My puppy has swollen face/paws and is itchy. Is it allergies?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 5 months old | 20 lbs
My 5 month old puppy hand swollen eyes and a swollen snout this morning and part of her paw was also swollen she appeared to be itchy as well. I gave her Benadryl and the swelling has gone down but does this mean my dog has seasonal allergies and I will need to continue to give her this?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 28th, 2018
These types of reactions are not usually associated with seasonal allergies. I would expect that she perhaps had an insect sting or a spider bite. If the swelling returns she should be seen by a veterinarian. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on August 13th, 2017
It does appear to be an allergic reaction of some sort. This can be from getting bitten by something or getting into something she was not supposed to. Gravity is pulling the swelling down her chest and her legs. It is best to have seen by a vet as soon as possible so they can make sure there is no wound that would require antibiotics. They can also prescribe medication to improve the swelling and keep her comfortable.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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My 8 week old bull terrier pup woke up last night crying and itching her face and paws all night whimpering and didn’t sleep. Today her face is a little swollen and progressively gotten more red. Is it just allergies? She is eating and using the bath
The pictures are kind of blurry but I can tell there is some redness. The swelling is difficult to appreciate. It does seem like an allergic reaction to something, but what.....I cannot say. Since she is acting otherwise normally you can try to give her some over the counter antihistamine medication - you can use diphenhydramine (Benadryl). I would give her 1/2 of a 25mg caplet by mouth every 12 hours. If this has not resolved by Monday then she should see your vet. https://www.benadryl.ca/products/benadryl-caplets
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dogs paws are swollen and he has raised pustules on his pads. They are also in his ears. We changed dog food to Kal Kan. His nose seems to be stuffy and is running. He is also sneezing. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks
This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then get him to the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollins, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). There is also a nice topical spray available, it's called Cortavance and you can get it at the vets. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider starting on a long term allergy treatment.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have 4 puppies that are 14 weeks old I gave them their first vaccination shot and the next day I came home and all their paws were extremely swollen and they feel really hot. Are they having an allergic reaction to vaccination
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! That is certainly a possibility. I highly recommend that you consider taking them to your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If they do think that this seems likely based on examination, therapy for an allergic reaction can be started usually with steroids and anti-histamine medications. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Can puppies form a sudden allergy to their food? He has had the same food 7-8 months and the last could says he has had some swelling in his face. It gets better and worse and he is losing quite a bit of hair it seems like. He also seems to be itchin
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Yes, puppies and dogs in general can develop food allergies at any time. Actually, most allergies are developed after some exposure to the food item causing it. Whenever a food allergy is suspected, the recommendation is to change the protein and carbohydrate so for example if you were feeding him a chicken and rice diet then you can switch to lamb and potato or rabbit and potato. If no improvement is observed in 2-3 months then it is time to check for other possible allergies like flea or environmental allergies. Good luck and have a good night!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My dog is Pitbull male he has swollen Paws he's biting his tail his feet always licking scratching he's got bumps as well they they bleed scratching and biting his attitude is fine he still plays eat real good and we go everywherehe he goes everywhe
I am sorry to hear about your pup. One of our major rule-outs/possible causes in these cases is an allergy. We can have allergies to things in the environment like grass, pollen, dust (called atopy) or food allergies. We can also have flea bite hypersensitivity where just one or two flea bites can make a dog break out all over and itch. Often a secondary skin infection with bacteria or yeast develops in these cases, which require antibiotic therapy. There are some lower cost antibiotics available ahttp://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.htmls generic drugs at many grocery stores, so if you let your vet know your financial limitations, they can try to find the most cost effective options. Sometimes once the secondary infection is under control the itching may be managed with a lower cost drug like an antihistamine such as hydroxyzine, benadryl, or zyrtec, along with a fatty acid supplement. Being on an effective flea preventative is al
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My 9 month old puppy's eyes were fine this morning and now they are saggy to where I can see the pink inside, usually I can't. They are also puffy around his eyes but more so on his left eye. His eyes aren't as wide open as they usually are and he se
Coal could have an allergic reaction to a bug bite or bee sting if his face appears swollen. This often starts as a puffy area then can spread to the rest of the face. It is an emergency if he can't seem to breath properly or if his neck is beginning to swell. Most of the time the swelling resolves on its own after a few hours. If not, your veterinarian can give him antihistamine and steroid injections that bring the swelling down right away.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi my dogs faces is swollen he has hives on his head & around his butthole, his chest down to his back legs are red & hot && his ears are hot & red he keeps shaking his head like if someone was to blow in it & he keeps using his two front paws to scr
This is probably an allergic reaction due to an insect bite or a plant outside. those reactions tend to resolve within 48 hours without treatment. if the swelling becomes too large, if the scratching is severe or if your dog is lethargic, take him to the vet in order to get an antihistamine/steroid injection.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I am worried about my dog. Last night her face was swollen. This his gone down quite a bit. However, today her chest appears to be swollen and she very itchy. She is panting a lot and seems a little off. When you pet her sides it hurts and she appear
It does appear to be an allergic reaction of some sort. This can be from getting bitten by something or getting into something she was not supposed to. Gravity is pulling the swelling down her chest and her legs. It is best to have seen by a vet as soon as possible so they can make sure there is no wound that would require antibiotics. They can also prescribe medication to improve the swelling and keep her comfortable.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My Pit Bull, Stella, isn't in a good condition. She is my Grandfathers dog actually but for some issues she is staying at my home in the backyard. She seems happy, but she has infections on her front paws I think, because one side of each paw is pink
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for envir
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
Hello, My 5month old female Frug has had redness on her face since I adopted her 4 months ago. I thought that if I gave her a bath every other day than the redness would go away. Unfortunately, her redness has turned into edema and and is starting to
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for envir
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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