My 8-month-old dog has a golf-ball lump under her jaw. What is it?

Good morning. If it is towards the back of the jaw it could be an enlarged lymph node or salivary gland. Other possible causes are an abscess or tumor. In young dogs we see a lot of abscesses in that area because they are chewing on sticks or other things and they can puncture the oral tissue and cause an abscess under the jaw. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. A needle aspirate may be done to help determine the diagnosis and treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello. The lump is in the area of a lymph node, but it could also be a salivary gland enlargement or even a simple abscess. Any new or unusual lumps or bumps need to be thoroughly evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. I would call your veterinarian at your earliest convenience to have this looked at. Your veterinarian will probably insert a needle to draw out a sample of cells to be examined under a microscope. Hopefully, nothing significant will be found, but you do not want to chance waiting to see what happens. Best of luck to you & Gus & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Dove. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian to have the bump evaluated. A procedure known as a fine needle aspirate will likely need to be performed. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This will help guide treatment decisions based on if the mass appears to be cancerous or not. I hope this information helps!

It's a little difficult to tell what exactly is swollen in your picture, but it's possible that Frankie has an enlarged salivary gland or lymph node, or something like an abscess. All of these things can occur suddenly. I would recommend having your vet take a look - they might be able to get a better idea from being able to see and feel the swelling in person. They might recommend taking a sample using a small needle (fine needle aspirate) if it seems like a lymph node or salivary gland is swollen.

Depending on the location of the lump, it could be Chico's lymph node that is the swelling. Those get swollen due to lymphoma, cancer, or infection. Any suspicious lump should be checked out by your vet. I recommend taking Chico into your vet to have that lump examined. Your vet can do a test called a fine needle aspirate to determine what that lump could be. To do this, your vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform.

From the location my best guess would be an enlarged lymph node - this could be confirmed on a physical exam performed by your vet. Lymph nodes are where his immune system is stored and can become enlarged when Luicus is fighting an infection, or inflammation. It may be best to have him examined tomorrow to check he's not running a fever.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. It could also be an enlarged lymph node. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and best wishes!