My dog with lymphoma scratched a lymph node, it's dripping. What to do?

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I'm sorry you and Pitoune are dealing with this. Please be advised that to prevent this from happening to future pets, they need to be spayed before their first heat cycle. The chance of getting mammary tumors is virtually zero when a female dog is spayed young. It is very difficult for me to tell the orientation of what is going on in this photo. I'm assuming the photo is of the abdomen since you said they are mammary tumors but again, it is hard to tell what is going on based on this one photo. You are not going to get these to clear up and will likely only get worse; they are malignant cancer. They will only stop weeping when she stops scratching them. All you can do is exactly what you are doing although I don't think you should blow dry them - it is very easy to burn the skin making it worse. Everything else you are doing is fine. I'm not sure what you are using to cover her but I suggest a recovery suit and to put a feminine maxi pad between the skin lesions and the suit to catch any discharge. This protective layer should stop her from traumatizing the area. You can also put a human baby sock on her back feet so it covers the nails so if she does scratch she cannot hurt the area. ( https://www.amazon.com/s?k=surgery+suit+small+dog&crid=ZTVVO4IRU78L&sprefix=surgery+suit+small+dog%2Caps%2C120&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 ) If they are worsening I suggest you speak to your vet about possibly increasing the dose of Prednisone. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Based on previous diagnostics I would proceed with a biopsy ( a larger sample) as well as a culture and sensitivity. If there is growth on the sample, I would proceed with a longer duration of antibiotics as indicated. It may be worthwhile in the interim to start a low dose of steroids to reduce any inflammatory/allergic response, but I would only start after collecting a good biopsy and culture. This could be an infection, but it is also possible that it is a type of neoplasia like lymphoma or mast cell and a larger sample is likely needed to determine.

Hello, I'm sorry to hear about Riley's cancer diagnosis. It sounds like some of the lymph nodes have become painful or bothersome to Riley. I would recommend contacting your vet about this. Medications to help with the pain and inflammation may help to keep her more comfortable and limit this behavior. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

If it has come back after the initial course of treatment, I would see if your vet can perform a fine needle aspirate and send it out for cytology review with a pathologist. This will help determine if the lymph node in question is suspicious for lymphoma or not. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns. I am also available via consultation.

To say it is Lymphoma it would have to be one of her lymph nodes. Typically when it is lymphoma more then one lymph node will be enlarged. If the lymph node is what is getting larger it is not always lymphoma. It can be from an infection draining, it can be viral or it can even be a tick borne disease causing the increase in the size. I recommend having a veterinarian evaluate Jamber and have them see if it is a lymph node and if so typically an aspirate is recommended and a tick panel to rule out lymphoma and tick borne diseases. If they do find lymphoma I would recommend at least a consult with a veterinary oncologist. They will be able to give you the most up to date information on different Chemotherapy options and see if this is the best option for Jamber and your family. If this is is something as a family you decided not to pursue then there is prednisone which they can put Jamber on. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This could be just an infection though I am suspicious that there is a growth underneath causing this. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. This is severe and no home remedies are expected to improve this. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!