My dog has lymphoma. Why are his lymph nodes growing on Prednisone?

Steroids usually makes a dog more lethargic rather than anything else, so i do believe it is the lymphoma causing all these symptoms unfortunately, it might also be a sign that the prednisone is not working.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Thunderbolt has lymphoma but I'm happy he has been doing fairly well with his prednisone. It is possible that this area could be his lymph node which has swollen/grown significantly in size. This can happen pretty acutely, over the course of several hours to a day. This would suggest that his lymphoma is progressive, and his body may not be responding to the prednisone any longer. There are other chemotherapeutic options that may benefit Thunderbolt. I worry that a mass on his neck could continue to grow and possible cause difficulty breathing or swallowing. I recommend having Thunderbolt evaluated by your veterinarian to determine what the swelling is exactly (lymph node vs. mass vs. abscess, etc), and discuss other treatment options. I hope this is helpful!

I'm sorry to hear that Daisy received this diagnosis. There are certainly risks and benefits to both options with respect to side effects, life span and cost. Side effects of prednisone in the short term can cause excessive drinking and urination. Some animals with underlying heart disease can go into congestive heart failure and other animals can develop diabetes as a result of the high doses of corticosteroids given in these situations. Around 40% of dogs can achieve remission for 4-6 weeks with prednisone alone, but this is certainly based upon an individual's response to medication and if any metastatic (spread) of disease is present. Obviously, this treatment is much less expensive, but a much shorter survival time is expected. Daisy's chemotherapy protocol is based on whether she has B cell or T cell lymphoma and if any metastatic disease is present. As a generalized statement, lymphoma responds to chemotherapy better than most cancers. Oncologists strive to administer chemotherapeutic drugs at doses that will kill cancerous cells while avoiding as many side effects as possible. The side effects possible vary with different chemotherapeutic drugs. In short, there is no right or wrong choice. You need to evaluate both options to determine your comfort level. If you haven't already done so, consider a consultation with a veterinary oncologist for more information. I hope this helps!

Max is already on a high dose of prednisone and I doubt increasing the dose would improve his symptoms. Prognosis depends on the type and stage of lymphoma, but in general the median survival time with prednisone is about a month. I'm so sorry about Max's diagnosis.

First off, I'm sorry that Roxy has lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes)! Yes, your vet is correct that this treatment protocol can give her more time with you. Each dog responds differently to the treatment, but with chemotherapy, the median survival time is 6-12 months. Given I can't see her in person, I can't say for certain how long she is survive, but I do recommend following your vet's recommendations to increase your time with her. Again, I'm sorry about her diagnosis :-(

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is a common question I encounter as I only see cancer patients and lymphoma is very common in my practice. Prednisone is good for lymphoma though as you are noticing, lymphoma will eventually progress, as noted by peripheral lymph node enlargement. Normally, lymphoma will not cause clinical signs for some time until it enters more of the end stage. Lymphoma is not typically a painful disease and it is more of a debilitating disease. For this reason, what you will notice at the end is clinical signs such as lethargy, decreased appetite and Brandi just not being interested in the normal things that she enjoys. The median survival time of dogs with multicentric lymphoma just on prednisone is about 2 to 2 and 1/2 months. Usually I tell my clients that the time to consider humane euthanasia is when they are not doing 3 out of their 5 favorite things. Good luck with your girl!

I'm sorry to hear this is happening. I recommend to call your vet. This could be a side effect from the medication or it could indicate his lungs are filling with fluid from the cancer. I hope they figure out a solution quickly.