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Testicles are swollen.

Species: Dog
Breed: lab spanial mix
Age: 1-2 years
Bingo was hit from behind by a car mon nite. He got several cuts on 1 side of face, nostral bleed on that side, not move back legs at all, several cuts on 1 back leg, bleeding from rectum. Cleaned & bandaged his face & leg, rectal bleeding stopped shortly after he pooed, and lil blood dripping from nostral when left him 4 nite. N morn, nostral bleed was still dripping a bit & rectum was dripping blood again, but he was n 2 much pain 2 move him, so vet came out that day. no xray, but was told he had definate spinal trauma, possible nerve damage, looked like only a tear inside rectum, and did have feeling n back legs (said if he was 2 regain use of back legs could b 3 weeks to 3 months). gave him 10 days of cephalexin & tramadol 4 pain. nose bleed stopped by that eve, rectal bleed oozing off & on still (gets worse when he tries to move around or poo) but is not alot of blood at all. Is taking meds 2X day, eatin canned food, drinkin water, peein couple times a day, but not much pooin (full load mon nite rite after accident, little bit thurs afternoon, lil bit of oozy mess friday, and a few little bloody chunks this (sat) afternoon). He can sit alittle using his front legs, but hasn't even attempted to move lower part of his body (FYI, he is tailless). His testicals & back leg w/cuts r very swollen 4 last 2 days only, & he didn't eat as much 2day (prob cause he's not pooing much & feels full). ABOUT THE SWELLING, SHOULD I B CONCERNED OR WAIT IT OUT? could it b a side effect of meds? or more like a bruise due 2 the hit & will subside on own, add ice & rest, type thing? or does it sound more like an internal bleed or something along those lines?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Kary. I am so sorry to hear about Bingo. This sounds like a very difficult situation!

There are a few possible reasons for his testicles and back legs to be swollen. It is not a side effect of the medication. There is a good chance that it is bruising from the accident. This area (especially the testicles) has a lot of blood vessels and can bruise very easily. However, because there are a lot of blood vessels this can make bleeding a possibility as well. It is often difficult to tell the difference between the two. One way to tell if there is significant internal bleeding would be to have a look at his gum color. If his gums look really pale this can be a sign of serious bleeding. However, if they are normal this does not rule out bleeding.

Is there any way you can have some xrays done for Bingo? With what you have described I am really concerned that he may have a pelvic fracture. While some pelvic fractures can heal with several weeks of rest and nursing care, some of them will not heal without surgery.

For now, icing the area (if he will tolerate it) several times per day will help. But, I would highly advice that he gets some xrays and has the vet see him again.

I really hope he does ok!

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Ok. yeah, that makes since now why the vet checked his gums a couple times while she was out. I just checked them and they don't seem to be pale to me, they look the same as always. the vet said she was pretty sure there were no fractures cause they cause alot of swelling & he didnt have that when she was out almost 15 hours after the accident (she had me give him asprin 4 pain a few hours b4 she was able to come out). the leg that has swelling is his left back. the first couple days after the accident we had him laying on his right side, so we could get to the hurt leg better. on wed eve & thurs he kept tring to get up, so we placed him on his left side figuring he needed to move a bit, & that seemed to help his restlessness. the next day i noticed his left leg (now under his right) & testicals were begginning to swell. by sat (yesterday), they were obviously swollen, so we put him onto his left side again, hoping to relieve some pressure, but by eve there was still no change. this morn however, the swelling in his leg has gone down alot, almost back to normal, but there is not much change in his testicals, the swelling has gone down a little though. my husband would really rather not spend anymore than we already have - the house call 4 our area was not very cheap.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

It is definitely good news that some of the swelling is going down. Let's hope that this is just bruising. If testicles get bruised they tend to get very swollen.

I wish I could tell you more, but this is a very tough situation to advise without actually getting to see your dog.

We can never say for sure if there are no fractures without actually doing xrays. These are tough situations because xrays can be expensive. However, with xrays we can have a better idea as to whether he is likely to get better.

I would definitely advise that you call your vet as soon as they are open again. They can often give you advice on the phone and usually will not charge for it.

I really hope he does ok.

Dr. Marie.



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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.