My puppy's neck glands are swollen, but he's normal. Is it teething?

When there is a swelling in the area beneath the jawline, particularly if It is on both sides of the neck, it is typically one of two different things: swelling of lymph nodes or swelling of salivary glands. It would be unlikely to see this type of side effect from an immunization but not unheard of. More than likely I would expect to see it from having something lodged in that area. Typically we see localized reactions to these lymph nodes when an area nearby them is aggravated (such as the throat or mouth). If there is still something lodged in the throat, I would recommend having your vet determine if the objects needs to be manually removed before an incident occurs. Causes of severely swollen salivary glands are typically from trauma, which may or may not be due to something lodged in the throat / mouth. If the swelling seems to be getting bigger somewhat rapidly rather than subsiding, I would be concerned that this is the issue. Typically, this is a problem that may require the intervention of a specialist to resolve. Generalized swelling of the lymph nodes can be caused by infection / inflammation anywhere in the body. Hope this helps. If you are continuing to become concerned, I would recommend a physical exam by your veterinarian at your next convenience.

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!

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Knuckles! I would make an appointment for Knuckles to see his Vet. The swelling can be from an infected or inflamed salivary gland or lymph node. He could also have an abscess from foreign material penetrating the mouth or from the outside, be experiencing an allergic reaction or possibly even have a tooth root abscess. An enlarged lymph node can also be from lymphoma, a type of cancer. Usually though more than one lymph node is swollen if a dog has lymphoma. I hope this helps and I wish Knuckles a speedy recovery!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. That is quite the large bulge on poor Baby's neck! I would not expect the sulfa drug that was given to Baby to cause this focal swelling of a single lymph node. I am more suspicious of this being puppy strangles. This can cause the lymph nodes to become markedly enlarged and the face swollen as well. Unfortunately by advice for you is to take him to the veterinarian as most likely the treatments that need to be administered should be done by a veterinarian. This could also be an abscess in this area, in which case needs to be drained by a veterinarian. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Whisky has been feeling under the weather. Inappetence, vomiting and swelling in the neck are unusual in a dog his age; I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to see if there is an underlying issue going on that needs to be addressed beyond teething, as with any young animal, we would want to catch it early to try to prevent it from becoming worse. Good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jack. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will need to be examined. The swelling may be aspirated with a small needle. The cells are then evaluated under the microscope to determine if it is a lymph node, infection, salivary gland or a mass. Based in these results treatment can be recommended if necessary. I hope this information helps!

In my experience lymph nodes can be enlarged for days to week after a dental cleaning if the teeth were bad enough. However best thing to do is aspirate the lymph node and send out the cytology. This will tell you for sure why they are enlarged and help you not worry.