Swollen cheek on puppy.

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Zeus is having problems!

What you have described is unlikely to be due to an insect sting if it has been present for 3 days.

I'd be more concerned about the possibility of an abscess of some sort. In a young pup, the most common type of abscess would be from a penetrating wound such as a nip from another puppy or a stick penetrating. I have seen a number of skin abscesses in dogs that don't appear to be painful and don't cause a fever, simply cause a lump.

A tooth root abscess can definitely cause a bump under the eye or on the cheek. However, I have never seen a tooth root abscess in a young puppy.

I think as long as Zeus is eating ok and doesn't seem uncomfortable and as long as the eye does not seem irritated then it is likely ok to wait until your vaccine visit. Keep in mind, however, if there is an abscess there is a good chance that the vet will want to hold off on vaccinations until the abscess is cleared up.

Probably, if this were my case I would recommend an early visit just to be sure. If it turns out to be nothing serious your vet can just go ahead and do his boosters a little early.

I hope he is ok!

Dr. Marie.


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