A Mystery Bite Scare with Chuy Chihuahua

My husband and I went out Saturday night for some much needed fun! Anytime we aren’t home, we leave Chuy Chihuahua in his crate so that he is safe from harm. He has a blankie and a water bottle and we are never gone for more than a few hours at a time. He gets much needed rest and we have peace of mind knowing he isn’t tearing up the house! He has a crate very similiar to this:

When we got home that night, the first thing we did was let him out of the crate, like we always do. Chuy is always soooo excited to see us! I noticed that he was rubbing his paws on his face. I didn’t think much of it because his eyes tear a lot this time of year due to allergies and his small size. Well then I took another look. I almost laughed but then panic started to set in…

His muzzle had swollen so bad that he looked like one of the 3 Chipmunks! My husband thought it was the liquor talking but then went into serious mode when he noticed a big red bump on the other side of his muzzle. Something had bitten Chuy while we were out! Oh no 🙁

He is supposed to be safe in his crate, right? Immediately, I started blaming myself for going out and having a good time. My husband, being the great guy that he is, reassured me that these things happen and it could’ve happened even if we were home with him. He’s right. But, it still felt awful.

We contacted the ER vet to make sure we didn’t need to bring him in and they advised us to give him Children’s Benadryl. We keep a supply on hand ever since we brought Chuy home. It’s a life saver! Always check with your vet for the proper dosage as it’s based on their weight and the medical condition.

The swelling went down almost immediately and Chuy was acting just like his normal, playful, hyper little self! He got a little puffy eyed the next morning. We gave him more Benadryl
and the swelling went away. We took him into Banfield for a follow-up visit and they told us since we don’t know what actually bit him, to just keep administering the Benadryl 3 times a day for about a week. It could have been a spider bite or a mosquito or anything really. They said that they see this a lot in the Summer.

It was a really scary event but we are so grateful it wasn’t anything more serious. We did learn something from it though. We were definitely not prepared in case of a major emergency. I know, bad pet parents! Shame on us! My husband and I are putting together a kit and information so that we are always prepared. I am working on a blog post on how to prepare for a pet emergency.

What precautions do you take to prepare for an emergency with your Irresistible Pets?