Senior dog's neck lump, noisy breathing. Antibiotics failed. What now?

If the antibiotic therapy helped looks like could be the correct treatment. Maybe the treatment needs a bit more time to completely resolve the problem. But if the treatment completely fail I would suggest to repeat the biopsy and collect a bigger piece of tissue if only a cytology (few cells aspirated with a needle) was performed and if and bacterial origin is still very likely I would recommend to perform a culture to grow the bacteria and select the correct antibiotic. Feel free to post again with the biopsy and culture results for more advices!

How does a vet have no equipment to examine the dog? If that vet did not know what is going after looking at the dog I'm not sure how much I can tell you over the internet without looking at the dog. The most I can tell you is that at 14 years old this is likely cancer and you are not going to be able to fix it. I suggest you take him to another vet that does have equipment so you can try to get a diagnosis. A biopsy of the tumors are needed. If it is cancer it may have spread to his lungs and that is why is not able to breathe well. If you cannot afford to do all the testing to figure out what is happening then you may need to make the decision to euthanize him as it sounds like he is suffering and in pain. Please take him to another vet to get this sorted out.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Lucy evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

I know it can be scary when thinking about possible cancerous masses in your pet. But really the only way to know for sure is to have these masses tested through your vet. They can be cancerous masses, inflammatory reactions or benign tumors (non-cancerous). The heavy breathing that Allie is doing does concern me a bit. This can either be a sign of pain or an underlying lung or heart disease. So a vet visit although no desired, is probably the bext best thing to do for Allie in figuring out what's going on with both concerns. Best of luck getting some answers and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. 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. Since he has not been drinking well, they would also be able to check if something else is also affecting him by checking into other possible concurrent issues such as gastroenteritis or pancreatitis for instance. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and best wishes!

I'm sorry to hear that Bella isn't feeling well! Did all of this start between November and now? If so, please take her to you vet for an exam. I am worried that she has a tumor that may be affecting either the back of her throat, her neck (the lump you are describing). Its also possible that she has cancer elsewhere, such as in her spinal cord if her gait has changed significantly (though this could be due to disc disease or other causes of spinal cord compression.) Take her back to your vet for an exam. It sounds like her overall quality of life is still good... however, your vet may be able to identify ways to help you keep her feeling good for longer. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It sounds like Poppy didn't completely resolve with the medications. I have several questions I would like to ask that may help me be more helpful to you. A consultation may be more beneficial in this situation. However, kennel cough can develop into more concerning problems such as bronchitis or pneumonia similar to how colds can lead to pneumonia in people. There are certainly other causes of cough as well, such as heart worm disease or parasites. The addition of another puppy also increases my suspicion of infectious or parasite causes. An x-ray of her lungs, fecal exam looking for parasites, or possibly longer term antibiotic therapy may be needed. The lump on the neck may or may not be related but should be evaluated. Please consider either a consultation or call your veterinarian to discuss the Poppy's recent changes.