Dog's neck swollen, tiny lump after dental. Should I worry about cancer?

Lymph nodes can become enlarged because they are draining an infection or inflammatory part of the body, because the lymphatic flow is being disrupted, or because of cancer in the nodes. I would discuss additional diagnostics with your vet, which may vary depending on which lymph nodes are involved. Aspiration of the affected lymph nodes is easy and can often be done without sedation. The samples are sent to a pathologist for review. X-rays of the chest and or abdomen may be indicated. Ultrasound of the abdomen may be needed. Dental cleaning and removal of diseased teeth if the lymph nodes are near the head.

I certainly understand being worried about Teddy! Unfortunately, it could be possible that these lumps are his lymph nodes and that they are swollen due to lymphoma (a type of cancer). It could also be that he has a dental problem such as a tooth root abscess causing his enlarged lymph nodes. It's a good idea that you are having him seen by the vet on Friday. You can also the receptionist if they can contact you if an appointment opens up sooner, but definitely have him seen this week. 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.

It could be an accidental finding, enlarged lymph nodes on the intestines for example are common with gastrointestinal infections and other intestinal condition. i am assuming he sent the lump to histologist examination, you should get the results in a few days.

I would not expect swollen lymph nodes secondary to teething. Infections, including a bacterial infection commonly known as 'puppy strangles' can cause enlarged lymph nodes. The salivary glands are also in this same area and it is possible that he has inflamed salivary glands as well. I would recommend seeing your veterinarian for a physical examination to confirm that the lymph nodes are actually swollen. If the lymph nodes are swollen they might recommend a fine needle aspirate which is a procedure that uses a small needle to obtain cells that are sent to a pathologist for review.

Swollen lymphnodes can be reactive, meaning that they are responding to infection or inflammation somewhere. They can also be swollen due to lymphnod cancer (lymphoma), or metastatic cancer from somewhere else. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. They may consider doing a needle aspirate to help diagnose if there is anything concerning or not. Best of luck and I hope Rusty does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

These often enlarge with an infection in his mouth or an upper respiratory infection. I’m glad you’ve done an aspirate to be sure. Dogs do get lymphatic cancer but it’s most likely from an infection somewhere. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Mac.

You may be feeling lymph nodes that are enlarged. This can be caused by them reacting to infection, like from an abscess, or could be unrelated to the abscess. If the abscess heals and the swelling does not go down a couple days later, I recommend that Gismo get checked out by a vet to see if there are other causes for the enlarged nodes, like bacterial or viral infection or lymphoma.