pain reliever

[silentnight]

Just had to of my males get in a fight, I cleaned up the cuts and scratches. Ones eye and mouth is swollen and the others ear and mouth, what can I give them for pain and swelling?

[Grzyadms4x4]

If not to young or old or still bleeding, try aspirin. 5mg per pound of body weight. I forgot how often exactly but when I need to use it I do it twice per day. It can be hard on their liver so I wouldn't recommend a steady diet but it should relive pain and inflammation.

[TomJr]

Don't worry about pain and swelling it will go away in a few days. Watch for infection and do look for Hematoma in that ear though(ears can take a long time to heal if a hematoma develops... if its really big you can drain it). Bottom line dogs are tuff and they heal fast from those types of wounds.

[MThound]

I have always given my dogs Rimadyl, it helps with the pain and swelling.

[silentnight]

Thanks gents, I will just keep everything clean and watch them..

[bearsnva]

Don't mean for this to come out wrong, but you can use a lot of things for pain and swelling. The main thing is why were the dogs fighting? If it was over something trivial and is going to reoccur then that is your main problem to be concerned with because you will be treating them again and it might be worse. Hope everything works out, but dogs fighting is something not to be tolerated.

[silentnight]

It was a stupid mistake on my part, made their new chains too long and they got tangled up for a few hours.

[bearsnva]

Silent night, thanks for the reply. Don't feel like you are the only one that has made mistakes because we all have done it, just some don't admit them. Good hunting to you!

[Emily]

watch closely for signs of infection--there may be need for a course of antibiotics.

Some dogs will chew and lick old wounds to the point they will take a long time healing, especially if they are chained and bored and don't have anything better to do. If the wounds stay swollen for more than a couple of days, some cortisone to reduce swelling and itch may help. Vets usually have spray products for topical application that have both cortisone and antibiotics, plus taste bad to limit chewing.
You can also try one of those cones around the head if a dog is chewing or scratching and won't let wounds heal.
Hounds are pretty tough, and you don't want to mask the pain too much if it involves something they might be putting weight on when they shouldn't. I would give aspirin, but only for the first day or two. Rimadyl is not great for the long term either. Fine for short-term pain, but not good for long term problems like stiff joints, except in dogs so old they have a limited life expectancy and you are going for quality of life.

[Goose]

I wouldn't give them any kind of pain medication. Dogs are just like humans and need to learn what pain is and what causes it. I've got two males one I use to breed for working cattle the other is my brood dog for hogs and over the years they've gotten outa the own or off the chain and fought. I never once let the have anything for the pain. Way I see it is daddy didn't buy me a sucker and give me a Tylenol after he whipped me for doing something bad. In my younger days ( nit so long ago) I used to like to fight but after getting my tail whipped a time or three I just learned it was easier and felt way better the next day if I kept my business to myself. Same way with dogs.