My 6-month puppy has seizures, swollen glands, and isn't growing.

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.

Hello, sorry to hear about Koopi. That swelling and lack of growth is not likely associated with eating too much too quickly. I would be more concerned that your puppy could have a congenital abnormality where his lack of growth could be associated to an abnormal hear condition or a liver shunt or perhaps a heavy burden of parasites. I would recommend having your puppy evaluated by a veterinarian to ensure there are no underlying issues with him. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I would not expect swollen lymph nodes secondary to teething. Infections, including a bacterial infection commonly known as 'puppy strangles' can cause enlarged lymph nodes. The salivary glands are also in this same area and it is possible that he has inflamed salivary glands as well. I would recommend seeing your veterinarian for a physical examination to confirm that the lymph nodes are actually swollen. If the lymph nodes are swollen they might recommend a fine needle aspirate which is a procedure that uses a small needle to obtain cells that are sent to a pathologist for review.

I would be very concerned with Izzy having this many seizures in such a short period of time. Young, small breed dogs can suffer from a condition called a shunt. With this disease the liver is unable to filter out toxins like it normally would. When this happens and the levels of certain enzymes get too high they affect the brain and cause seizures. This happens more frequently after a meal. I would recommend having Izzy checked out by your vet. They will likely run a blood test to check her liver enzymes and a test called bile acids to see how well the liver is working. I'm sorry you are having to deal with this in your young pup! Hopefully you can get a diagnosis and start managing her seizures soon.

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!

This lump on Siu q could be a benign tumor, a cyst, an abscess, or a lipoma. It would be rare for such a young dog to have a malignant tumor, but it is possible. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the 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. I would take Siu q into the vet today or tomorrow to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed. As for the lack of appetite and lethargy, those are very general signs of illness in dogs, and it could be caused by systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or injury. Because Siu q is going to see the vet for this lump, I would have a health check done on her as well to diagnose the cause of the lethargy and lack of appetite.

So, potential serious concerns would be 1. poisoning (ie antifreeze, pot, chemicals, rotten carcasses, etc.) 2. seizures (dogs get epilepsy and it commonly presents in puppies 3. metabolic issue like a liver shunt can cause neurologic symptoms 4. trauma to the brain like being hit by a car. Any neurologic symptoms are very serious and I would take him to an emergency veterinarian for a full workup.