Puppy's lymph node swollen after Bordetella. Can she get 5-in-1 shot?

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. That is quite the large bulge on poor Baby's neck! I would not expect the sulfa drug that was given to Baby to cause this focal swelling of a single lymph node. I am more suspicious of this being puppy strangles. This can cause the lymph nodes to become markedly enlarged and the face swollen as well. Unfortunately by advice for you is to take him to the veterinarian as most likely the treatments that need to be administered should be done by a veterinarian. This could also be an abscess in this area, in which case needs to be drained by a veterinarian. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

The locations that you are describing likely involve Bailey's mandibular and axillary lymph nodes. Lymph nodes can become enlarged as a reaction to certain inflammatory conditions, or even to cancer. I would be surprised if her recent influenza vaccine or diet changes are involved. She needs to see her vet in the next day or two for an exam and fine needle aspirates of the affected lymph nodes. The fine needle aspirate entails sticking a needle into lymph node to draw out a few cells (its relatively quick and painless!) before examining the cells microscopically.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lymph nodes are normally under the jaw. They are usually pretty small and very soft. If only one was swollen, it was likely reacting to something (like the infection/wound from the fence). If it is still hard I would recommend the vet check for other infections around the face or in the mouth or maybe treat with antibiotics for longer. It sounds like the lymph node reacted to the infection and it is going back to normal. Good luck and kisses to Dirk!

No, I would not be overly worried at this stage especially if she is eating and drinking and acting otherwise normal. I agree with your vet's recommendation. Just keep her away from other unvaccinated dogs/puppies until you can get her vaccines started.

Poor Luke! Swelling at the injection site is pretty unusual, but can be very uncomfortable. The swelling can be controlled with anti-inflammatory medication, and should definitely be reported to your vet so they can potentially modify the vaccines Luke gets in the future. In the meantime, you should try to keep Luke comfortable and calm until he can be seen by his vet. I hope all is well!

It sounds as though your vet initially suspected an infection causing the swelling around Lexi's neck. There can be some very minimal fluctuation in the prominence of the salivary glands and lymph nodes that are located under the neck, which can certainly occur with infections. However, other conditions can also cause swelling in these areas. Puppy strangles (also called juvenile cellulitis) is an autoimmune condition that can cause some pretty prominent swellings around the neck. Given Lexi's age, this would be my first suspicion. Other issues, including lymphoma or a salivary mucocele, are always possible, although they'd be highly unlikely in such a young puppy. At this point, I think your next step is to take Lexi back to her vet for a follow up visit. Your vet will likely want to run some diagnostic testing on this swelling or even some baseline blood work to check her blood cell counts and organ function. Depending on their findings, they may prescribe steroids to help treat puppy strangles or another medication to treat a different condition. I hope that everything goes well!

DHPP vaccines should be given every 3-4 weeks until the last shot on or after the 16 week birthday. Rabies is only given once, typically around 12 weeks of age. I do not use the corona vaccine. Kennel cough is given once or twice depending on the manufacturer's guidelines. I deworm my puppies at each vaccination appointment and then annually. All vaccines should be boostered at 1 year of age. Any injection can cause a local reaction, it should not drain and it should not be painful. Other possible causes of a lump include abscess or an enlarged lymph node. You can have your vet check on this at the next appointment (or sooner if Oreo isn't feeling well).