Dog's head lump growing despite antibiotics. What should I do?

Poor Sunny! I'm wondering if these bumps are cysts or abscesses, and they may need to be drained sterilely to treat them in addition to the medications. Because they are growing bigger and Sunny is extremely uncomfortable, I would bring him back into the vet tomorrow for an exam.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If you can shave the fur away and clean the area twice daily with warm and mild soap then apply a topical antibacterial cream twice daily it may help. If the area gets worse or isn't starting to improve with a week you should have her seen by a Vet. Most exams and antibiotics shouldn't be that expensive. I hope this helps and I wish Akuma the best!

Yes! If there is no improvement then he definitely needs a recheck. They can always aspirate or biopsy a sample of that growth to determine if it is a lymph node or a salivary gland because it may need a surgery ir simply stronger antibiotics. Blood work may not be a bad idea either to make sure there isn't a systemic infection.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Lucy evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

I am sorry to hear that! It may be that the infection is still going on - you may need a longer course of the antibiotic or perhaps a different one. I would recommend having them expressed again to see if there is still debris present. I would also want to double check and make sure there is not a mass present in the area:( You can ask for a biopsy to be done if the lump seems unrelated to the infection. I hope this helps and that it is nothing more than a persistent infection!

Antibiotics will only decrease the size of a mass if the mass is infected. If it is a benign mass, it will likely stay the same size and will not go away without surgery. If your veterinarian took a sample of the mass, they may be able to tell you what they think it is. Benign masses tend to stay the same size or grow very slowly over time. If it is enlarging quickly, it should be evaluated again. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If he is leaking fluid through the lump then it may need to be opened, drained, and flushed. You should call your vet and give him/her an update and see if they want to recheck your dog for possible drainage. Hope he gets better soon!