My dog's swollen lymph nodes and fever are improving. What now?

I’m glad to hear that he is improving on the medication. I would absolutely continue the prescribed medication and also schedule a follow up appointment with your veterinarian soon. They can discuss the medication and how long he should be on it. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lymph nodes are normally under the jaw. They are usually pretty small and very soft. If only one was swollen, it was likely reacting to something (like the infection/wound from the fence). If it is still hard I would recommend the vet check for other infections around the face or in the mouth or maybe treat with antibiotics for longer. It sounds like the lymph node reacted to the infection and it is going back to normal. Good luck and kisses to Dirk!

I would worry that Vettie could have a disease like lymphoma if his glands are not better with antibiotics. I’d recommend making a recheck appointment with your vet. The next step might be to take an aspirate if the glands using a small needle and sending the sample to a pathologist to review.

If it has come back after the initial course of treatment, I would see if your vet can perform a fine needle aspirate and send it out for cytology review with a pathologist. This will help determine if the lymph node in question is suspicious for lymphoma or not. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns. I am also available via consultation.

Swollen lymph nodes can be a sign of cancer, tick borne diseases, or infections. The swollen nodes will not go back to normal until the underlying cause is addressed. I'd recommend seeing a veterinarian - a test for tick disease or sampling the lymph node with a needle might be recommended.