My puppy has a large bubble or swelling on its neck. What's wrong?

Hello, thank you for your question about Skurge. Based on the symptoms that you are describing I would be suspicious that this lump could be an abscess, or an infection. Dogs get abscesses in their neck area not uncommonly often secondary to trauma or bad dental disease (less likely in your puppy). I would recommend having Skurge seen by your veterinarian so that they can examine the area and discuss additional treatments. Hope this helps, good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly an abscess. I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment. If confirmed to be an abscess this is usually treated by drainage and flushing of the abscess as well as antibiotics. This usually resolves uneventfully. Good luck and have a good night!

Hello, that looks like it could either be a local reaction to something like a bug bite. Other causes such as sterile abscess or cyst from a hair follicle or skin glands can also cause this. If it is painful or is continues to grow in the next couple of hours then I would have it evaluated by a veterinarian today. Otherwise, you can apply an ice pack or bag of frozen peas wrapped in a thin cloth over the area to see if the swelling decreases. If if doesn't or if is worse by the morning then you should have it assessed by you veterinarian tomorrow. Hope this helps and best of luck.

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!

Unfortunately, Spot really should be seen by a veterinarian. If it is an abscess, that is one serious infection that needs to be addressed. It could also be a severe hernia. The swelling may be caused by loops of bowel that have slipped through a defect in the muscle wall. This will require surgery to repair. If left untreated, it is possible the bowel could become twisted or strangulated which would be an emergency and potentially life threatening.

Oh no, that's not good! It's not normal that Puppy has a lot of swelling on the side of her neck, and she could have injured herself causing the swelling. There could be damage to the internal structure of her neck, and she should be evaluated by a vet immediately. I would take Puppy, her littermates, and her mother into an ER vet clinic or find a vet on call to see them now.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You may be describing inflammation, an infection, hematomas or even growths. To know how to better manage this, it would be needed to reach a diagnosis. For that reason, I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and treat him accordingly. Best of luck!