# Swollen/fluid under neck area



## shane_tweezy

Hi everyone. New to the forum. Proud owner of two male father and son pitbulls. Looking for some advice/opinions. 

A few days ago both of my pits got into a fight with several other dogs. This has happened several times over the past year or so. I basically live in the woods with a good bit of property, and there is a pretty large pack of dogs, possibly coyotes that come to my yard and get into it with my dogs from time to time. 
To the point.. The day after the fight, I noticed that one of my dogs had two lumps under his neck right next to each other. They were about half the size of a golf ball and felt hard, like lymphnodes. I assumed it was maybe his lymphnodes were swollen from being bitten by other dogs, and maybe had some infection going on. Didn't seem very serious though, and he only has a small cut on the top of his head, so I didn't worry too much about it. 
However, today I noticed that his neck has swollen quite a bit, and has a lot of fluid in it. The area is pretty large. It doesn't seem to be causing him any pain or discomfort. And he isn't acting sick or anything. He seems to be feeling fine. Other than the swelling under the neck, he seems normal. 
Anyone have any idea what could be causing this? 
I'll take him to see the vet if it gets any worse, But it doesn't seem serious enough for that at this point.


----------



## Nizmo

sounds like an abcess. something that need immediate medical attention. very common with bite wounds.
IMO i would take him in before it gets worse


----------



## gxkon

try fenceing yer dogs or takeing steps to keep the dogs off yers


----------



## Wac137

I'd say take him to the vet asap. I dont take any chances with my dogs.


----------



## DueceAddicTed

Sounds like he has an infection and it should be drained by a professional. Take him to the vet he may need antibiotics ..... good luck and keep us updated


----------



## Black Label Romo

nevermind...


----------



## GodBlessPitbulls

Try to keep your Dogs away from other Dogs a fence the wire ones are pretty cheap at Home Depot.It isnt right someone elses Dogs get hurt or, yours.


----------



## performanceknls

Sounds like an infection or abscess, both need to be treated by a vet. Even if you have a large property you should properly contain your dogs. Not only are you leaving your dogs susceptible to getting attacked you are also rolling the dice with disease. Many wild dogs carry a variety of diseases and you should keep your dogs safe from that. I think it is an important part of dog ownership to keep them from harm even if you live out in a rural area. I too live in the country but the first thing we did when we moved in is fence off the area for the dogs.


----------



## PatienceFlame

performanceknls said:


> Sounds like an infection or abscess, both need to be treated by a vet. Even if you have a large property you should properly contain your dogs. Not only are you leaving your dogs susceptible to getting attacked you are also rolling the dice with disease. Many wild dogs carry a variety of diseases and you should keep your dogs safe from that. I think it is an important part of dog ownership to keep them from harm even if you live out in a rural area. I too live in the country but the first thing we did when we moved in is fence off the area for the dogs.


:goodpost:

ever think about buy kennels or building a dog run for them so they arent fighting with wild or stray dogs?
make sure they are up to date on rabies vacc, hope your dog feels better.


----------



## Trapboi103

Yeah i would really go get that checked doesn't sound good.


----------



## Sampsons Dad

Sounds like it needs to get drained and anti B's.
People are going at this person about the dogs protecting the land....but isn't that what an estate guard is supposed to do? I agree that there should be a way to contain the dogs but perhaps his dogs are coyote crushers....like my dogs are supposed to be....except the coyotes are too smart to come around my property!...lol


----------



## Nizmo

RPBK806 said:


> Drain the abcess and administer a penicillin shot...it's just an infected bite wound...


really is it JUST an infected bite wound?
do you know for sure that its JUST an infected bite wound?
do you know for sure what diseases the other animal(s) had or could have?
infections can kill animals very quickly.

oh and DR how do you suggest he drains the abcess, if thats what it is?
you do know he would need sterile equipment right? and what if he needs drain plugs? do you suggest some yarn and 10mm socket for plugs?

really we dont need that kind of "advice", that could get someones animals killed.

dude get real. :snap:


----------



## shane_tweezy

The swelling has went down over night. It is about half the size from what it was yesterday. So whatever it is, his immune system seems to be doing its job. 
There is no bite wound on or around the area that is swollen. 

As for fences, and other ways of keeping my dogs on my property, and other dogs off.. *sigh* 
My dogs are mostly inside dogs. But when they are outside, they know where their allowed and where they aren't. I've never had any problem with them leaving my property. 
I feel it is my responsibility to keep MY dogs ON my property. Which I have done, without a fence. They are trained. And for 10 years, my "mental" fence has worked just fine for all of the dogs I have owned. 
I don't feel that I should have to spend money to keep coyotes,bobcats,raccoons, even stray dogs and all the other potentially dangerous disease carrying animals in the area off my property. In fact, as Sampsons Dad pointed out, that's basically my dogs job. I guess I should build a ten foot electric barbed wire fence around my property to keep possible home robbers and lawn mower theives out too? And also have patrol gaurds armed with 22 rifles to kill off all of the cotton mouth snakes that come on to my property so that they wont be able to bite my dogs anymore and cost me another trip to the vet... Wow.. Suddenly, being a dog owner just doesn't seem like something humans are cut out for. I also never realised that living in a secluded wooded area could be so complicated and dangerous to my dogs health! Maybe I should start looking for a condo in the crowded city where there aren't so many threats. On second thought. Nah.. I think we'll just continue to risk it "out here in the sticks". 

On a lighter note, I'd like to thank some of you for your helpful responses to the actual question I asked. I woke up early this morning with intentions on taking him to the vet, but after seeing the great improvement, I dont think a visit to the vet will be needed. Of course, I'll be keeping a close eye on it. All of his shots are up to date, and the swelling has gone down a great deal over night, so I think he'll be fine.


----------



## Nizmo

good deal! i hope he gets better


----------



## cEElint

you dont necessarily have to put a fence around the entire property... just enough for the dogs to play in when they're outside unattended


----------



## performanceknls

shane_tweezy said:


> The swelling has went down over night. It is about half the size from what it was yesterday. So whatever it is, his immune system seems to be doing its job.
> There is no bite wound on or around the area that is swollen.
> 
> As for fences, and other ways of keeping my dogs on my property, and other dogs off.. *sigh*
> My dogs are mostly inside dogs. But when they are outside, they know where their allowed and where they aren't. I've never had any problem with them leaving my property.
> I feel it is my responsibility to keep MY dogs ON my property. Which I have done, without a fence. They are trained. And for 10 years, my "mental" fence has worked just fine for all of the dogs I have owned.
> I don't feel that I should have to spend money to keep coyotes,bobcats,raccoons, even stray dogs and all the other potentially dangerous disease carrying animals in the area off my property. In fact, as Sampsons Dad pointed out, that's basically my dogs job. I guess I should build a ten foot electric barbed wire fence around my property to keep possible home robbers and lawn mower theives out too? And also have patrol gaurds armed with 22 rifles to kill off all of the cotton mouth snakes that come on to my property so that they wont be able to bite my dogs anymore and cost me another trip to the vet... Wow.. Suddenly, being a dog owner just doesn't seem like something humans are cut out for. I also never realised that living in a secluded wooded area could be so complicated and dangerous to my dogs health! Maybe I should start looking for a condo in the crowded city where there aren't so many threats. On second thought. Nah.. I think we'll just continue to risk it "out here in the sticks".
> 
> On a lighter note, I'd like to thank some of you for your helpful responses to the actual question I asked. I woke up early this morning with intentions on taking him to the vet, but after seeing the great improvement, I dont think a visit to the vet will be needed. Of course, I'll be keeping a close eye on it. All of his shots are up to date, and the swelling has gone down a great deal over night, so I think he'll be fine.


Are you for real? I too live like you do but why would I put my dog's at risk with wild life? When we lived in the mountains we had bears, bob cat's and mountain lions. We has smaller fenced areas where the dogs could run unsupervised without getting into trouble. We did have a bear come over the fence one night but the dogs were inside. Your trying to give us this BS about living in the open so that means you do not have to protect your dogs? You said in the op that this has happened several times before. It is an easy fix but you justify your irresponsible behavior because you live in the country? Do what ever you feel you have to but IMO you have a sorry excuse you use to not spend the $100 to put up a dog run. Horse or sheep fence with t posts is very cheap and easy to do.


----------



## Nizmo

performanceknls said:


> Are you for real? I too live like you do but why would I put my dog's at risk with wild life? When we lived in the mountains we had bears, bob cat's and mountain lions. We has smaller fenced areas where the dogs could run unsupervised without getting into trouble. We did have a bear come over the fence one night but the dogs were inside. Your trying to give us this BS about living in the open so that means you do not have to protect your dogs? You said in the op that this has happened several times before. It is an easy fix but you justify your irresponsible behavior because you live in the country? Do what ever you feel you have to but IMO you have a sorry excuse you use to not spend the $100 to put up a dog run. Horse or sheep fence with t posts is very cheap and easy to do.


+ 1 :goodpost:


----------



## gxkon

shane_tweezy said:


> The swelling has went down over night. It is about half the size from what it was yesterday. So whatever it is, his immune system seems to be doing its job.
> There is no bite wound on or around the area that is swollen.
> 
> As for fences, and other ways of keeping my dogs on my property, and other dogs off.. *sigh*
> My dogs are mostly inside dogs. But when they are outside, they know where their allowed and where they aren't. I've never had any problem with them leaving my property.
> I feel it is my responsibility to keep MY dogs ON my property. Which I have done, without a fence. They are trained. And for 10 years, my "mental" fence has worked just fine for all of the dogs I have owned.
> I don't feel that I should have to spend money to keep coyotes,bobcats,raccoons, even stray dogs and all the other potentially dangerous disease carrying animals in the area off my property. In fact, as Sampsons Dad pointed out, that's basically my dogs job. I guess I should build a ten foot electric barbed wire fence around my property to keep possible home robbers and lawn mower theives out too? And also have patrol gaurds armed with 22 rifles to kill off all of the cotton mouth snakes that come on to my property so that they wont be able to bite my dogs anymore and cost me another trip to the vet... Wow.. Suddenly, being a dog owner just doesn't seem like something humans are cut out for. I also never realised that living in a secluded wooded area could be so complicated and dangerous to my dogs health! Maybe I should start looking for a condo in the crowded city where there aren't so many threats. On second thought. Nah.. I think we'll just continue to risk it "out here in the sticks".
> 
> On a lighter note, I'd like to thank some of you for your helpful responses to the actual question I asked. I woke up early this morning with intentions on taking him to the vet, but after seeing the great improvement, I dont think a visit to the vet will be needed. Of course, I'll be keeping a close eye on it. All of his shots are up to date, and the swelling has gone down a great deal over night, so I think he'll be fine.


its good you came here for some help and to learn but if yer not willing to spend money on yer dogs be it to go to vet or keep them safe u need to re home them u said yer self this happends from time to time so get a clue man watch yer dogs outside if they r inside dogs and like sampsons dad pointed out wild life stay off his property cuz of his dogs seems like wild life comes to your property and rnt scared of yer dogs u should take em to a vet just cuz the swelling has went down dont mean any thing you dont know whats wrong with them cuz if u did you wouldnt of asked and its not a good idea to come here being a smart a$$ because some people care about yer dogs more than you do and tell you to get a fence if you want a pet that u dont have to take care of all you got to do is feed and be done with it get some cats bro cuz you aint gettin it with dogs good luck with yer dogs hope they get better and u get a change of heart


----------



## Sampsons Dad

I think you people are being unreasnable. If the man uses his dogs to deal with guarding his farm who are you to say he is for using a combat bred animal as a working dog? You should take a step back and remember some people have dogs as true working animals. Dogs are not always treated as babies in this country. I was going to spread negative points but instead I decided to say ...mind your business.
A pit bull dog is not a delicate flower. It was created to do the job that this man is allowing them to do.
Now on the other hand...Shane....if you are going to have working dogs, you are going to have to get them treated when they get in to scraps. You are going to have a first aide kit ready for times that they get injured. Also you will need to develop a relationship with an old school country vet.
The very day you see scabs and injuries yu need to give antibiotics. 
EVERY TIME!
Bites Always cause infection and swelling. Obviously they are not always life threatening but if yu expect your dogs to work for you ...then you need to provide basic first aide and vet care.


----------



## Sadie's Dad

shane_tweezy said:


> The swelling has went down over night. It is about half the size from what it was yesterday. So whatever it is, his immune system seems to be doing its job.
> There is no bite wound on or around the area that is swollen.
> 
> As for fences, and other ways of keeping my dogs on my property, and other dogs off.. *sigh*
> My dogs are mostly inside dogs. But when they are outside, they know where their allowed and where they aren't. I've never had any problem with them leaving my property.
> I feel it is my responsibility to keep MY dogs ON my property. Which I have done, without a fence. They are trained. And for 10 years, my "mental" fence has worked just fine for all of the dogs I have owned.
> I don't feel that I should have to spend money to keep coyotes,bobcats,raccoons, even stray dogs and all the other potentially dangerous disease carrying animals in the area off my property. In fact, as Sampsons Dad pointed out, that's basically my dogs job. I guess I should build a ten foot electric barbed wire fence around my property to keep possible home robbers and lawn mower theives out too? And also have patrol gaurds armed with 22 rifles to kill off all of the cotton mouth snakes that come on to my property so that they wont be able to bite my dogs anymore and cost me another trip to the vet... Wow.. Suddenly, being a dog owner just doesn't seem like something humans are cut out for. I also never realised that living in a secluded wooded area could be so complicated and dangerous to my dogs health! Maybe I should start looking for a condo in the crowded city where there aren't so many threats. On second thought. Nah.. I think we'll just continue to risk it "out here in the sticks".
> 
> On a lighter note, I'd like to thank some of you for your helpful responses to the actual question I asked. I woke up early this morning with intentions on taking him to the vet, but after seeing the great improvement, I dont think a visit to the vet will be needed. Of course, I'll be keeping a close eye on it. All of his shots are up to date, and the swelling has gone down a great deal over night, so I think he'll be fine.


Then you really don't want to keep your dogs around then. All it takes is one time that they can't handle a few dogs and you have dogs that have a disease now and possibly get your dogs killed or the other dogs killed, in turn they will come take your dogs because of the dog on dog bite law. Just not responsible on your part. JMO


----------



## Nizmo

Sampsons Dad said:


> I think you people are being unreasnable. If the man uses his dogs to deal with guarding his farm who are you to say he is for using a combat bred animal as a working dog? You should take a step back and remember some people have dogs as true working animals. Dogs are not always treated as babies in this country. I was going to spread negative points but instead I decided to say ...mind your business.
> A pit bull dog is not a delicate flower. It was created to do the job that this man is allowing them to do.
> Now on the other hand...Shane....if you are going to have working dogs, you are going to have to get them treated when they get in to scraps. You are going to have a first aide kit ready for times that they get injured. Also you will need to develop a relationship with an old school country vet.
> The very day you see scabs and injuries yu need to give antibiotics.
> EVERY TIME!
> Bites Always cause infection and swelling. Obviously they are not always life threatening but if yu expect your dogs to work for you ...then you need to provide basic first aide and vet care.


thats asking for immunity towards antibiotics.

and why not get an actual guard dog to do the job, pitbulls arent bred for property guarding.

i think the OP is contradicting himself a tid bit hear.

so just becuase you dont agree with what was posted you want to sit there and hand out bad rep points?


----------



## Sampsons Dad

The reason people brought combat dogs to their farms were to keep wild animals away from humans. It is a correct and proper use for working dogs. Just because city people can not fathom the concept of a true working dog give y'all no right to hate a man for using a dog the way it was meant to be used.
-------------------------
No I would like to give negative reps for people who are unnecessarily rude.
By the way Nizmo....if you go to the vet for a bite wound ..you will usually get AB's ...that is normal protocol.


----------



## Nizmo

no ones hating anyone. i dont hate anyone.
i just think if your going to use a dog in that way you need to medically prepared for such a disaster and know what could happen and be prepared for it. JMO


----------



## Sadie's Dad

Sampsons Dad said:


> The reason people brought combat dogs to there farms were to keep wild animals away from humans. It is a correct and proper use for working dogs. Just because city people can not fathom the concept of a true working dog give y'all no right to hate a man for using a dog the way it was meant to be used.


Then he should like you said be ready to get his dogs medical attention. Or have a first aid kit. But they also said that they are inside pets and not guarding the Yard.


----------



## performanceknls

Sampsons Dad said:


> I think you people are being unreasnable. If the man uses his dogs to deal with guarding his farm who are you to say he is for using a combat bred animal as a working dog? You should take a step back and remember some people have dogs as true working animals. Dogs are not always treated as babies in this country. I was going to spread negative points but instead I decided to say ...mind your business.
> A pit bull dog is not a delicate flower. It was created to do the job that this man is allowing them to do.
> Now on the other hand...Shane....if you are going to have working dogs, you are going to have to get them treated when they get in to scraps. You are going to have a first aide kit ready for times that they get injured. Also you will need to develop a relationship with an old school country vet.
> The very day you see scabs and injuries yu need to give antibiotics.
> EVERY TIME!
> Bites Always cause infection and swelling. Obviously they are not always life threatening but if yu expect your dogs to work for you ...then you need to provide basic first aide and vet care.


This is not a matter of having dogs protect his property and obviously they are not doing a good job if they are getting beat up. When we lived in the mountains we had a great Pyrenees that protected out property. Our property was fenced and she kept most things out because that was she was bred to do. APBT's were not bred for that, they were bred to kill other dogs in a [] not patrol a property line. The op was not about guard dogs getting attacked it was about his pets getting attacked by a pack of wild dogs. And the fact that keeps happening is the point of building a dog run.

I know ppl work with APBT's as coyote killer but this is not the case with this thread. This is just good old fashion bad dog ownership. Side with him if you want but I think the op is just lazy and not wanting to spend the money on taking care of the dogs.

This is just like the other member we have who's dog's keep getting run over because he has no fence and lives in the country. How many dead dogs do you have to go through before you get a clue that something is wrong with your situation?


----------



## Sampsons Dad

PitBulls were not bred to kill dogs in a square...they were a cattle catching dog as well as all around farm dogs. They became game dogs later when there were less farms and bull baiting was outlawed.


----------



## Nizmo

Sampsons Dad said:


> PitBulls were not bred to kill dogs in a square...they were a cattle catching dog as well as all around farm dogs. They became game dogs later when there were less farms and bull baiting was outlawed.


all around working farm dogs. never once have i read any where that they were used in guarding property.

if im mistaken please provide me with a link proving me wrong.


----------



## Sampsons Dad

What do you think a cattle dog is for?
Do you think farmers had one type of dog for guarding, one type for catching, one type for petting? No the pit bull dog was and should be an all around working dog. As for links....i dont know how to link a book to a PC....lol


----------



## performanceknls

No where in the original post did he say these dogs are working dogs and protect his property. These are two house pets that go outside and occasionally get attacked by a pack of dogs......... You are trying to argue our breed as a working breed but that is not the case with this post. I completely understand about the working aspect of our breed and that they should be versatile BUT you do not take house dogs and turn them loose and let them fend for themselves with a pack of wild dogs. I understand your point but it is not relevant to this thread.


----------



## davidfitness83

Sampson's dad is reffering to the original Bulldog from which the APBT stemmed from. I don't agree with not taking the dog to the vet everytime it gets hurt however. If Bernie has even a hint of something wrong with him he is in the vet's office the same day or the next day the latest. That's just me and I keep him as a pet/couch potatoe. If he was a real working dog and he was doing daily work at my property I would be even more careful than I already am.


----------



## performanceknls

Yes and we are talking about the APBT that was a box dog not the original bulldog that did bull baiting.
That's like me taking my pet house dogs who do not work and training them on a bull. They should be able to bring him down right? They are bulldogs after all and should be able to do all kinds of work........

No they are house pets and their job is to lay on my couch! A working dog is one thing but taking two house dogs, like the op said, and letting them fend for themselves with a pack if dogs is not working it is being irresponsible IMO.


----------



## davidfitness83

performanceknls said:


> Yes and we are talking about the APBT that was a box dog not the original bulldog that did bull baiting.
> That's like me taking my pet house dogs who do not work and training them on a bull. They should be able to bring him down right? They are bulldogs after all and should be able to do all kinds of work........
> 
> No they are house pets and their job is to lay on my couch! A working dog is one thing but taking two house dogs, like the op said, and letting them fend for themselves with a pack if dogs is not working it is being irresponsible IMO.


I skimmed the posting and did not read it entirely, I did not know they were just house pets. If I let Bernie roam around like that he would a coyote's prime rib dinner lol


----------



## Sampsons Dad

Starting a new thread.


----------



## thaim

never once have i read about the pitbull being a GUARDIAN. maybe a catching dog of rats and mice yes but to FIGHT un wanted wild life no! these dogs were specifically bred to fight eachother. there are OTHER dogs that are way more effective then pitbulls are at guarding. who the heck told u that this breed was bred for guarding thier owners? ur obviously misinformed. maybe that dogo argentino in ur display picture mislead you about the real apbt's. dogo's are guardians! not apbt's!


----------



## Sampsons Dad

thaim said:


> never once have i read about the pitbull being a GUARDIAN. maybe a catching dog of rats and mice yes but to FIGHT un wanted wild life no! these dogs were specifically bred to fight eachother. there are OTHER dogs that are way more effective then pitbulls are at guarding. who the heck told u that this breed was bred for guarding thier owners? ur obviously misinformed. maybe that dogo argentino in ur display picture mislead you about the real apbt's. dogo's are guardians! not apbt's!


lol...OK buddy...whatever floats your boat.
I recommend that you read the context of my posts.
"Estate Guardian" against predators and and wild life is a job the American Pit Bull Terrier did very well in the west/Midwest. Read a little bit of Stratton's writing.


----------



## thaim

i never said a pitbull wasnt capable of doing so. my boy is always rdy to protect me when ever its nessecary. but if it was a guardian dog u wanted then an apbt is probably not the best dog of choice. there are other breeds that can be used more effectively.


----------



## Sampsons Dad

thaim said:


> i never said a pitbull wasnt capable of doing so. my boy is always rdy to protect me when ever its nessecary. but if it was a guardian dog u wanted then an apbt is probably not the best dog of choice. there are other breeds that can be used more effectively.


When a dog protects against wild animals that is a different drive than personal protection from humans. As I said before I am talking about protection from encroaching wild life or feral dogs.


----------



## rednose504

i know if any dangerous wild dog or wild animal came on my propety my dogs would be all over em. they keep the raccoons out the cats food, and out my fruit and vegatable garden... along with the crazy stray cats. they will fight under my house and as soon asmy dogs here em they are out the door. plus the cats wake me up at 3 in the morning


----------



## rednose504

Sampsons Dad said:


> When a dog protects against wild animals that is a different drive than personal protection from humans. As I said before I am talking about protection from encroaching wild life or feral dogs.


i agree , people seem to be making em out to be the same deal


----------



## shane_tweezy

LoL, amazing.. Simply amazing. 
Where do I even begin? 
First, I have been a dog owner since I was 18. I'm now 28. I've never had a dog die due to negligence. NEVER. I've had 2 dogs die. One from heart disease, and one I had put down because of a hip disorder which was causing severe pain and suffering, and was only treatable by having a hip transplant, which costed around $4000. So yeah, I was a cheap a$$, and had him put to sleep. All in all, I'd say I have a pretty good track record of caring for my animals. So suggesting that I am not a responsible dog owner, or I should get cats instead is just... Funny...

My dogs protect my home, and also make great companions. Yes, they can DO BOTH believe it or not. They spend most of their day outdoors lying around in the yard catching some sun rays,digging holes, chasing their tails, etc... And come inside in the afternoons and sleep inside. The dog fights which I spoke of that have happened a few times have happened at night when I let them out to use the bathroom. Normally I leave the door open and they just come in when they are finished doing their business, but its been quite cold here lately, so I've been closing the door, and let them back in when they bark at the door to let me know they are ready to come in. 
And in their defense.. For 2 dogs to fight off a pack of dogs, and come home with minor scraps and scratches, wagging their tails.. Seems to me they are doing a pretty good job of protecting my property. 
As for my pitbull that had the swollen neck... I got him from a guy who was using him for hog hunting. He was injured pretty bad while hunting when a wild hog stabbed him in his side with it's tusk, and the owner was going to shoot him, and I asked that he give him to me instead. It costed me $1200 in vet bills to get him taken care of and he made a perfect recovery. So to the person that made the statement about I just dont want to spend the money to go to the vet to have my dog treated.. I assure you, money was certainly not the reason for my hesitation. But back to the point, I consider him to be a house dog, because I dont use him to hunt, and he sleeps inside and basically hangs around the house all day. In other words, I dont use him for a specific job. However, he was bred and raised as a hog dog. Which IMO makes him a very good property protector when it comes to wild animals. So to the guy that said "maybe a catching dog of rats and mice yes but to FIGHT un wanted wild life no!", you obviously don't know your dog or it's capabilities as well as you think. I think the word "nuisance" would quilify as "un wanted"... And both hogs, AND coyotes are by state law considered a nuisance animal. And as most pitbull owners know... Pitbulls are one of the most popular dogs used for hunting hogs, and the fact that pitbulls were bred for dog fighting makes them great coyote killers.

I got on here looking for anyone that may have had a similar problem and could maybe tell me what was causing the fluid build up. I had a pretty good idea of what it was, but i wanted to get someone elses opinion that may have seen this before... Also, I am very prepared to care for my dogs and their wounds. And I do have antibiotics, along with an EMT medical kit, which I am qualified to use for minor emergencies. I've had to give my dogs a stitch or two over the past 10 years. I dont need to run to the vet every time one of my animals has a tummy ache or a scratch or cut. And for the record, I gave my regular vet a call, and explained what happened, and was told that as long as the swelling was going down, and there were no other signs of a problem like throwing up, trouble breathing, or not eating, that it is likely a minor infection and he should be fine.

I cant help but to wonder if I would have gotten this same reaction if I would have went on a non specific breed dog forum, and simply not mentioned that my dogs are pitbulls. Something tells me I would have probably gotten some more helpful responses, and less crap about keeping my dogs contained as if they are convicted criminals and shouldn't be allowed to run free on THEIR PROPERTY! This is MY PROPERTY, and they belong TO ME, therefore, this is THEIR PROPERTY too, and I am proud that my dogs are willing to put themselves in harms way to protect our property from unwanted intruders. What if it was ME that was walking out to go check the mail, or just enjoy a walk outside to look at the night sky, and I was attacked by that same pack of wild dogs? Would you people blame me and say I should put up a fence to keep myself from roaming around my property?

*And by the way, lol, Sampsons Dad, sorry you got caught up in this But I appreciate you bringing up the excellent points, and it's good to know that there are still a few humans amongst the sheep.*


----------



## shane_tweezy

rednose504 said:


> i know if any dangerous wild dog or wild animal came on my propety my dogs would be all over em. they keep the raccoons out the cats food, and out my fruit and vegatable garden... along with the crazy stray cats. they will fight under my house and as soon asmy dogs here em they are out the door. plus the cats wake me up at 3 in the morning


 WHOA! So You're proud to have dogs that are willing to attack unwelcomed animals on your property too? Apparently dog owners like us are a rare find these days. Nice to meet ya buddy lol


----------



## Sampsons Dad

shane_tweezy said:


> LoL, amazing.. Simply amazing.
> Where do I even begin?
> First, I have been a dog owner since I was 18. I'm now 28. I've never had a dog die due to negligence. NEVER. I've had 2 dogs die. One from heart disease, and one I had put down because of a hip disorder which was causing severe pain and suffering, and was only treatable by having a hip transplant, which costed around $4000. So yeah, I was a cheap a$$, and had him put to sleep. All in all, I'd say I have a pretty good track record of caring for my animals. So suggesting that I am not a responsible dog owner, or I should get cats instead is just... Funny...
> 
> My dogs protect my home, and also make great companions. Yes, they can DO BOTH believe it or not. They spend most of their day outdoors lying around in the yard catching some sun rays,digging holes, chasing their tails, etc... And come inside in the afternoons and sleep inside. The dog fights which I spoke of that have happened a few times have happened at night when I let them out to use the bathroom. Normally I leave the door open and they just come in when they are finished doing their business, but its been quite cold here lately, so I've been closing the door, and let them back in when they bark at the door to let me know they are ready to come in.
> And in their defense.. For 2 dogs to fight off a pack of dogs, and come home with minor scraps and scratches, wagging their tails.. Seems to me they are doing a pretty good job of protecting my property.
> As for my pitbull that had the swollen neck... I got him from a guy who was using him for hog hunting. He was injured pretty bad while hunting when a wild hog stabbed him in his side with it's tusk, and the owner was going to shoot him, and I asked that he give him to me instead. It costed me $1200 in vet bills to get him taken care of and he made a perfect recovery. So to the person that made the statement about I just dont want to spend the money to go to the vet to have my dog treated.. I assure you, money was certainly not the reason for my hesitation. But back to the point, I consider him to be a house dog, because I dont use him to hunt, and he sleeps inside and basically hangs around the house all day. In other words, I dont use him for a specific job. However, he was bred and raised as a hog dog. Which IMO makes him a very good property protector when it comes to wild animals. So to the guy that said "maybe a catching dog of rats and mice yes but to FIGHT un wanted wild life no!", you obviously don't know your dog or it's capabilities as well as you think. I think the word "nuisance" would quilify as "un wanted"... And both hogs, AND coyotes are by state law considered a nuisance animal. And as most pitbull owners know... Pitbulls are one of the most popular dogs used for hunting hogs, and the fact that pitbulls were bred for dog fighting makes them great coyote killers.
> 
> I got on here looking for anyone that may have had a similar problem and could maybe tell me what was causing the fluid build up. I had a pretty good idea of what it was, but i wanted to get someone elses opinion that may have seen this before... Also, I am very prepared to care for my dogs and their wounds. And I do have antibiotics, along with an EMT medical kit, which I am qualified to use for minor emergencies. I've had to give my dogs a stitch or two over the past 10 years. I dont need to run to the vet every time one of my animals has a tummy ache or a scratch or cut. And for the record, I gave my regular vet a call, and explained what happened, and was told that as long as the swelling was going down, and there were no other signs of a problem like throwing up, trouble breathing, or not eating, that it is likely a minor infection and he should be fine.
> 
> I cant help but to wonder if I would have gotten this same reaction if I would have went on a non specific breed dog forum, and simply not mentioned that my dogs are pitbulls. Something tells me I would have probably gotten some more helpful responses, and less crap about keeping my dogs contained as if they are convicted criminals and shouldn't be allowed to run free on THEIR PROPERTY! This is MY PROPERTY, and they belong TO ME, therefore, this is THEIR PROPERTY too, and I am proud that my dogs are willing to put themselves in harms way to protect our property from unwanted intruders. What if it was ME that was walking out to go check the mail, or just enjoy a walk outside to look at the night sky, and I was attacked by that same pack of wild dogs? Would you people blame me and say I should put up a fence to keep myself from roaming around my property?
> 
> *And by the way, lol, Sampsons Dad, sorry you got caught up in this But I appreciate you bringing up the excellent points, and it's good to know that there are still a few humans amongst the sheep.*


lol....until people go hunting they just don't realize how tough a well bred bull dog is. It is just perception and persuasion. I didn't realize how tough they were as a young kid in the city until I saw them work....then pow! ...you really appreciate what the dog is made of....
like that book...Dogs of Velvet and Steel.


----------



## rednose504

shane_tweezy said:


> LoL, amazing.. Simply amazing.
> Where do I even begin?
> First, I have been a dog owner since I was 18. I'm now 28. I've never had a dog die due to negligence. NEVER. I've had 2 dogs die. One from heart disease, and one I had put down because of a hip disorder which was causing severe pain and suffering, and was only treatable by having a hip transplant, which costed around $4000. So yeah, I was a cheap a$$, and had him put to sleep. All in all, I'd say I have a pretty good track record of caring for my animals. So suggesting that I am not a responsible dog owner, or I should get cats instead is just... Funny...
> 
> My dogs protect my home, and also make great companions. Yes, they can DO BOTH believe it or not. They spend most of their day outdoors lying around in the yard catching some sun rays,digging holes, chasing their tails, etc... And come inside in the afternoons and sleep inside. The dog fights which I spoke of that have happened a few times have happened at night when I let them out to use the bathroom. Normally I leave the door open and they just come in when they are finished doing their business, but its been quite cold here lately, so I've been closing the door, and let them back in when they bark at the door to let me know they are ready to come in.
> And in their defense.. For 2 dogs to fight off a pack of dogs, and come home with minor scraps and scratches, wagging their tails.. Seems to me they are doing a pretty good job of protecting my property.
> As for my pitbull that had the swollen neck... I got him from a guy who was using him for hog hunting. He was injured pretty bad while hunting when a wild hog stabbed him in his side with it's tusk, and the owner was going to shoot him, and I asked that he give him to me instead. It costed me $1200 in vet bills to get him taken care of and he made a perfect recovery. So to the person that made the statement about I just dont want to spend the money to go to the vet to have my dog treated.. I assure you, money was certainly not the reason for my hesitation. But back to the point, I consider him to be a house dog, because I dont use him to hunt, and he sleeps inside and basically hangs around the house all day. In other words, I dont use him for a specific job. However, he was bred and raised as a hog dog. Which IMO makes him a very good property protector when it comes to wild animals. So to the guy that said "maybe a catching dog of rats and mice yes but to FIGHT un wanted wild life no!", you obviously don't know your dog or it's capabilities as well as you think. I think the word "nuisance" would quilify as "un wanted"... And both hogs, AND coyotes are by state law considered a nuisance animal. And as most pitbull owners know... Pitbulls are one of the most popular dogs used for hunting hogs, and the fact that pitbulls were bred for dog fighting makes them great coyote killers.
> 
> I got on here looking for anyone that may have had a similar problem and could maybe tell me what was causing the fluid build up. I had a pretty good idea of what it was, but i wanted to get someone elses opinion that may have seen this before... Also, I am very prepared to care for my dogs and their wounds. And I do have antibiotics, along with an EMT medical kit, which I am qualified to use for minor emergencies. I've had to give my dogs a stitch or two over the past 10 years. I dont need to run to the vet every time one of my animals has a tummy ache or a scratch or cut. And for the record, I gave my regular vet a call, and explained what happened, and was told that as long as the swelling was going down, and there were no other signs of a problem like throwing up, trouble breathing, or not eating, that it is likely a minor infection and he should be fine.
> 
> I cant help but to wonder if I would have gotten this same reaction if I would have went on a non specific breed dog forum, and simply not mentioned that my dogs are pitbulls. Something tells me I would have probably gotten some more helpful responses, and less crap about keeping my dogs contained as if they are convicted criminals and shouldn't be allowed to run free on THEIR PROPERTY! This is MY PROPERTY, and they belong TO ME, therefore, this is THEIR PROPERTY too, and I am proud that my dogs are willing to put themselves in harms way to protect our property from unwanted intruders. What if it was ME that was walking out to go check the mail, or just enjoy a walk outside to look at the night sky, and I was attacked by that same pack of wild dogs? Would you people blame me and say I should put up a fence to keep myself from roaming around my property?
> 
> *And by the way, lol, Sampsons Dad, sorry you got caught up in this But I appreciate you bringing up the excellent points, and it's good to know that there are still a few humans amongst the sheep.*


they do have game dog sites that would understand where you are coming from better, alot of people these days like to treat ther dogs like kids


----------



## shane_tweezy

Sampsons Dad said:


> lol....until people go hunting they just don't realize how tough a well bred bull dog is. It is just perception and persuasion. I didn't realize how tough they were as a young kid in the city until I saw them work....then pow! ...you really appreciate what the dog is made of....
> like that book...Dogs of Velvet and Steel.


So true.. So true.. And you are right. Until you see a working breed dog at work, you just dont get it... I've owned several different breeds of working dogs, and they are all impressive at what they do. I have to admit there is only one other dog that I owned that impressed more than the pitbull when it comes to a working breed. My Rhodesian Ridgeback. That dog was simply amazing. Unfortunately, she was one of the two dogs that I mentioned earlier that needed the hip replacement. I still feel some regret for not going ahead and spending the money to have it done, but it was just one of those hard decisions that I had to make.


----------



## shane_tweezy

rednose504 said:


> they do have game dog sites that would understand where you are coming from better, alot of people these days like to treat ther dogs like kids


 That's a great point, and actually, while searching for a pitbull forum, I came across a few of those game dog sites, and chose not to use them. I've known some people that used game dogs, and I didn't like the conditions they kept their dogs in or the way they treated them. Im sure they aren't all that way.. But the guys I knew were pretty ruthless when it came to their dogs. One of those guys was the previous owner of my pitbull, that was going to shoot him like he was nothing just because he was injured. 
I don't treat my dogs like a child, or a human being, but I do care for them and I could never shoot one of my dogs.


----------



## Sampsons Dad

shane_tweezy said:


> That's a great point, and actually, while searching for a pitbull forum, I came across a few of those game dog sites, and chose not to use them. I've known some people that used game dogs, and I didn't like the conditions they kept their dogs in or the way they treated them. Im sure they aren't all that way.. But the guys I knew were pretty ruthless when it came to their dogs. One of those guys was the previous owner of my pitbull, that was going to shoot him like he was nothing just because he was injured.
> I don't treat my dogs like a child, or a human being, but I do care for them and I could never shoot one of my dogs.


I met some guys that kept a .22 pistol with stingers to "cull."
I was surprised to say the least that in todays day and age they would choose to bang 'em in the head instead of PTS'ing the poor dog..


----------

