Why is my dog's neck swollen with sneezing? Allergies or infection?

These signs seem to be related with an upper respiratory tract infection/inflammation and possibly to a severe form of rhinitis (infective, allergic or inflammatory). The eye signs may be secondary to the upper respiratory tract problem. An immediate check up is required to confirm this clinical suspicion and give appropriate treatment. Antibiotics may be required. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (one to one chat) if you require further assistance.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the pictures, I would be suspicious that this is an abscess / infection or a nasal / sinus tumor. If this is a tumor, it may have developed a secondary infection, which is why it likely responded to the previous treatment. Unfortunately I do not have an answer for you on what this is other than it would need further testing such as rhinoscopy or CT scan to help determine what this could be. If you are unable to do further testing, I would consider continuing the antibiotics / steroids long term to help keep Luna comfortable. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It's possible Lily snorted something up into one of her nasal passages and she's trying to clear it out by sneezing and you just can't see it. It's also possible she's having some trouble with allergies. Lymph nodes don't usually get swollen with allergies though. Before you give her Benadryl I would check in with your vet first to make sure it's not something more concerning. Also, you don't want to mask the symptoms with Benadryl if there is something else going on. Good luck and I hope Lily feels better soon!

The skin doesn't look too inflamed, but does appear more red than normal. Based on your description, I would also be very suspicious of allergies being the underlying problem of the skin flare-ups and recurrent ear infections. In these cases, allergy medication is very helpful. Candy's allergies seem relatively mild, so she may be well-controlled with an over-the-counter antihistamine medication. Your veterinarian should be able to prescribe you an antihistamine if they feel this is appropriate/safe for her. One other thing that should eventually be investigated is the cause of the allergies. Usually there is some environmental cause like pollens. Sometimes there are other causes. Your vet would be able to help you narrow-down the cause and provide options for allergy testing if needed/desired. I hope that helps and Candy gets better soon. Below are a couple of links to some useful information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/

Antibiotics and steroids would be a guess of a treatment simply used to cover the possibilities. Enlarged lymph nodes can be a sign of cancer (lymphoma) or an infection. Steroids can interfere with a diagnosis of cancer but also help keep them comfortable for a short while It is best to have the gland aspirated or biopsied. The results can be back in 24-72 hours so you know exactly what you are dealing with. Generally a steroid and antibiotic can be started to cover your basis until you get a definitive answer. If it is cancer, then the antibiotics are pointless and can be stopped. IF it is inflammation or infection, then you are already on antibiotics to help cover you.

Coco may need to be examined again by the veterinarian. That treatment is generally used to treat an allergic reaction but if it isn't helping, then it may not be an allergic reaction. Pets can get a bacteria-related celluitis or if there is a blockage of the lymphatic system by a tumor. Coco likely needs to be re-examined and may need a chest radiograph to look for any masses or other explanation. Dogs can get edema but it's not common. It's time to go looking for other causes. Best of luck.

This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a chronic rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.