My dog has a lump and cough after flu shots. Can I wait until morning?

If Pilos is resting and not having labored breathing, he should be ok to wait until tomorrow for his vet visit. Call ahead, and when you arrive the staff may encourage you to wait in the car with him until the vet is ready to examine him, or they may bring you straight into an exam room to prevent spread of infection. Fingers crossed its just a mild respiratory infection, but I'm glad you're taking precautions.

I wouldn't worry about the lump just yet, but I would have it checked out by the vet on Monday. This lump could be a cyst, an abscess, a lipoma, or a benign tumor. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the vet diagnoses the cause of the lump, they can discuss treatment with you.

I would not be worried just yet. Even though he was fully vaccinated he could still have acquired kennel cough (bordetella). That vaccine is not 100% effective. If they have been vaccinated against it and they do end up getting kennel cough usually the symptoms are less severe and the course of the disease is shorter so having the vaccine is worthwhile. Was he vaccinated for influenza (flu)? Again, not a 100% protective vaccine (just like out flu vaccine). This could be more serious if he caught the flu. Just monitor him for worsening signs - not eating, extreme lethargy, increased coughing, not drinking, ocular/nasal discharge, etc. If you notice any of those signs then I would take him to your vet for an exam. A little bit tired and mild coughing is not too worrisome at this stage. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

This could be inflammation of the muscle but rarely an abscess can form at the site of an injection. As long as Cookie is otherwise completely normal she should be ok to wait until tomorrow to she her veterinarian.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian has she has several issues. It is unlikely that the cough is related to the bump on her leg. She could have a respiratory tract infection, allergies, collapsing trachea, heart disease or a variety of other issues causing the cough. As for the bump, a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is typically performed. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells from the bump to evaluate under the microscope. This helps to determine if any treatment is needed. I hope this information helps!

It is possible that it is a reaction from the vaccines if they were given in the last 24 hours. However it may be more likely it is related to the pulling and chocking on the leash that has made her throat sore and caused inflammation. If there is no improvement after 24 hours or she can’t get comfortable and get some rest then I would have her rechecked

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. This may not be a salivary gland issue and may be an infection or other cause. If you knew for sure 100% that this was a salivary gland issue, waiting until the morning would be ok. But because the cause is not known, I would recommend getting this looked at sooner. The sooner antibiotics are given for a possible infection , the better. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. I would also check blood work to make sure there are no systemic changes that are concerning. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.