Is Swelling In The Arm And Shoulder Pain After A Dog Bite Require Immediate Medical Attention?

Posted on Mon, 5 Feb 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 5 Feb 2018 Answered on

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 Last reviewed on

Question : I was bitten by a dog that I know is vaccinated, last thurs. my arm is slightly swollen but hurts to the shoulder, and is a little warmer to the touch. I have been cleaning the wound around the thumb regularly with peroxide. I would like to wait until tomorrow to see my physician. Do I need to worry?

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (36 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
inflammation/infection?

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

pain, redness, swelling and warmth are signs of inflammation. You've got at least two of them. Infection is also likely but I can't say without clinical examination (and without a picture as well). Another helpful sign would be your body temperature. If you have fever then the infection is a sure thing and that would be an urgent situation. Otherwise you can wait until tomorrow for your doctor's assessment.

Hope I have answered your query.

Kind Regards!
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis,
Internal Medicine Specialist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar