Dog Nose Injuries

[momofnicco]

My 8 month old Boxer-Lab mix was playing and hit my hand with his nose.  I heard something crack but I wasn't sure what it was, so I checked his mouth.  It seems as if he bite his tongue, because I saw a little blood.   However, I am concerned that he might have broken his nose.  He does not seem to be in any pain but I did notice a small amount of swelling on his nose.

Is it possible for a dog to break its nose?  If so, how can I determine if it is broken for sure, besides going to the vet?  What are treatments options for a broken nose?  What are the short and long term effects of a dog breaking its nose?

[ginger899]

I'm so glad everything was ok. I bet that snapping sound was just his teeth snapping shut. As dogs' teeth are usually incredibly strong, I thought it would have been unusual if he'd even broken a tooth actually!

But it was best you checked it out with the vet. I'm the same. I took my dog in for the TINIEST little lump on her breast! It was about... O... this size! The vet didn't laugh at me, and needle-biopsied it (poor doggy) It was absolutely nothing! But I'm the same as you :-)
Best wishes to you and your dog.

[momofnicco]

Thanks for the input!  Like I mentioned to Ginger, Nicco's nose and teeth are fine.  He is playing and enjoying the weather. Thanks for the adivse,  This was my first time using this online community and I found it quite informative.

Enjoy your day and your pet!

[momofnicco]

Thanks for the advise.  I took Nicco to the vet and he was fine. His nose wasn't broken, nor were any of his teeth chipped or broken.   I guess I am just a nervous mom!  The vet said the swelling may have been just irritation, but I think he was leaning more towards "nrevous mom" than irritation.  :-)

Enjoy your day and Ginger!

[Ghilly]

I completely agree with Ginger.  Without having a vet check him out, it's not going to be possible to tell if there has been damage done to teeth as well as his nose.  It will be worth it in the long run to have him checked out.  That way, if anything untoward comes up, there will be no doubt as to whether or not the knock to the nose could have been responsible for it, or whether it is from something totally unrelated.

Please keep us posted as to how he is doing, and what the vet says.  Good luck!

Ghilly

[ginger899]

I think you should go to the vet to check it out properly.

I was thinking it might not have been his nose breaking that you heard, it might have been his teeth clacking together hard (?) He might even have broken a tooth possibly.
I don't know for sure if hitting your hand with his nose would be a blow hard enough to break the bones in his nose. If he were a very small dog....possibly. But he's not so small. If the blow was hard enough to break his nose, it might have been hard enough to really damage your hand.