My dog had surgery for a lump. Is an enlarged lymph node serious?

In my experience lymph nodes can be enlarged for days to week after a dental cleaning if the teeth were bad enough. However best thing to do is aspirate the lymph node and send out the cytology. This will tell you for sure why they are enlarged and help you not worry.

From the location my best guess would be an enlarged lymph node - this could be confirmed on a physical exam performed by your vet. Lymph nodes are where his immune system is stored and can become enlarged when Luicus is fighting an infection, or inflammation. It may be best to have him examined tomorrow to check he's not running a fever.

Hello, sorry to hear about Giuseppe. Because the lymph node has decreased in size with antibiotics alone and the fact that only a single lymph node is enlarged, this is less likely consistent with lymphoma. Lymphoma typically affects multiple nodes and does not respond to antibiotics. Occasionally, active lymph nodes may remain slightly enlarged for a few days, or if the infection is not being completely treated then the lymph node may remain big. The best way to confirm if this lymph node has lymphoma or not, would be to obtain cytology with a with a needle aspirate to have a pathologist examine the cells. Cytology is generally a non-invasive procedure and could be done by your veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

An enlarged lymph node will feel firmer than a lipoma. It won't be as "smooth" and uniform. It may have some texture (think 'chewed bubble gum'). Unfortunately, there is no definitive way to find out except by aspirating it or having a biopsy performed by your veterinarian.

Surgery to remove a peripheral lymph node is not any more invasive than the surgery to remove a mast cell tumor on the skin. I'm assuming this lymph node is one that is near his shoulder or behind his knee. This could provide valuable information, because additional treatment would be recommended if cancerous mast cells are confirmed in the lymph node even though the initial biopsy came back as a low grade tumor that is less likely to spread. You can always ask your vet about the potential complications of surgery.

I would recommend a vet visit. The vet can do a needle aspirate and take a look at the cells. While this may be a location for a lymph node it does not necessarily have to be lymphoma. Enlarged lymph nodes may be due to cancer, or inflammation or infection. Or it's possible it's not a lymph node and may be another type of mass or swelling. I recommend a vet visit to try to see what is swollen and why.

That is a large, lobulated lump (no just one defined lump) in a location that would generally never have something like a swollen lymph nodes. I recommend making an appointment with your vet for a fine needle aspirate (where they aspirate cells from the mass and put them on a slide to be sent out for review) to determine if it is an abscess or a tumor/cancer of some sort. Best wishes for Diesel!