What causes my dog's recurring muzzle swelling: mange or allergy?

It would be impossible to differential between mange and a flea allergy without seeing Bruno in person. A skin scraping would need to be done to diagnose if there are mites or not before it can be ruled out. I would take him into the vet to have this problem diagnosed and treated. Best of luck.

This is most likely due to an allergic reaction. On the muzzle this is usually happens with an insect sting, or reaction to a poisonous plant (i.e. poison oak). This is usually temporary, but can lead to a skin infection, so it's good to flush the area with cool water 2-3 times a day. Flush the area using a syringe or other dispensing device with cool water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate water getting near their face. I recommend having someone help you with holding Bob to make sure the area gets flushed well. After flushing, you can apply aloe gel to the area to provide more relief. If the swelling is not going down within two days, then I would reccomend taking him to the vet for an evaluation. It may take a week for it to look normal, but it should start to look better within a couple of days. These reactions have the potential to get worse, so if the swelling is increasing, or Bob is having trouble breathing, then be he should go to the vet as soon as possible for treatment. I hope that helps and Bob gets better soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Even though mange cannot be ruled out, this pattern would be more consistent with allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his 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 environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Mange is caused by mites. There are two types of mange, sarcoptic mange and demodex mange, each caused by a different mite. Sarcoptic mange is highly contagious to other animals and humans, while demodex mange is not. The symptoms depend on what type of mite is presents. Yes a skin allergy could potentially look like mange, but a vet will be able to diagnose the underlying cause. You will need to take Mister Brown into the vet. Best of luck.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is very hard to tell from the image if the face is swollen on one side or not as we can't see both sides and don't know what his normal face looks like. That being said, if there is generalized (not a specific or discreet area) swelling of the muzzle, +/- around the eyes, +/- the ears, this is more consistent with a bee sting or insect bite and allergic reaction. This can be itchy as well. I would look for areas of hives or raised bumps on his body elsewhere. Ideally he would go to a vet to get a couple injections, one of a steroid (depending on how bad the swelling is and what other medications he is on, steroids can be very dangerous) and an anti-histamine. Without an exam by a vet, you shouldn't give any human medications to dogs, as the drugs may interact with medications he is on or conditions he might have. You vet might prescribe an anti-histamine (Benedryl is a common product used in the US. You MUST make sure diphenhydramine is the ONLY active ingredient as other human medications that are sometimes in anti-histamines can be very dangerous to dogs. The dose for a dog Hercules' size would be about 50-100mg by mouth up to three times a day). Other causes of swelling/lumps would be a bump or hit and swelling, infection, he could have something in his mouth, etc. If it is small lump/swelling and he doesn't seem bothered by it, the best thing to do might be to just monitor it for now. If it doesn't get bigger/more swollen or the swelling doesn't spread, then you can just keep an eye on it. If it isn't gone by 24-48 hours have it seen by a vet. Best of luck with Hercules, I hope he feels better soon.

The skin doesn't look too inflamed, but does appear more red than normal. Based on your description, I would also be very suspicious of allergies being the underlying problem of the skin flare-ups and recurrent ear infections. In these cases, allergy medication is very helpful. Candy's allergies seem relatively mild, so she may be well-controlled with an over-the-counter antihistamine medication. Your veterinarian should be able to prescribe you an antihistamine if they feel this is appropriate/safe for her. One other thing that should eventually be investigated is the cause of the allergies. Usually there is some environmental cause like pollens. Sometimes there are other causes. Your vet would be able to help you narrow-down the cause and provide options for allergy testing if needed/desired. I hope that helps and Candy gets better soon. Below are a couple of links to some useful information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/

Poor Bruno! I'd be concerned he could be suffering from an allergic reaction. It could also possibly be from the injury he suffered two days before. I would take him into a vet now to get this checked out. Best of luck.