Brownmare
Well-Known Member
Oscar my older lurcher has had some unexplained swellings recently that I can't understand. This is going to be a long story so bear with me because I'm not sure what is relevant info or not so I'll write it all out 
The first swelling appeared a few days after he got tangled in a barb wire fence: he was on antibiotics for that (but had finished the course) and was obviously feeling better because he managed to kill a fox. We then went to stay with my parents for the weekend and he went rapidly downhill, looking miserable and lame on what seemed to be a different leg every time he stood up and there were small swellings either side of his nose. I ended up taking him to the vet on the Sunday morning and the vet thought he may have been bitten by the fox although he is such a wimp I'm sure he would have let me know at the time so anyway he got more and stronger antibiotics plus painkillers and perked up almost instantly and recovered fully in a couple of days.
The swellings went scabby and when the scabs fell off the skin underneath was pink not black (and still is) but the swelling had gone. Now a couple of weeks on his right eye swelled up, well actually the eye itself was fine - not red or weepy etc, but he could hardly see out of it because of the swelling. It was also very itchy but I put a buster collar on and it had gone completely in 36 hours so I didn't bother with the vet. Now, however, the left side of his mouth has swollen up and is looking itchy (but not enough that he needs a buster collar yet).
He lives on a farm and is basically free range but in this kind of weather spends most of his day in the office by the heater. He is a fussy eater so I doubt he would have been scavenging and actually I have changed his diet in the middle of all this so I doubt that is the cause although he is getting Devils Claw and Stride for his arthritis.
I'd like to get a few thoughts from you lot before I ask the vets about this but if his poor face swells up one more time he will be in the vets before you can blink
The first swelling appeared a few days after he got tangled in a barb wire fence: he was on antibiotics for that (but had finished the course) and was obviously feeling better because he managed to kill a fox. We then went to stay with my parents for the weekend and he went rapidly downhill, looking miserable and lame on what seemed to be a different leg every time he stood up and there were small swellings either side of his nose. I ended up taking him to the vet on the Sunday morning and the vet thought he may have been bitten by the fox although he is such a wimp I'm sure he would have let me know at the time
so anyway he got more and stronger antibiotics plus painkillers and perked up almost instantly and recovered fully in a couple of days.The swellings went scabby and when the scabs fell off the skin underneath was pink not black (and still is) but the swelling had gone. Now a couple of weeks on his right eye swelled up, well actually the eye itself was fine - not red or weepy etc, but he could hardly see out of it because of the swelling. It was also very itchy but I put a buster collar on and it had gone completely in 36 hours so I didn't bother with the vet. Now, however, the left side of his mouth has swollen up and is looking itchy (but not enough that he needs a buster collar yet).
He lives on a farm and is basically free range but in this kind of weather spends most of his day in the office by the heater. He is a fussy eater so I doubt he would have been scavenging and actually I have changed his diet in the middle of all this so I doubt that is the cause although he is getting Devils Claw and Stride for his arthritis.
I'd like to get a few thoughts from you lot before I ask the vets about this but if his poor face swells up one more time he will be in the vets before you can blink
but if it cames up again he will be straight down to the vets (much as I'd love to have at least one month free of vets bills I don't think its going to happen