Can anyone advise?3 months ago my 8 year old lab Woody was really ill with a massively swollen face, wouldnt eat or respond to anything...my vet said it was cellulitis, probably due to a puncture wound in the mouth. The first lot of antibiotics helped but the swelling came back a month or so ago. The vet did a CT scan which didnt show any problem, no foreign body or tooth decay etc. More antibiotics - 2 kinds- and after 2 weeks of these Woody is still poorly- doesnt want to walk, wont drink (I have put him on wet food and add water to keep him hydrated) He has 10 days of antibiotics left. So far the treatment has cost over £1000..the scan alone was £700. Woody is not insured because I rescued him at 2 years old and he had multiple allergies which no plan would cover ( these are undercontrol with apoquel etc) This latest health problem is more than I can afford and I am terrified that Woody may have to be put to sleep ...Should I take him to a different vet? Am feeling desperately worried...
So sorry that you and your dog are dealing with this issue. Did the vet tell you what to expect from the antibiotic treatment, in terms of likely or potential recovery time?
Hi @maryings I am so sorry Woody is so unwell, you are obviously very upset and worried about him. Where abouts in the world are you? xx
Hi and thanks for the response. The vet thinks the long course of anti biotics should work, but I dont see that happening, Woody has 10 days to go before they run out. my feeling is that there is an underlying problem which the vet hasnt identified. I have lost faith in the vets actually...I live near Exeter so am considering getting a second opinion. Which will be more money...What a lovely photo of your dogs btw!
Always a good idea to get a second opinion, but do ask your vet to refer you. It couldn't be a blocked saliva gland due to some injury?
I can understand why you are concerned, I am so sorry. What else has the vet prescribed to help Woody feel more comfortable? I would ask the question about what exactly is being treated by antibiotics? I am criticising, only would be interested is what the vet thinks is going on...you mentioned some sort of puncture wound? I had something similar with a cat. In the end he was taken to veterinary hospital where they did more investigations using an MRI scanner to get to the root of the problem, combined with a raft of blood tests. It can be easier to detect subtle soft tissue problems with MRI than CT scanners, although it very much depends on their equipment.
Really hoping Woody is sorted soon. I think I would be questioning the vet more closely. Was/Is there a puncture wound in his mouth? Have they tested what the fluid causing the swelling is? Or is there no fluid and it's a solid lump? Ask if it could be an auto immune problem perhaps linked to his allergies or an extreme reaction to an insect or tick bite. Tell the vet how worried you are and if he can provide no answers ask to be referred. Is there any chance the rescue that you got him from would be prepared to help with his costs? Good luck. x PS. I believe City Vet's in Exeter have access to an MRI scanner if needed and there is always the University teaching hospital at Langford in Bristol who have all the specialists.
I will definitely be following these up with the vet. The scan showed no injury. in fact it looked normal. I have 4 days left of the antibiotics , which were prescribed to fight the cellulitis infection (and to be fair woody did perk up when first on them) He still wont drink or walk far and shakes his head a lot. I have made another apppointment for when the course of antibiotics ends and will dfinitely ask for a referral if the vet cant come up with any solution. It is heartbreaking to see Woody so lacking in joy aside from the money.. Woody was rescued from a private owner who was getting rid of his dogs due to divorce ; I already told him about the allergies and he didnt want to know (Ive had Woody for 6 years now and couldnt find the guy if I wanted to...) Meanwhile I am letting woody rest as much as he wants, mixing his food with water , TLC etc..Woody is a bit more interested in food lately . You know its serious when your lab wont eat...
I am not sure if I would leave taking Woody to the vet for another 4 days. It is worrying that he is not drinking and shaking his head a lot. Or you could phone and mention that he is still not right. What a worry for you, I am so sorry.
I agree, I'd go as soon as you can. Cellulitis is quite painful (my horse had it in his hind legs and he was very depressed). No doubt that is contributing to his lack of interest in life. You could talk to the vet about some pain relief for your dog.
I had it in my face and was on morphine and kept unconscious as much as possible . It is very painful .
Finn once had a swollen face due to allergy. He was stung by an insect. No one knew which insect. He was very ill and didn't want to drink or eat! He got an anti allergy shot and pills. After a couple of days he lost a fair amount of fur to a point he was almost bald.... Could it be an allergy of some sort? Did you give him something new to chew on? Or perhaps new food?
I have already contacted the vet to discuss and am waiting for him to call back, so will be taking Woody in as soon as I can get an appointment. He is on Loxicom for pain relief. The vet doesnt think this is related to Woodys skin allergies which he has to take Apoquel for. Thanks for the comments. I will be following all these up when I see the vet.
Hope the vet can help... This must be extremely stressful for you. I know that cellulitis can be a stubborn thing to conquer and it can recur. I hope that you can beat it. Might be worth talking to the vet about a referral to a specialist. Maybe the Uni teaching hospital that Mandy mentioned.
