Mass on neck

[Babyblue5290]

I just saw this today, Lucas has a pretty large lump on his neck just under his lower jaw. It is further to the left side and it's pretty gushy. At first it felt like just liquid like a cyst or something, but if you press on it there is a hard part in the middle closer to his throat. It doesn't seem to cause him any discomfort even when I press on it.....any ideas on what it is? Something to be worried about?

Here's a picture:

 

[Zoom]

I would get that checked out quickly. Could be anything from a random growth, to a localized infection in one of the glands there, to other, nastier things. Let us know!

 

[Babyblue5290]

Oh... Gosh darn it, it better be nothing too bad! I'll make an appointment.

 

[LabBreeder]

I didn't get the pic...oh well, best to do a vet check anyways. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Roxy's CD]

Hrmph. Could have something to do with his glands like Zoom said. I would definitely get it checked out. Seeing as he was just at the vet's and they or you would've seen something like that. It must've developed quickly.

Poor Lucas. Does it seem to bother him, like if you touch it or squeeze it?

 

[LabBreeder]

*got the pic now*
My friend had a JRT with something very similar. It had to be drained and he had meds for it. This was a few years ago and I don't remember if it was a cyst or something else.

 

[Roxy's CD]

I know with breeds with the greasy coating on their thick fur are prone to cysts, we went through it many a times with our Norweigan Elkhound.

The only thing that worries me is it's location. This could be totally off topic, but I've got an older horse with Thyroid problems and he has alarge lump the size of a softball on his throat as well.

If it is a cyst, the type Smokey had, they have to remove them through surgery. But I doubt that it's the same thing because they develop slowly. You would've seen it before now.

 

[Bailey+Ralph]

Completely off topic but a few months ago my youngest daughter woke up one morning with the side of her neck swollen to around the same size as Lucas has there.

I panicked and rushed her to the hosptial and it turned out to be very enlarged glands.
No reason for it, and it slowly went down again.

 

[Scotia]

Enlarged glands tend to be quite firm, as with us when we've got a cold. If it's gushy, it could be an enlarged salivary gland, if the duct blocks then saliva can't drain out and it becomes enlarged. Either way, pop off to the vet to have it checked.

Scotia

 

[elegy]

i would have that checked by a vet sooner rather than later.

 

[Babyblue5290]

Poor Lucas. Does it seem to bother him, like if you touch it or squeeze it?

No, I have been sqeezing and poking at it and it doesn't bother him at all, other then getting annoyed after I sit there for more then five minutes while he wants to go outside lol

It is gushy, feels very fluid filled, and did grow rapidly. He is going to the vet this coming teusday.

 

[smkie]

I haven't a clue. He doesn't seem old enough to have the fatty cysts that Mary and her sister have. Her sister has quite a large one behind her leg that looks alot like that. Will have my fingers crossed that there is nothing wrong. Poor Lucas is having kinda hard time right now with the hips as well.

 

[Babyblue5290]

I know smkie I feel bad for him. It's just one problem after the other, my only hope is this is a passing phase. That he will be healthy as he was before soon.
Thanks

 

[Tinaweena]

I think you should get to the vet faster than tuesday if at all possible.
I say this because my old dog Tommy, had the same sort of lump. I'm not telling this to scare you but you should take it seriously. I used to play with the skin under his chin all the time, I'm a waddle fiddler! haha anyways one day I was petting him there again, and noticed the lump. We took him to the vet and he was in severe kidney failure, and it was fluid filling up because his kidneys couldn't process it. We had to have him out down that day.
If we had noticed signs sooner, they could have started him on meds before the damage to his kidneys was so severe.

 

[Babyblue5290]

I think you should get to the vet faster than tuesday if at all possible.
I say this because my old dog Tommy, had the same sort of lump. I'm not telling this to scare you but you should take it seriously. I used to play with the skin under his chin all the time, I'm a waddle fiddler! haha anyways one day I was petting him there again, and noticed the lump. We took him to the vet and he was in severe kidney failure, and it was fluid filling up because his kidneys couldn't process it. We had to have him out down that day.
If we had noticed signs sooner, they could have started him on meds before the damage to his kidneys was so severe.

You may not have been trying but you sure as hell did! .........ok I'm one of those paranoid people who think every lump (only on my dogs....not on me lol) is cancerous or some life threatening disease!! .....Where there any other signs you noticed that I should look for???

I'll call the vets tomorrow and see when their soonest opening is....I'm sure it's probably tomorrow or the next day.

*edit* tomorrow is sunday isn't it? I'm not sure if they are even open on sunday! I'll call and hopefully they are open, but we will have to see.

 

[Tinaweena]

The other signs was that he was drinking alot more, and not urinating as much, he was still eating and playful, but he could't play as long. Do you have an animal hospital? They are open on weekends.

 

[Miss Marley]

Look for emergency vets in your area. It may cost a bit more, but its worth it. The night we had to put Ceara down it was horrible.

Fortuneately, she had no lumps. She was just old. It was 2:30-3:00am and we needed to see a vet, (we did not know that she would need to be put down) so we looked up an emergency vet. I'm sure you'll find one.

 

[Babyblue5290]

The other signs was that he was drinking alot more, and not urinating as much, he was still eating and playful, but he could't play as long. Do you have an animal hospital? They are open on weekends.

His urination and drinking has been normal.

I feel a bit dumb, but how do I find an emergency vet in my area? My vets isn't open today

 

[LabBreeder]

Most regular vets will have an emergency vet number listed on their voice mail when you call after hours. You could also check in the phone book and see which one's near you list "after hours" or "24 hrs" beside the ad. Also try looking online, at least you can call and find out if it doesn't say when they are open.

Good Luck!

 

[Babyblue5290]

Thanks labBreeder, they did have an emergency vet listed on their voicemail! I hung up after it said their hours *stupid me* I'm gonna call them...thanks.