Swollen Chin

This is a little hard to explain if you have never seen it but sometimes dogs and cats will get a swollen area on their chin or jaw. The first thing to do if you see this is try to check their mouth to see if they have an infected tooth or area on their gums.

If their teeth and gums look good, then what they probably have is acne or what is sometimes called a rodent ulcer (sounds gross doesn't it). This is very easy to treat at home but you do have to be persistent and keep treating the area until it is totally healed.

One of the best things to have in the house is epsom salts. Epsom salts are great for treating hot spots, cuts, swollen joints, abcesses and pimples.

When you first notice the acne you need to get a bowl of very warm water and put about 2 tablespoons of epsom salt per cup of water. Dip a washcloth in the water, wring it out just until it is not dripping and place the wash cloth on the swollen area.

Every few minutes you need to dip the wash cloth and put it back on the swollen area. It's best to do this for 15-20 minutes but sometimes your pet will not hold still that long so just do it as long as you can.

Do this at least twice a day until the area is totally healed. Just to be sure that you don't stop too soon, it is best to soak the area with the epsom salt solution a day or two longer than you think you need to. If you stop before the infection is completely pulled out of the area, then the area will swell back up and you will have to start over.

If you don't think the soaks are helping, then you will need to make an appointment with your vet to get antibiotics and to make sure there is not something else going on.