Why are my dog's neck lumps recurring and making breathing hard?

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.

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!

Yes! If there is no improvement then he definitely needs a recheck. They can always aspirate or biopsy a sample of that growth to determine if it is a lymph node or a salivary gland because it may need a surgery ir simply stronger antibiotics. Blood work may not be a bad idea either to make sure there isn't a systemic infection.

Based on previous diagnostics I would proceed with a biopsy ( a larger sample) as well as a culture and sensitivity. If there is growth on the sample, I would proceed with a longer duration of antibiotics as indicated. It may be worthwhile in the interim to start a low dose of steroids to reduce any inflammatory/allergic response, but I would only start after collecting a good biopsy and culture. This could be an infection, but it is also possible that it is a type of neoplasia like lymphoma or mast cell and a larger sample is likely needed to determine.

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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If there are lumps on his throat and he is having upper respiratory symptoms, I would recommend having x-rays of his upper airway done to see if there is any compression or deviation of the airway due to one of the lumps. He may also be dealing with allergies, in which case you can try an antihistamine. Most people use 1mg per 1lb of body weight every 12 hours for Benadryl. The vet can also insert a small needle into the masses and examine them under a microscope for a better understanding of what the lumps might be. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I would have this lump checked out on Zeus given that it has grown again. It may be a cyst that needs to be drained and removed, or he may need a longer course of antibiotics. I would bring him into the vet in the morning during normal business hours.