hey guys, so my dog has had a stuffed nose for a lil while and now has a lump near his throat. it started off like a regular case of allergies but now this lump has me really worried. after doing alot of research i found that these maybe his lymph nodes expanding because of the infection/allergy but maybe could be cancer. please help me out with any advice. i plan to take him to the vet within the next few days.
I think taking your dog to the vet ASAP is the best course of action. No one here is going to be able to diagnose and prescribe a form of treatment for your dog over a message board on the internet.
One or more swollen lymph nodes can be indicative of lymphosarcoma. If your dog has just one swollen lymph node, then it could be cancer or it could be something else...such as an infection. Really, only a vet could tell you as they would have to biopsy it, examine the cells, and run any other tests (e.g. x-rays, bloodwork, etc.) they feel is necessary. Here is a general description of where lymph nodes are located and not all can be felt through the skin...as they are inside the body: "Lymphoma can present itself in several different ways involving different areas of the lymph system. The most common form in the dog is multicentric (several sites in the body). The peripheral (around the outside of the body) lymph nodes are affected in this form. These lymph nodes are usually difficult to feel under the skin but when affected by Lymphoma these lymph nodes are enlarged and are easy to notice. Owners can usually feel enlarged lymph nodes below the angle of the jaw, in front of the shoulder blades, behind the knees, and under both the front and back legs where they join the body. The enlarged lymph nodes at the jaw can make the dog's face become swollen and this can be the first abnormal sign noticed. Sometimes these lymph nodes are not easy to feel and the first thing owners detect is a lack of energy in the dog along with a decreased appetite, possible weight loss, increased thirst and increased urination. This multicentric form can eventually involve the liver and spleen in the abdomen." Source: http://www.sevagrreat.org/k9stuff/vetcorner/lymph.htm I would not put off the vet visit for long. If your dog is in an early stage of lymphosarcoma, then some symptoms will be on the way with the big one being the dog stops eating, a hacking-type cough starts (like if dog starts barking and goes into a short hacking cough...almost like dog is choking on something) and/or appears lethargic. It could be a tumor (cancerous or benign) and not a lymph node. But, lymphosarcoma usually starts in one lymph node and spreads quickly. Unfortunately, you really only have two options after diagnosis of lymphosarcoma...make the dog comfortable while giving medication Prednisone (anti-inflammatory cortisteroid). In this case, your dog would likely only live 6-8 weeks. Or, begin one of the various chemo regimens (like my dog is on the Wisconsin protocol now for this cancer). This will keep the cancer cells in check and likely put dog in remission for a period of time. But, chemo is no picnic obviously (see my thread) and can be expensive (various protocols available...each at different price points). I think I spent around $3000 going through all the crap up to the first chemo treatment...from dealing with my local vet (and all the tests he runs) and then another series of tests/first chemo treatment (with the specialist who is actually treating it). First thing you need to do is get diagnosed. Then, you can decide what is in your best interests. You just don't know what it is until diagnosed. My dog was stage IV meaning all lymph nodes swollen and it spread to liver/spleen. But, my dog seems to be responding to chemo treatments. I have another treatment today for my dog. This cancer can be put in remission for a period of time...depending on the chemo protocol. Rarely, in 5 - 10%, a cure can be achieved. I hope to prolong my dog's live for another 12 - 18 months on the most aggressive chemo protocol there is. I hope your dog does not have it and it is something else. I'm here to try and help you based on my experiences thus far. Please do not wait long as this cancer is aggressive and spreads quickly. Good luck!
Lump on throat isn't really specific. Where exactly is it and is it hard and does he /she look like she's in pain when u touch it? Also can you move it around? I don't know much about dog stuff, but chances of it being anything but cancer is pretty damn high.
Yeah, go to the vet. One of my dogs has a large lump on his chest that freaked me out when I first noticed it. Went to the vet and got it checked and it turns out it is just a harmless fatty lump. Get it checked out.
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wow why are you guys being so sarcastic?? i go to clutchfans for advice because theres a wide variety of people on here who offer great advice...ive talked to many of my friends and i always know clutchfans has awesome members who have alot knowledge. if u dont want to read the thread then dont click on it goodness.
You are always going to get mixed responses in a thread like this...because some people are just going to point out the obvious and/or derride you for thinking we are DVMs who can speak intelligently on this topic. I think the verdict is in for your situation: 1.) It's difficult to give you advice because we're not sure what the lump is. 2.) Get to the vet asap. I personally don't recall any noticable lump near my dog's throat for the lymphoma cancer my dog has. I do, however, recall other areas where the lymph nodes were obviously swollen...such as the hind legs behind the knees. A DVM will probably feel your dog's lymph nodes as part of the exam...to help determine how they want to proceed. Any lump usually involves a biopsy. I doubt even a DVM could make a judgement without that being done. I waited about a week after my dog stopped eating. It didn't help matters as it just gave whatever was wrong more time to spread...versus hoping my dog would get better. I had no clue what I was in for. Therefore, my advice is to move on it asap.
Health type threads always get sarcastic responses basically because if it's worrisome enough to ask, you should really be getting professional advice.
Hope your dog is OK. Now that the matter has been properly addressed... Whenever I get a lump, I rub it for a while and it goes away.
If you biopsy the sucker we can help maybe. Take a needle, stick it in the sucker and suck some of it out then put it on a slide and zoom in with a microscope and take a picture of it. Then take a picture of ur dog and where exactly the lump is and like i said... tell me if its hard, movable, if it looks like ur dog is in pain when u touch it.
Even if there are actual vets on this board, it's very hard to diagnose something like a lump w/o checking it out in person. Plus the lump could be potentially serious; why risk it by not go to the people specialize in this type of stuff? On the Internet, everyone has a Ph.D. in everything.
