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Expert: - 2/26/2011


Question
Hi,
I was just wondering if you could give me any idea what is wrong with my dog. On the left side of my dogs head right behind his lower jaw bone is a lump. It is about an inch long and half an inch wide. I has been there for about a week. If I feel the other side of his head I can feel something similar except a bit smaller. Which leads me to believe maybe it is some type of swollen gland. I am taking him to the vet in less then a week but I was just wondering if you could give me any idea of what it could be because he means a lot to me and not knowing is driving me crazy!

Some background on my dog is, he is a field-bred english springer spaniel. He is only about one year and two weeks. Other then this lump he has been totally healthy. He is up to date on all his shots and was neutered at around six months. In case food matters since this is in his throat area I feed him Wellness brand dog food. He also goes for lots of walks in the forest and picks up lots of sticks and pinecone. Any ideas on what this could be would really help alot!

Thanks!

Answer
Well it sounds like a swollen gland, but it might be a salivary duct that is swelling as well. These are not common occurrences but they do swell up and often there is no reason that can be found.
We have explored many of these for foreign bodies only to find nothing inside of them.

If it is a swollen lymph node, which it sounds like it is, there are many reasons they get these as well. Bacterias, chewing on things, viruses, etc.

Better to wait and see what the vet says and not worry about it until then.
If it's not oozing, bleeding, baseball sized or raw and smelly, then don't worry until you see the vet.

Don't squeeze it either, as that can make it very sore and cause more problems with it.

Just forget about it until you see the vet.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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