My dog broke my nose less than a week ago, now I have a fever and constant clear liquid coming out of it and a horrible cough.

The symptoms you describe certainly warrant expert evaluation by an otolaryngologist/skull base surgeon.  While clear drainage can be caused by benign conditions, it also could indicate a skull base injury.  Please have this assessed.

Thank you for the question. I agree with the other experts -- you should see an ENT to rule out a CSF leak. This is pretty rare after nasal fracture, but your symptoms are concerning.

Thank you for your question.Although uncommon, there is a possibility that you have a cribiform plate injury resulting in a Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak, CSF leak.This can be a very serious matter.Report to your doctor or the emergency room.This message does not substitute for medical care in your state by a licensed medical provider.I hope this helps.

Dear fwinter0724It sounds like a coincidence, broken nose and a URI at same time. I agree that at this point supportive care for your cold is first and foremost. IF your cold resolves and you still have clear runny nose, I would go back to your ENT to make you don't have a CSF leak; although very unlikely, you need to make sure that is not the case. Otherwise, you only need to fix a deviated septum if it effects your breathing.  A nasal fracture only needs to be reduced if it bothers you.

Thank you for your question.A broken nose combined with clear nasal discharge and fever are suggestive of two possibilities (barring some other REALLY rare possibilities) - a broken nose combined with a viral upper respiratory infection (also known as a cold), or a broken nose combined with a skull base fracture or cribriform plate fracture.While it's possible that you've got a cold simultaneously with a broken nose, the combination of fever, clear nasal discharge, and recent trauma suggest the possibility that the portion of the nose that connects to the cribriform plate (a paper-thin bony structure that separates the nasal cavity from the brain) may have cracked and may be allowing cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord) to leak out and bacteria or viruses to sneak into the skull and cause an infection of either the tissue surrounding the brain (meningitis) or the brain itself (encephalitis).This is VERY concerning - I recommend that you find a good ENT surgeon who can help you differentiate this - if it is, in fact, a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, you may end up needing surgery in which an ENT surgeon and a neurosurgeon would work together to help patch the hole and treat the infection.  Another alternative would be to go to the emergency room.A consultation is imperative right away, and I suggest that you not delay in pursuing a more definitive diagnosis.  This correspondence is not a substitute for medical care - you should construe this as a medical consultation.  This information is provided for educational purposes only.Best wishes.