My Yorkie has swollen lymph nodes. Is it infection or cancer?

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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend initiating a bland diet as outlined below. If you think his lymph nodes are swollen, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The lymph nodes may be enlarge due to infection and it would best to have Gene looked at sooner rather than later. 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.

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.

I would recommend talking to your veterinarian about getting an aspirate of Tiny's lymph nodes. My concern when all the peripheral lymph nodes are enlarged this can be lymphoma. If the aspirate is definitive then ideally you would start treatment as soon as possible. The aspirate can tell you if it is lymphoma or reactive from inflammation or infection. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

Not necessarily as other disease processes can cause lymph node swelling. Every case is different and some dogs have mild lymphadenoapthy at diagnosis and others have significant lymphadenopathy. In general however reactive lymphadenopathy is usually more mild. If lymphadenopathy is suspected it is important to rule out other causes such as systemic diseases (tick borne, fungal, etc.) especially in a young dog in certain parts of the country (or with a travel history), allergic skin disease, etc. Ultimately needle sampling of the lymph nodes is an initial step but will not always diagnose all cases. There are also different types of lymphoma with different presentations, prognoses, and treatment approach. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are different causes of lymphadenopathy including infections and even cancer. How treatable lymphadenopathy is depends largely on what is causing it. For example, mild regional lymphadenopathy secondary to an infection is likely curable as long as the infection is taken care of. On the other hand, lymphadenopathy can be observed with cancers like lymphoma which is not a curable disease though this is more when all the lymph nodes are enlarged. I recommend you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. They can perform a fine needle aspirate which can help reach a diagnosis and then treat accordingly. Good luck!