My puppy has a painful, rapidly growing lump on his neck. What is it?

This lump in your puppy’s skin is probably nothing to worry about. It could be from an insect bite or sting or may be a reaction to a vaccine he had in that area. Keep an eye on it for now. If it becomes larger, painful, or red, then take him to your vet right away. Or if he starts acting lethargic, vomits/has diarrhea or stops wanting to eat, you should take him to be checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Poor baby! This could be a serious problem like a bacterial infection caused by strep called strangles or just a simple infection. I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look at him soon before it gets worse. This can be easily treated if caught early. I hope this helps!

From the location my best guess would be an enlarged lymph node - this could be confirmed on a physical exam performed by your vet. Lymph nodes are where his immune system is stored and can become enlarged when Luicus is fighting an infection, or inflammation. It may be best to have him examined tomorrow to check he's not running a fever.

Has he been licking at it? Can you identify a wound on it? It may be an abscess (localized infection) under the skin, as thise can show up very quickly. You can shave the hair over the top and clean it with dilute Betadine (available at any pharmacy - use water to dilute it so it looks like tea). Put an ecollar (cone) on him to prevent him from biting or chewing on it, and make an appointment with your vet as soon as you can—but it’s not something you need to see an emergency vet for as long as it’s not seeming painful and he’s eating and acting normally. Other possible causes would be some type of tumor (though less likely with his age), or a fluid accumulation called a seroma. Your vet may Do a fine needle aspirate (poke the bump with a needle and then look at cells under the microscope) to see what it is and then know how best to treat it. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

This could be an abscess or fluid pocket or just a swelling. I suggest you have this examined by a veterinarian. It will need to be drained by a vet if an abscess. Excessive swelling in this area could also be caused by muscle damage or similar conditions. Your puppy would then need anti-inflammatory medications, possibly pain medication and other medications depending on the cause.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This could also be an abscess. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Poor Sasha! If you have another dog that plays rough with her and bites at the neck, it could be that a bite broke the skin and has now caused an abscess. A dog's mouth has a lot of bacteria in it, and dog bites can lead to abscesses. I would keep the collar off of her, and have her seen by a vet. The vet can diagnose if she does have an abscess. Should she have one, it will need to be drained and flushed sterilely, and she will need antibiotics to treat the infection. Abscesses are painful and that would cause her to act differently, so it's best to get her into a vet as soon as possible, especially since the lump is getting bigger. Good luck, I hope this helps!