometown ….
Hello. Our 10 year old pit bull attacked our 11 year old chihuahua tonight, biting her around the head and neck. Immediately following the attack, the chihuahua went rigid like she was dead. She was barely breathing. It was after regular hours but luckily when we contacted our vet at home, she agreed to meet us at the clinic and see the dog. When we arrived, the dog had started to move her back legs and neck some, but still appeared partially paralyzed. The vet said she was probably in shock and gave her a shot for pain and another for the “shock.” The dog tried to jump off the table when she got the shots so the vet said it’s ok, she’s moving around. The vet inspected her neck area with what looked like an ultrasound machine that she called a laser and told us it looked like the dog would be ok. She said we could leave the dog there overnight (alone) or bring her back in the morning for more tests and an X-ray. It is now five hours since we got home from the vet and the dog’s front legs still appear paralyzed. The dog will eat, drink, even lick your face, but she can’t move her front legs. Not she isn’t – she can’t. She’s struggling trying to get comfortable and her front legs are just either limp or rigid and she cannot situate them. I read that upper neck injury in a bdld attack is common and can cause paralysis of the front limbs. I know I will find out in the morning but it’s not like I can sleep so I’m searching for answers. Is it possible she’s paralyzed? Can she recover from something like that? Is it possible it’s just shock and the medications causing it? We have kept her still, warm and calm and away from noise and light since arriving home.
Also, we plan on taking the pit to the vet to see what could have provoked such an out-of-character occurrence. These dogs share food, toys, beds and have never showed signs of aggression before. The pit just grabbed the the chihuahua by the head as she tried to walk past her. I suspect the pit is beginning to suffer from arthritis pain… had started to suspect it before tonight. Any advice on the attack injury or the possible cause of the attack would be much appreciated. We have had these dogs for a decade and love them so much. I’m so distraught over this situation. Thank you. God bless.
There is a lot in here and your vet needs to be the one to answer 99% of these questions. I would be VERY concerned if the Chihuahua can not use her front legs, that is very serious and need much more than a pain and swelling shot. I assume you brought her back in the morning and found out more, hopefully she is not too serious. DOg behaviour is very complicated and as dogs age and become more vulnerable they can also change their behaviors. I can not really advise on why your dogs fought, but keeping them separated in the future might be the only option. Pit bulls are great dogs, but I usually do not recommend them for people that have other dogs. People will get mad at this statement and MOST are just fine with other dogs, but some are not and that is the truth. More so than other breeds, and their bites and attacks can be more powerful. All dogs have this potential, but pitbulls are the ones we see the most of in the ER by far. I hope your little dog is ok, but please ask these questions to your vet that knows much more about the situation. Sorry I could not help more.
i have two male dogs, one 15lbs and the other 7lbs. The dogs do not get along and are always separated by baby gates. Unfortunately, we never realized that a fight was still possible through the baby gates. Two weeks ago, the smaller dog had a dental cleaning in the morning and got into a fight at night. The smaller dog somehow got his head and shoulders through the bars in the gate which are very narrow. The bigger dog bit him around the neck and there’s also the trauma of squeezing through the bars. The fight lasted for about a minute. There was no puncture wounds or other visible injures other Than one eye was half closed. His eye was fine the following day. The problem now is that he jerks his head when he bends down to eat. I am very concerned about what is causing his neck problems. Could it be just muscle soreness from the fight ? Or could it be something related to the dental cleaning he had that same morning ? I don’t know what to do. I already spent a lot of money on his dental cleaning and cannot afford to take him to vet unless absolutely necessary. He is acting normally other than this issue.
I would watch it for a day or 2 more and then bring him to the vet to have his neck looked at. Maybe he needs a week of anti inflammatory pain medication to get over any neck pain…..sorry I am not sure what is going on. Good luck.
Last week I was out walking my two Chihuahua’s and my neighbors two dogs (a very large German Shepherd mix and the other a small poodle type dog) got out of the yard and ran towards me, i was able to pick up both my dogs and circle around and around until the owner came out and got their dogs. Yesterday, I walked outside with both my dogs for a quick stroll and again, my neighbors garage door opened up and out ran the German Shepherd right towards my Rosie, I just rescued her, shes all of 5 pounds and 12 years old. She was wearing her harness and leash and the only thing I could think to do is pull her and she went spinning with the huge dog going after, which he did, she was like a rag doll being attacked! the owner finally got a hold of thier dog and then the other little one was still in my dogs face barking and growling at her. When they finally got both thier dogs under control and out of sight my little Rosie is injured and traumatized! they didn’t go after my younger Chihuahua who is about 6 also a rescue. We took Rosie to the Vet, she was punctured and she is very sore, my neighbors paid the vet bill. I was up all night with my little Rosie, she has been moaning in pain. The vet wrapped her because she was filling up with air, they will remove the wrap today. I can’t get near my little Rosie, she squeals if i come close to her, she lays there and wont move. I’m so heartbroken this happened. I rescued her from the shelter not even 3 months ago, she was already scared. I’m afraid she will never trust me again and wont recover being traumatized.
Heartbroken
So sorry to hear, I hope she is ok.
Matt, your comment sounds creepy and pedophile as Hell.
Our MinniJack and Maltese were attacked by a much larger dog. They were taken to the animal hospital, examined, and released after cleaning of wounds and antibiotics. Now 4 days later, we noticed a swelling on the maltese’s stomach and took her back to vet. She has a hernia from a tooth/tear and will require surgery tomorrow.
Thanks for having this website, the posts and your responses very so very helpful.
Sorry to hear that! Good luck, these surgeries usually go very well.
My maltipoo was just attacked by a pit bull. Bits to his growing, back, and Throat. We rushed him to the Vet Hospital and got him x rays and thank god no bits puncture through in to any major organs.
He is now home resting and doing well. He seems to be very Docile now and is not his happy self any more. I understand he went through something very traumatic and he is recovering. Just wondering if this will change is Temperament permanently?
No way to know, but hopefully not after he recovers. Might be dog shy, but that usually wears off too.
My german shepherd is 3 year old and very excitable, loves to play … he recently ran out of garden when a passing smaller dog and then lifted him off the ground with his mouth , releasing and running back in to garden, when i got to him. Before he did this , he done the lower back and raise head , standing on all four legs and looked at smaller dog for about 7-8 seconds . The little dog did catch him off guard when walking by
Is this my dog playing or aggressive behaviour?? Thankyou patrick
Sorry I can not help you. I am not a bet behavior expert and they are all different. I would warn you to 1) seek professional behavior advice 2) make sure your dog is not able to leave the yard again or hurt any other animals. You might be liable. Sorry and good luck.
Our neighbor’s Rotweiller broke through our fence 3 days ago and killed our 13# Pomeranian-mix, snapped his neck. The neighbors have no remorse and still have the dog. Police can do nothing. Animal control advised us to go to court to file complaint; judge basically stated since a “person” was not injured they will not move forward. Is there really no justice for our beloved family pets?
I’m not sure where you are, but here in Virginia there would be a lot more recourse. The dog would be deemed dangerous, the neighbors would pay a bunch and get fined and the dog would be registered.
I live in Mexico and started feeding a chihuahua street dog. My friend forgot to shut the door and my bullmastiff ran out and grabbed the dog by the neck and shook her. I finally pulled him off and she hid under my car. I took her to the vet but she had fluid in her lungs and had to be put down. I am so upset by this. I was a few days from having this dog adopted. I know you’re not a behavioral expert, but any thoughts on why my 130 lb. dog would attack this 5 lb. dog? It cant be because he was threatened. My guess is that he didn’t like that i was giving the dog treats snd some attention and he was jealous.
Sorry to hear this, but there is no way to know. I would from now on keep your big dog leashed or away from ALL other dogs because it will likely happen again. Sorry.
I tend to disagree entirely. Most larger breeds instinctively attack much smaller due to their genetics. They don’t see the smaller dog as a dog but as pray. For instance a pitbull attacked a pomchi with no interrogation, no warning, but complete hunting behavior (starring constantly no touch, circling, and so on) the dogs were never left unattended and lived in the same household. Fed separately, taking potty separate, and interacted with one another under very close supervision. One day the one owner was in the downstairs garage with the smaller dog as she was running loose, and the wrong person let the larger dogs outside. Instead of going left to go outside the one pitbull went into the garage to see his owner and saw the small dog. Immediately began chasing her. As they ran the owner jumped immediately trying to catch the smaller dog to get her out of the situation. The pitbull cornered the small dog, got her in its mouth, the owner immediately put her hand in the pitbulls mouth freeing the pomchi and dropped to the floor covering the pomchi with her body until help arrived to remove the pitbull from the area. She knew if she stood he would grab her again and didnt want to risk it. The pit was put outside and pomchi to the emergency vet. The pomchi has had a full recovery but had the owner not been there she would have lost her life. It is a pitbulls natural instinct to see smaller animals as pray. They were originally bred to hunt small game. It is not the small or large dog’s fault. There was no instigating. It was just his instinct and a mistake on the owners part for not realizing someone else would leave the larger dogs outside and her not locking the garage door to avoid any type of costly mistakes. I know because I’m that owner and these are my dogs. Given her size she looks like a squirrel or something of that nature. Everyone is safe sound and dog rules have been fully insured to others in my home because I know the larger dogs instincts. This was purely my fault but thank goodness no one was severely hurt. For those of you with training comments all of my dogs are fully trained however, you can not remove a dog’s instincts or hold it against them.
My boyfriend was walking our 2 dogs on November 1st, 2019 – both on leashes – One is a BichPoo – the other a PekinesePug. This pitbull so-called ‘puppy’ came out of nowhere & grabbed the P.P. & shook her like a ragdoll – right out of her collar & she ran into a parking lot. My boyfriend tried to kick it away. Finally the owner of the pitbull showed up & asked if his dog was okay. Cut to a few hours later – I found 2 puncture wounds on the left side of the dog’s back. I cleaned them up with perioxide & she seemed okay..Now – December 18th, I noticed her left eye looked a little weird – A bit cloudy. I made an appointment with the vet & she said the dog had glaucoma – It also started bulging out & turned red around the outside…The vet gave me 3 differtent eye drops to try to save the eye – Now my question – Could the trauma of the dog bite & shaking have caused this situation with her eye?
Unlikely but possible. I would need to know more and see the eye. Glaucoma is common in this breed so hard to predict. Sorry 🙁
Not sure what to do: my 3 year old akita just bit my 11 year old maltese (they have always gotten along-even though the maltese is small he does not have ” little man syndrome-no insult inteded.) The maltese has bite marks on both sides and will not walk on the right. My vet can’t get him in until Monday, but has him on the waiting list. Do we keep the akita? We have an 8 year old, a hairless cat, a maltese and a chiuaha.
You need to figure this out and the cause. I can not help here, sorry.
Hi there, my Pomeranian was grabbed and shaken by a big dog today and seems to be doing fine, eating and running and playing. His skin was not punctured at all, but he was shaken for a few seconds. Is there still a risk if he wasn’t bitten hard? Thank you so much.
There is still a risk for damage and certainly soreness. I would consider yourself lucky and just keep watching him .
My friend’s chihuahua was attacked by an Unleashed German shepherd while taking his little one for a walk Saturday night. My friend always keeps his little one on a leash. It is a very mild doggie and avoids other doggies. The owner of the dog somehow let her German shepherd out (or it got out on its own). My friend took his chihuahua to an emergency vet. The X-rays depicted 3 broken ribs and several puncture wounds, which he stitched up. One wound is deep on a front leg. The chihuahua’s belly and by his private parts are deep purple bruising, and he needs help standing up. He is on pain meds and anti-anxiety meds, but he moans constantly and sleeps for about 15 minutes only at a time. My friend is wondering if it is time to say goodbye. I asked him to contact the emergency vet one more time to see what the recovery probability is and if there is anything else we can do. This just breaks my heart. In addition to hopefully calling the emergency vet tomorrow, does anyone here have advice or thoughts? I can send photos if that would help.
Give the dog time for sure….not time yet. Get a second opinion from a vet that sees the dog, but these animals are incredibly resilient. Give it time.
Dr. Stewart, thank you for replying. I will ask my friend to give it some more time.
I thought I would add to the conversation as my much Lhasa apso was fatally attacked by a husky on lead with what I would call a responsible owner. We weren’t even doing a meet and greet but had stopped with 3 dogs on leads and at least all of us 4 metres apart. Boo, my lhasa, who my sister was walking, had just said to Boo – who always showed an interest in other dogs but being a Lhasa would growl when they got too close, that ‘that dog’ – referring to the husky ‘is too big for you to meet’. The owner of the husky replied -She is really good with small dogs but she forgets she is 37kilos as she tries to pat them on the head’. Now remember we weren’t doing a meet and greet but the husky walked forward. She didn’t run, she wasn’t even looking at Boo – in fact it was dead calm, no ears or whiskers forward – nothing and I wasn’ comfortable with what the owner had said about the head patting behaviour but before I even had a chance to ask the owner to pull his dog back, she swung her head around, opened up her mouth, wrapped her jaws around Boo (all 10 kilos of him) and sank her teeth around her sides. I actually ran forward dropping the lead of my other small dog and had my hands around the husky’s mouth as I didn’t want to start shaking her head and make things worse. Eventually, and I have no idea how long she had hold of him, she let him go. My sister had been facing the husky as she walked towards her and Boo and she had been trying to hold Boo up, again so he wasn’t shaken and each time the husky squeezed her jaws tighter – she did it 3 times as I felt it too, Boo bit my sister who ended up in hospital for 3 days as the bites got infected. We’re told that the husky owner was hitting his dog trying to get her to let go but neitehr my sister or I saw this as we were focussed on trying to save Boo. My sister had started to walk towards the husky’s hind quarters as she remembered that if you pick a dog up off the ground by the base of the tail they may let go when they feel unbalanced. She happened to touch the husky’s back and at that point she let go. The husky owner was just as devastated by what his dog had done. He gave me a jacket to try and stem the bleeding and I won’t describe the terrible injuries to Boo by that one bite. The husky’s owner called the after hours vet to tell them what had happened and organized for his partner to get us there quickly. It was the longest 20 minutes of my life. Sadly despite the efforts of the first vet who stabilised him and pain relief and a trip in a pet ambulance to a specialist surgical vet, Boo died 3 hours after we happened to say good morning and admire the husky. The husky owner paid all of the vet costs but my life has been changed forever. Even if Boo had survivied the surgery, there would have been spinal and other ongoing damage that may have been a constant source of pai. – I can tell you having had hold of a husky’s mouth, I would never have a dog of this size or strength as a pet. I also know that Boo would never have been the same dog psychologically. What I learnt as I have tried to understand what happened, is that BDLD fatal attacks happen to smaller dogs all the time – even in households where dogs know each other. In this case, the husky just did what huskies do – she saw him as prey and so she tried to kill him and eat him. It is a simple as that. Even a well socialised dog is still a dog and we are conceited to believe that we can overcome their innate natures with training and socialisation. Sadly, I am not alone in dealing with what has happened to my beloved friend. We were always so careful about avoiding dogs that were off lead and always stopped with plenty of distance – but clearly not enough and I can tell you, this is the scariest thing I have ever seen. No warning, no provocation, no nothing. It is possible that this happened because Boo didn’t growl – the only time he didn’t; I wonder if he realised the trouble he was in by knew it was too late and by being quiet that maybe the husky would ignore him. And we are all encouraged as dog owners to socialise our dogs without any discussion of the risks this presents. The investigating officer for our local domestic animal services told me that the most dangerous place you can take your dog in our city is to an off leash dog park; they get reports of BDLD and othhr dog attacks and fights all the time. If she had her way, she would close them down – but there aren’t any warning posted at these parks about the risk – and we were walking beside a public cycle path. The husky’s owner said the lead slipped though I suspect he let her walk forward believing she was good with small dogs. I know that he did not deliberately put my dog in harm’s way. But it turns out that breeders and enthusiasts of dog breeds ignore the less attractive and dangerous traits of the breed they are involved with and do not educate new owners about these risks – and huskies aren’t the most dangerous dogs having now read most of the literature available across the world on dog attacks on people, dogs and other animals, there are certain breeds that present more of a risk and sadly we’ll never get a regulatory system that regulates who can own and have control of these breeds so all dog owners need to know what the risks are with other dog breeds. Yes all dogs can bite but only some can maim and kill this way because they are physically equipped to do it and some breeds have innate behaviours that we must not ignore. At 8 weeks old onthe first night we had Boo, he jumped off the bed and went to a balcony door and growled because he heard a noise. He was doing what is innate in Lhasa apsos and this is the very innate behaviour which made them ideal monastery guard dogs. If all dogs were muzzled Boo would be alive today; if I had known how great the risk was and how often these attacks happen, Boo would have been wearing dog armour and there is a very good chance that he would have survived this attack; but most importantly, if I or the husky’s owner had known how this breed perceives most smaller animals – Boo was a third of her size but huskies will attack dogs half their size without warning treating them as prey, we would never have said good morning. We just went out for a short walk on a Sunday morning and Boo did nothing to provoke an attack. I don’t walk my other dog and I’m unable to go places where there are bigger dogs or smaller dogs with big strong mouths and especially where people are introducing their big dog to a smaller dog. Outsid