lump on puppy neck

by Elayne
(Winnipeg,MB, Canada)

I have a 9 month old pappillon/chiahuahua pup. He has a lump under the skin on his neck.(If you pull the skin up the lump stays inside. It does not move)

It doesn't seem to hurt him but it is not going away. we only just noticed it on Friday night.

So it has only been a few days.What could this be? Is it dangerous?




Hi Elayne
It sounds to me as though this may be a swollen lymph node, which could indicate infection of some sort. Only a vet can make an accurate diagnosis though so I strongly recommend you have your pup examined asap.

There is a condition called 'puppy strangles' which causes the lymph nodes under the jaw to swell up hugely (making the pup look as though he's being strangled, hence the name) and it's possible this is in the early stages.

For this condition antibiotics and steroids are normally prescribed, but again only a vet can make a diagnosis.

I wish you the best of luck and hope your pup is on the mend soon.