My dog's paw is infected. Could it cause swollen lymph nodes?

Yes they sure can. Inflammatory cells will go to the inflamed area of the skin, which will in turn cause swelling of the lymph nodes. However, the area of inflammation usually correlates to the lymph node, so if the lymph nodes under the jaw are swollen, then the face/neck skin area have to be inflamed in order to be considered the cause. The leg and tail area don't drain into the neck lymph nodes, so this is likely unrelated. Typically swelling from licking does not go away on its own. You will need to see your local vet to have Ryley placed on allergy medication to control the itch and also look at the swollen lymph nodes to ensure these are in response to a localized skin infection as well. If there are swollen lymph nodes, there is nothing over the counter that will likely resolve this; however, you can start an aloe based or oatmeal based shampoo to help soothe the skin a bit until you can get Ryley seen by your vet. I hope that your pet Ryley has some resolve to his skin issue soon! Best wishes and take care. : )

Hello. It is possible for a swollen lymph node to be associated with a limp especially if the node is enlarged due to infection. Lyme disease is only one cause of limping in a dog & usually does not cause lymph nodes to enlarge. They will get big from infection, inflammation or cancer, so if you had not had the leg examined recently, I hope you can do so soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Georgia! There are a number of things that could cause a red, swollen area like this on her paw. This could be a localized infection or inflammatory reaction of some kind, such as from an insect bite or sting. It could also be a skin growth or tumor, either benign or malignant (cancerous). I would recommend having this checked by a vet within the next few days, if you are able to. He/she can do a simple test called a fine needle aspirate to help determine what this lump is. Based on the results, the vet can advise you on whether Georgia needs to be treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication, or whether the lump needs to be surgically removed.

The paw looks infected, you will need to take Chalko to the vet as thie will need to be treated with antibiotics. he will also need to wear an e-collar for at least a few days to prevent him from licking.

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.

Swelling, pain/discomfort and itch, redness, discharge of the area involved are all possible signs. From what you described it may be possible that the nail bed is infected or there may even be a comminute fracture of the last phalanx. A check up is unfortunately needed to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

If witchy does have enlarged lymph nodes I would recommend doing a fine needle aspirate of the lymph node. This is where a vet places a small needle into the lymph node and looks at the cells under a microscope. This will tell you why the lymph node is enlarged. The most common causes are viral, bacterial, fungal, inflammation or cancer. I would not recommend using systemic strong anti-fungals without a diagnosis of fungal disease due to the affect on the liver. Hopefully between blood work ,x-rays and aspirate you can get a better idea of why Witchy is having big lymph nodes and start proper treatment.