My dog's neck is suddenly swollen near the glands. What should I do?

I assume the ER has run blood work to rule out an issue with the kidneys or liver where there may be low albumin levels in the blood resulting in anasarca which is where fluid builds up in the tissues because protein is lost either through the GI tract or in the urine? Swelling can also be due to infection which may show up on blood work as a high neutrophil count, for which systemic antibiotics can definitely help. I can only imagine how stressful this must be for you. Thankfully at an ER they will be able to intubate or even perform a tracheostomy if he really becomes unable to breathe. Hoping Jack improves soon!

Poor Baldric! This swelling could be due to trauma, it could be a lymph node swelling due to a localized infection or tooth problem, a reaction to an insect bite, or it could be an abcess. Given the absence of any additional signs, I would monitor Baldric for now. Should the swelling still be present in the morning, I. Would take him into the vet. If he shows up additional signs tonight such as difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, extreme lethargy, or anorexia, then I would take him into a vet right away.

It's a little difficult to tell what exactly is swollen in your picture, but it's possible that Frankie has an enlarged salivary gland or lymph node, or something like an abscess. All of these things can occur suddenly. I would recommend having your vet take a look - they might be able to get a better idea from being able to see and feel the swelling in person. They might recommend taking a sample using a small needle (fine needle aspirate) if it seems like a lymph node or salivary gland is swollen.

It sounds as though your vet initially suspected an infection causing the swelling around Lexi's neck. There can be some very minimal fluctuation in the prominence of the salivary glands and lymph nodes that are located under the neck, which can certainly occur with infections. However, other conditions can also cause swelling in these areas. Puppy strangles (also called juvenile cellulitis) is an autoimmune condition that can cause some pretty prominent swellings around the neck. Given Lexi's age, this would be my first suspicion. Other issues, including lymphoma or a salivary mucocele, are always possible, although they'd be highly unlikely in such a young puppy. At this point, I think your next step is to take Lexi back to her vet for a follow up visit. Your vet will likely want to run some diagnostic testing on this swelling or even some baseline blood work to check her blood cell counts and organ function. Depending on their findings, they may prescribe steroids to help treat puppy strangles or another medication to treat a different condition. I hope that everything goes well!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jack. He will need to see his veterinarian this week. The wound will likely be cleaned and the surrounding hair shaved to further evaluate it. Regardless of the cause, he will likely require antibiotics. In the meantime prevent him from scratching the area. You may check his ears as well. Some dogs with ear infections will cause self trauma from scratching itchy ears. Check for any redness or debris in the ears. I hope this information helps!

When there is a swelling in the area beneath the jawline, particularly if It is on both sides of the neck, it is typically one of two different things: swelling of lymph nodes or swelling of salivary glands. It would be unlikely to see this type of side effect from an immunization but not unheard of. More than likely I would expect to see it from having something lodged in that area. Typically we see localized reactions to these lymph nodes when an area nearby them is aggravated (such as the throat or mouth). If there is still something lodged in the throat, I would recommend having your vet determine if the objects needs to be manually removed before an incident occurs. Causes of severely swollen salivary glands are typically from trauma, which may or may not be due to something lodged in the throat / mouth. If the swelling seems to be getting bigger somewhat rapidly rather than subsiding, I would be concerned that this is the issue. Typically, this is a problem that may require the intervention of a specialist to resolve. Generalized swelling of the lymph nodes can be caused by infection / inflammation anywhere in the body. Hope this helps. If you are continuing to become concerned, I would recommend a physical exam by your veterinarian at your next convenience.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Knuckles! I would make an appointment for Knuckles to see his Vet. The swelling can be from an infected or inflamed salivary gland or lymph node. He could also have an abscess from foreign material penetrating the mouth or from the outside, be experiencing an allergic reaction or possibly even have a tooth root abscess. An enlarged lymph node can also be from lymphoma, a type of cancer. Usually though more than one lymph node is swollen if a dog has lymphoma. I hope this helps and I wish Knuckles a speedy recovery!