Dog has lump and fever

[Myka]

I'll keep this as short as possible, but it seems like there are lots of things going on right now with my dog, so maybe they are related, or maybe they are not.

First off, Myka was lame since she partially tore her Achilles tendon. During this time she was a little depressed seeming (no wonder). I gave her some buffered aspirin for a few days, and she developed a stomach ulcer (coughed up blood), so I quit that and took her to the vet. I noticed she was licking the air a lot. She saw the vet, and the vet basically said wait it out, and be sure she doesn't injure the tendon further, and the stomach ulcer will heal itself. She also got her rabies shot at this time (top of the scruff of her neck area). This was almost 2 weeks ago. This the most reputable vet in the area (I live in a city of about 120,000 so there's lots of choices).

Myka was getting better, and perking up. I switched her over to raw food, starting with just one feeding a day, then a few days later she was onto full raw diet. She was eating ravenously, and loved her new diet. I'll mention that she has not had ANY episodes of diarrhea or puking or constipation.

Last week she went off her raw food, and I thought she was getting picky about it, so she didn't eat for a few days before she got hungry enough to eat a big meal, then went off eating again for a few days, and it's kind touch and go now, sometimes she eats a lot, sometimes she doesn't do anything other than sniff the food. I noticed that she will always eat boneless pork or Tripett, but is "picky" when it comes to bone-in chicken or fish. Now I'm wondering if the reason she was off her food was something else (read on).

Myka was starting to seem very depressed, especially on days she was not eating. She just wasn't herself. She kinda of emotional, so I thought she was mad at me for feeding her foods she didn't like. I'll mention here that she has lost probably 3-5 lbs since changing her to raw. When she does it though, I'm pretty sure she's getting enough as she gets about 1.5-2 lbs a day.

Lastnight she ate really well, a couple big chunks of bone-in chicken. This morning she didn't eat the Mackerel I offered her, and was VERY depressed seeming, wouldn't get off the couch. I was worried about her, and I looked her over and she seemed ok. There was someone to watch her all day, so I felt ok leaving her.

I got home, and she's panting off and on...seeming a bit feverish, she's licking the air sometimes again, and there is a very large soft, overly warm lump on her jowl/neck area. Starts around her jaw joint and goes down her neck a bit. It's about 3.5" round, and sticks out about 3/4" (seems like an abcess?). She doesn't mind me touching it, not even when I was fairly aggressively feeling it out. She's perkier tonight, and ate well (most of a Mackerel and a bit over 1 lb of boneless pork), otherwise she'd be at the vet's emergency right now. She's drinking fine as well.

I'm going to take her to the vet tomorrow, but in the meantime, do you guys have any ideas?

Also...any way to take her temperature without stuffing a thermometer up her butt?

[Myka]

She seems to be feeling a bit better right now...not panting or air licking.

[loopoo]

a lump could be any number of things in that area, related to teeth, gums, abcess, etc. i dont get the feeling it is related to her earlier injuries.. i also feel that she is glad you found it there, almost a kind of relief, glad she is eating and good luck at the vet, please update us as soon as you hear back

[Myka]

I will update as soon as I know. She's perky this morning, but pacing the house. I was thinking that it seems like an abcessed tooth. I hope not $$$!

[luckypenny]

What you're describing sounds like she's in pain. It would explain her not wanting to eat, especially since the lump is in her jowl/throat area. Ask the vet to inspect it from the inside of her mouth/throat. If she doesn't chew her bony meals properly, there may be a chance a fish bone or other sliver could have gotten lodged in her throat. the vet determines the problem quickly and she's feeling better soon.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

What you're describing sounds like she's in pain. It would explain her not wanting to eat, especially since the lump is in her jowl/throat area. Ask the vet to inspect it from the inside of her mouth/throat. If she doesn't chew her bony meals properly, there may be a chance a fish bone or other sliver could have gotten lodged in her throat. the vet determines the problem quickly and she's feeling better soon.

Ya, I looked inside her mouth, and couldn't see anything. I did consider a bone lodged, but I was told that wouldn't happen! She's chewing just fine, and she did recently eat some bone-in chicken. But I have wondered if she know something about the fish that I don't know because she seems adamant to not eat it.

[luckypenny]

One of our dogs refuses to eat any fish as well unless it's frozen small sardines. He will leave the tail and head.

We've never experienced a lodged bone, but it can happen. I'm thinking the needlelike bones in a larger fish have more of a chance of piercing the skin in a dog's mouth/throat than any other sort of bone. We don't feed any large fish. Two of our dogs also don't fully digest the bones found in chicken legs, so we give them small amounts of chicken necks and chicken on the breast bone instead.

[Myka]

So it's her lymph node that is swollen. That idea crossed my mind, but I didn't think a lymph node could get that big! The vet figures that it is likely from a nearby infection (possibly tooth abcess), but can't pinpoint it. It's also possible it could be lymphoma or one other lymph cancer I can't think of the name of. So the vet stuck a needle in it and withdrew fluid, then looked on a microscope. He said that the cells look like infection cells, not cancer cells. So he gave me some anti-biotics (Clavamox) to give her. If she's not significantly better on Monday we'll send the cell slides to the pathologist on the lower mainland. If that comes back as negative for cancer, then we'll knock her out and do a more thorough investigation of her head/mouth (xrays, etc).

We looked well in her mouth (she's good about that), and checked her out real good. Our regular vet wasn't in today, so we used a young "fresh" vet. He seemed thorough, so hopefully he's right.

that the anti-biotics will work.

[want4rain]

its probably as likely for her to get a bone lodged as choking on kibble (if that gives you any idea?!?) of which both are quite possible.

i can tell you, personally, i had a sore tooth that ended up needing a root canal but you couldnt SEE anything wrong. it took poking and guessing and knowledge about WHERE exactly i was hurting to figure out what was wrong.

anyways, im crossing my fingers its a sore tooth and thats whats wrong, nothing more serious than that!

-ash

[Myka]

Originally Posted by want4rain

its probably as likely for her to get a bone lodged as choking on kibble (if that gives you any idea?!?) of which both are quite possible.

i can tell you, personally, i had a sore tooth that ended up needing a root canal but you couldnt SEE anything wrong. it took poking and guessing and knowledge about WHERE exactly i was hurting to figure out what was wrong.

anyways, im crossing my fingers its a sore tooth and thats whats wrong, nothing more serious than that!

-ash

Yes, it seems to me that anything is possible when it comes to choking.

Well the lump isn't soft anymore, it's fairly hard now, and there is swelling on the other side now too, which is also hard.

I'm pretty sure this won't be the end of it. If it's an abcess then anti-biotics weren't the right course of action...

[rainbow]

If she has more than one lymph node swollen then I would get her tested for one of the tick related illnesses like Lymes, anasplasmosis, etc.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by rainbow

If she has more than one lymph node swollen then I would get her tested for one of the tick related illnesses like Lymes, anasplasmosis, etc.

Even though tick's aren't out yet?

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by Myka

Even though tick's aren't out yet?

Last year, our first anaplasmosis cases developed in January and February from tick exposure the previous fall.

[rainbow]

There are three stages of tick disease. The second stage is the longest and can last for a long time. If it is one of the tick diseases it could quite likely be from a tick bite from last season. Ask the vet to do a SNAP test.

[Myka]

Oh wow, ok. What's the SNAP test?

Wow, I just went and Googled Anaplasmosis, and you guys know your stuff! She's showing a lot of the signs of that disease. I will contact my vet on Monday to draw blood for the 4Dx test.

[rainbow]

It's the latest test for tick diseases.

http://www.dogflu.ca/03012007/15/new...lable_for_dogs

[Myka]

Ok, looks like the SNAP test is the 4Dx test...?

[rainbow]

Yes....it's called the SNAP(R) 4Dx(R) test.

[Myka]

She's not looking any better yet. She's uncharacteristicly docile. She does seem to be a bit uncoordinated in her mobility, and stiff. She seems like she has suddenly aged by 5 years. Her fever seems about the same (the vet had her temp at 40.3 on Friday morning). The swelling of her lymph nodes is almost equal on each side of her throat, and about the size of a large egg cut in half the long way. The swelling is still hard. Even though she is drinking well (she'll also drink any time I tell her to) you can tell she is having difficulty drinking. I'm getting rather concerned about her. If she looks the same or worse tomorrow I'm going to call the emergency vet.

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by Myka

I'm getting rather concerned about her. If she looks the same or worse tomorrow I'm going to call the emergency vet.

That's a good idea, Myka. She sounds pretty sick.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

That's a good idea, Myka. She sounds pretty sick.

I agree......good luck and please keep us posted.

[Myka]

She seems a bit better today, but she seemed better yesterday in the morning than in the evening. So I'll keep a close eye on her. I gave her a bath since she gets all hyper and runs around when she's all wet in hopes that it would lift her spirits a bit. It worked for a bit! Also hoping it could help her fever some, but I'm keep a close eye that she doesn't get cold. I blow dried her about 75% of the way anyway.

[Myka]

She's even better this evening!

She ate very well today...thank god since her vertebraes are starting to become prominent! Hopefully she can get this weight back on quickly!

She doesn't seem to have a fever today, and her lymphs have gone down just a bit. I just walked her and she was actually running and jumping around! She looks much closer to normal today!

I am skeptical that there is more to this though...I want to know what's causing the lymph swelling and the fever.

[hazelrunpack]

If its something tick-borne, it will typically flare up and then subside... We've seen that in Lil Belle who had chronic Lyme's when we adopted her.

I'm with you--I'd want to know what's going on. Good luck at the vet!

[Myka]

She's looking and acting like her normal self today, and the lymphs are almost back to normal size. The vet's going to call me today to see how she's doing, so I'll talk to him about my concerns and go from there.

[hazelrunpack]

What did the vet say, Myka?

[Luba]

I'm sorry your dog is still suffering. Perhaps something immunocolgical is going on thus difficult for the vet to determine the source and when they don't know they often give a/b which can also lead to further problems.

I hope things resolve, it could be something that flares up which happened over a month ago right and now again. There are some viral infections which take weeks or months to incubate before showing signs.

If the vet gives her prednisone pls be careful she doesn't run/jump around or you'll be looking at cruciate ligament surgery. They may wish to try another type of non steroidal treatment for inflamtion.

Best of luck, keep on top of it and get the pathology done.

[rainbow]

Did you get the SNAP 4Dx test done?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

What did the vet say, Myka?

I explained everything to my regular vet (Myka saw a different vet last Friday), and since Myka has been responding well to the anti-biotics I'm supposed to finish them off (another 3 days) and see what happens when she comes off it. We're that this will be the end of it.

Originally Posted by rainbow

Did you get the SNAP 4Dx test done?

We discussed anaplasmosis and other tick diseases, and my vet said that it is very rare here, and he's only seen it in dogs that have been travelling in the southern US. He feels that we should test for more common issues (like cancer) first before the anaplasmosis. But hopefully we won't even have to go there! Hopefully the anti-biotics will clear it all up. It looks like it just may as she's acting 100% today, and the swelling is barely detectable on only one side now.

Originally Posted by Luba

I'm sorry your dog is still suffering. Perhaps something immunocolgical is going on thus difficult for the vet to determine the source and when they don't know they often give a/b which can also lead to further problems.

I hope things resolve, it could be something that flares up which happened over a month ago right and now again. There are some viral infections which take weeks or months to incubate before showing signs.

If the vet gives her prednisone pls be careful she doesn't run/jump around or you'll be looking at cruciate ligament surgery. They may wish to try another type of non steroidal treatment for inflamtion.

Best of luck, keep on top of it and get the pathology done.

Myka isn't on Prednisone, but thanks for the heads up!

My regular vet did look at the tissue smear on the microscope, and he agrees it is infection cells on there. He says that the anti-biotics may clear it up, and we may never know what caused it. Otherwise, if she does flare up once she's off the anti-biotics then the next step is to go in and get another sample of the tissue to send to the lab for further analysis by the pathologist.

[hazelrunpack]

Good to hear she's responding to the antibiotics so well! that the meds take care of it totally--whatever it is.

Hmmmm...we had 1 human and 5 canine cases of anaplasmosis last year at our house alone, and we're just south of the Canadian border in Northern WI... It's not just in the southern states anymore...although if we lived down south, we'd be a lot warmer right now!