Why does my dog have recurring acne and swollen lymph nodes?

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. That is quite the large bulge on poor Baby's neck! I would not expect the sulfa drug that was given to Baby to cause this focal swelling of a single lymph node. I am more suspicious of this being puppy strangles. This can cause the lymph nodes to become markedly enlarged and the face swollen as well. Unfortunately by advice for you is to take him to the veterinarian as most likely the treatments that need to be administered should be done by a veterinarian. This could also be an abscess in this area, in which case needs to be drained by a veterinarian. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

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.

Poor baby! This could be a serious problem like a bacterial infection caused by strep called strangles or just a simple infection. I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look at him soon before it gets worse. This can be easily treated if caught early. I hope this helps!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Lymph nodes that are swollen throughout the body like that is very concerning. I would be very worried about lymphoma. Lymphoma can respond well to some medications, and better if caught early. I would recommend having the nodes sampled to see if they are cancer. Hopefully they are just reactive, but if that is the case you will need to find out what they are reacting too, and treat the infection, as the antibiotic used previously has not worked. Best of luck with Kim.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. These bump are pustules, so yes, sort of like acne but it is really inflammation of the hair follicles. It can be the beginning of puppy strangles so still continue to look out for that. You have two options: 1. Do nothing and just monitor them and let their immune systems take care of it as long as they are otherwise fine. OR 2. You can use these medicated pads once daily on the affected areas until the issue is resolved. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=146660&auto=true ) Sometimes these get very infected and inflamed, in which case, you will need to take them to the vet as oral antibiotics will be needed. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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!

Hi. I would recommend getting the cytology either redone again, or do a biopst to try to find the cause. The fact that it responds to antibiotics concerns me there is an infection somewhere that node is draining. I would be suspicious of the mouth/teeth. If cytology or biopsy comes back as reactive or unhelpful, I would plan a dental cleaning and dental xrays to look closer in mouth.