Swelling & Hair Loss

[Moo]

Holly's lump on her right shoulder has completely changed shape over today. This morning, it was about one and a half inches, approximately round, and felt puffy/tender like a bruise. It is now longer, but narrower, and much harder to the touch. I kind of feel like the changing is more scar tissue developing, and recovering the area, BUT the area has become almost completely bald! She has not been scratching it that I know of.... I wasn't home today, but the area doesn't seem to bother her even when I squeeze at it.

Is a hairlosss & swelling combo normal/expected? Should I wait over a few days to see if the swelling reduces? Should I apply hot or cold, or leave it alone? Or should I just ring the vet?

I'm pretty sure the right side was the Rabies side, and was also the side that she had more trouble taking and jerked at first.

[SalemWitchChild]

I would call the vet. They can always reassure you its nothing to worry about. Always be safe than sorry though.

[BabyElephant]

I would call the vets - Poppy had hairloss once when I applied a topical flea treatment but the vet said it would be OK. It took ages for her hair to grow back. I don't think either of mine have ever had a reaction to a vaccine but I know lots of dogs do.

Hopefully Miss Holly will feel better soon.

[fairlight]

There were a few times that when Vanilla got shots wherever the shot was inplanted it would swell as large as an egg. The "egg" did not come on over night. It would take a week or so to appear. It would take a good 3-4 weeks to go away.You have me stumped with hair loss though Moo.

[EmmaGirl]

I would call the vet and describe what's going on. I does sound, somewhat, like scar tissue which I find weird in a vacc site.

[ProPitBull]

It could be an allergy. Santana had food allergies not too long ago and developed all sorts of bumps all over his body, and he also began to bald. The vet gave him some pills to take (99 of them!) 3 times a day for a month. He's better now.

[weezyNollie]

Ollie had a nice nodule where a vaccine was given when I took him home as a puppy. It felt like scar tissue to me, with how hard it was.. but it went away.

I think you should call your vet, if nothing else but to let them know Holly is prone to vaccine reactions. Once an allergic reaction, could get worse for next time. They can pretreat with either benedryl (diphenhydramine) and/or a steroid (dexamethasone).

But, a good vet would want to you come in, free of charge, to see the vaccine site reaction and be able to document for future vaccines.

[Moo]

Well, according to the vet, it's not all that uncommon, the hair will grow back (not saying when) and the swelling will go down (in days to weeks... gee, thanks.) I guess they're not concerned since nothing is growing bigger, and nothing is hurting anymore. Unfortunately, my parents had "lost" her paperwork from the breeder... then conveniently found it two days after the vet appt, and we missed the Rabies deadline by over a month. We were 3-4 months off, and the vet would only give write us 12 months on the booster, so to be legally up to date, she has to get another one next year.

Anyways, it's still lumpy... it's gone back to squishy as opposed to hard... and still bald.

Here's the funky loooking baldness.

All the little hair pores (I forget what you call them, lol,) that used to have hair growing out of them have turned brown.


Oh, it's so much work having a bald spot.

[AtomicSkies]

follicles

lol i love her tiny frog legs...i hope it is nothing and goes away

[Moo]

Well, the swelling and bruising has gone away a bit, but the balding continued for a little bit. All the fuzz that was there trying to disguise the ugly spot is now gone. Now the whole shoulder is smooth and hairless... touching it is a bit like petting the back of a human hand, she doesn't like it being poked much- I guess my fingers are cold. I can't tell if the baldness has been spreading or not, but I sure am ready for it to start growing back.

Boy is this dog ever a mess.