What causes a dog's swollen head, non-healing sores, and bad odor?

This could be an allergic reaction, or it could be from some kind of skin infection. It is unusual that the swelling seems to be moving around. I would recommend scheduling an appointment with your vet, particularly since Noah seems painful.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You may be describing inflammation, an infection, hematomas or even growths. To know how to better manage this, it would be needed to reach a diagnosis. For that reason, I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and treat him accordingly. Best of luck!

I would NOT recommend doing this at all - cutting into your dog's head at home without sedation would be cruel and very painful, and there is a significant risk that you could cause serious damage or even death. If you're concerned about the swelling, please take Chuko back to your vet for a recheck to discuss options. In my experience, most nasal tumors like this are made of solid tissue and are not fluid-filled, so cutting into the swollen area is not likely to be helpful and may cause serious bleeding or infection.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Neo! I am concerned about the swelling on her nose. Since she isn't responding to antibiotics I would worry that she has a tooth root abscess, a nasal tumor or a fungal infection in her nasal cavity. I would do full blood work and then sedated her to take skull X-rays and X-ray the teeth on that side of her face. I hope this helps and I wish Neo the very best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear Zaulo is having issues. I would recommend having him evaluated by his regular veterinarian; a swelling under the chin can be due to a variety of things, including an infection, an insect bite, a trauma, or the development of a growth, among others. I would recommend having his ears and the bump evaluated, and any further treatment he may need worked out from there. Good luck!

Hi and thanks for your question this morning! Yes, it could be any of the above you mentioned. I will add to the list of possibilities: a fungal or bacterial infection. Please have Koda examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible so Koda can get the proper diagnosis, treatment, and care needed.

Hello. The skin issues that are shown in the photos are what we call "hotspots". These are moist bacterial infections that can be caused by a number of things including fleas, allergies, trauma to the skin, too much swimming, etc. The infection itself is very itchy and uncomfortable. Sonny should be seen by a veterinarian to assess if there are any other things going on and to have these areas clipped and cleaned. Your vet will most likely prescribe a combination of topical and oral medication to clear the infection. He may also require and anti-inflammatory, anti-itch medication...but your veterinarian can discuss all of that with you. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.