Dog's oozing, smelly neck lumps won't heal; vet meds failed?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Lucy evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

This may be an abscesses, cysts or tumors. You should have them examined by your veterinarian. An abscess can usually be treated with antibiotics and/or be lanced, and a cyst can be evacuated. To identify a tumor, your vet may want to do a fine needle aspirate (he takes some material from the bump with a needle and then looks at it under the microscope) to determine whether the mass is concerning.

an open and infected tumor should be removed. If it happens to be a lipoma (fatty lump) then this should be curative. If it happens to be another type of tumor, then your vet should do an x-ray of the lungs to check whether there are metastases. I think you should get a second opinion from another veterinarian or a veterinary oncologist.

I am sorry to hear that! It may be that the infection is still going on - you may need a longer course of the antibiotic or perhaps a different one. I would recommend having them expressed again to see if there is still debris present. I would also want to double check and make sure there is not a mass present in the area:( You can ask for a biopsy to be done if the lump seems unrelated to the infection. I hope this helps and that it is nothing more than a persistent infection!

These may be benign sebaceous gland cysts that drain fluid periodically like pimples. Sometimes they get infected and require antibiotics. I often have owners use epsom salt compresses at home on these areas, but it would be safest to have your vet examine Darby to make sure that these lumps aren't some kind of cancerous tumors first.

Poor girl. Because this mass is open and seems to be bothering her I would highly consider having this mass removed surgically. Sometimes if the mass is small (less than 2 cm's) we can do a sedative on the pet and quickly remove these. However if it is a larger mass then general anesthesia may be required. She also needs to be placed on oral antibiotics to keep this area from getting infected and daily cleaning of the mass as well. Sterile saline flushes can help keep this area relatively clean and then an e-collar placed on her can help prevent licking. If surgery isn't an option for you, then medical management with antibiotics, e-collar and regular cleanings may allow proper healing of the area, but in most cases surgical removal is the best option. Best of luck!

Unfortunately some of these cysts and adenomas do tend to rupture and become infected repeatedly. If that is the case we often do recommend removal to avoid this continuous cycle. It may also be advised to remove it to ensure that it is a benign adenoma and not something more concerning or aggressive.