Dog bit by dog?

[jazzy]

My shiba inu pup (5 months) was playing with my friend's Siberian Husky pup (9 months). They play rough often, and we seperate the two whenever it gets too rough.

Tonight the two were playing just fine. No whining, no yelping, just the two boys having fun. Then I noticed that Jack (the Shiba) had blood on his face. The husky either bit or clawed him enough to draw blood. He doesn't react when I touch around it. It seems to be causing him no pain or discomfort. Should I be concerned? Should I see a vet?

(first time ever having a pet with injury. I'm a newbie)

[hazelrunpack]

Did it leave a gash? Can you see the wound?

[jazzy]

Not a gash. The spot is small...maybe 1/4 inch or more around. I can tell it's there, but can't make much out through the fur.

[hazelrunpack]

Is it still bleeding, swollen, or hot to the touch? If not, it's probably okay to just clean up and watch for a few days. If it's more than an 1/8th or a quarter inch deep, or if you think a tooth penetrated through the thin bone of the muzzle, though, I'd take him in to the vet to have it checked asap. Bites can get infected pretty fast.

You can use peroxide to clean it up the first time--but because peroxide damages even living tissues, you should only use it the first time to clean up. Then some antibiotic ointment might be a good idea.

If you don't go in to the vet right away (shallow wound), still watch the area for signs of infection--heat, swelling, excessive redness, oozing, pus... If you see evidence of infection get him in as soon as you can get an appt.

[jazzy]

It's not bleeding. There's definitely dried blood. I haven't cleaned it yet, I will now. Wouldn't he be complaining if it was deep? I assume that if it was deep, it would hurt, and he would whine when I touch it.

I'm definitely going to keep an eye on him. Do you think I should keep him away from the dog park where he might play rough and risk getting saliva (infection) in there?

[hazelrunpack]

I would keep him away from the dogpark at least until you're sure it's healing properly. You wouldn't want it to be reinjured before the tissues have a chance to knit.

He wouldn't necessarily be complaining if it was deep, and puncture wounds often don't bleed a great deal. You might be able to tell more when you clean it. If you have any concerns about how deep it might be, a vet visit might be your best bet.

We get a lot of play injuries like scrapes and punctures here...and we've had some spats end in lacerated ear flaps and one lacerated eyelid. Lacerations merit at the very least, a call to our vet--and the eyelid warranted an after hours trip to the emergency vet. But normally, if it's something really minor, we usually just clean it up with peroxide, spray or dab some antibiotic med or some EMT on it, and watch it for a few days.