My dog has swollen glands for a year, tests negative. What's next?

I would recommend removal or at least a biopsy of the lymphnodes (where a little piece of the lymph node is removed). This can be done under geeneral anesthesia, which nowadays is very safe or, if your dog is very quiet, may be done under sedation and a local anesthesia (I would prefer the general anesthesia though). This could indeed be lymphoma or it could be reactive lymph nodes, swelling because they are filtering out bacteria and other material that the body does not deem healthy. Should it be lymphoma and you do not want chemotherapy , your dog can indeed be made comfortable with steroids. Rather than hoping and guessing whether it is lymphoma or not, the biopsy, whether done by taking the whole lymphnode or just part of it, will give you a diagnosis and then you can deal with the disease.

Hello, sorry to hear about Giuseppe. Because the lymph node has decreased in size with antibiotics alone and the fact that only a single lymph node is enlarged, this is less likely consistent with lymphoma. Lymphoma typically affects multiple nodes and does not respond to antibiotics. Occasionally, active lymph nodes may remain slightly enlarged for a few days, or if the infection is not being completely treated then the lymph node may remain big. The best way to confirm if this lymph node has lymphoma or not, would be to obtain cytology with a with a needle aspirate to have a pathologist examine the cells. Cytology is generally a non-invasive procedure and could be done by your veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

If Georgia is only a year old and only has a single swollen lymph node it is more likely infection related. However, the only way to know for sure is to have her examined and a needle aspirate sample obtained from the lymph node. Your veterinarian can evaluate the sample under the microscope to help determine if it is infection or cancer related. I'd recommend getting it checked out fairly soon as Georgia may need antibiotics or other supportive treatment if it is related to infection. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I'm hoping for a good prognosis for Georgia May!

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.

Antibiotics and steroids would be a guess of a treatment simply used to cover the possibilities. Enlarged lymph nodes can be a sign of cancer (lymphoma) or an infection. Steroids can interfere with a diagnosis of cancer but also help keep them comfortable for a short while It is best to have the gland aspirated or biopsied. The results can be back in 24-72 hours so you know exactly what you are dealing with. Generally a steroid and antibiotic can be started to cover your basis until you get a definitive answer. If it is cancer, then the antibiotics are pointless and can be stopped. IF it is inflammation or infection, then you are already on antibiotics to help cover you.

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.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say for sure what the cause is based on your description. Lymph nodes can become enlarged due to inflammation, infection or cancer. Seeing that Diamond is a boxer breed, is 7 years old, losing weight and has enlarged lymph nodes leads me to suspect something such as Lymphoma (a type of cancer) as the cause. I would recommend having this further worked up with a veterinarian and have further testing done such as a needle aspirate and cytology to help determine what it could be. This test is not that expensive and can tell a veterinarian a lot about the area tested. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.