Swelling in Dogs: Lilly’s Lump–What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Regardless of the cause of your dog’s swelling, lumps, or bumps, the sooner you discover it, the better.

Swelling in Dogs: Lilly's Mysterious Lump

That is why grooming and physical contact with your dog goes beyond bonding and building a relationship. Your hands can find ticks, scabs, lumps, or swelling your eyes might not see.

Lilly’s mom was getting ready for a wellness exam. While waiting their turn, she was checking Lilly’s neck for a pea-sized bump she wanted the veterinarian to examine. Instead, she found a swelling the size of a hardboiled egg.

The swelling on Lilly’s neck was big and squishy.

It was well hidden in Lilly’s coat. How large would it have to get to be visible?

There was no sign of any swelling a few days back when Lilly got a bath and thorough brushing. Whatever this swelling was, it appeared fast.

Lilly’s mom’s heart sank–did Lilly sustain another rattlesnake bite?

It happened once before, and it was scary as hell. At first, it looked like a garden-variety bee sting, but quickly it blew up into a medical disaster.

But going over the events of the day, Lilly’s mom couldn’t recall anything out of the ordinary.

As she was parting Lilly’s coat looking for fang marks, all she found was bruising and redness at the peak of the mass. Perhaps this is not a snake bite after all. But whatever it was, it didn’t seem any less severe.

How easily can a routine wellness exam turn into an emergency visit?

The lump on Lilly’s neck took up a good portion of her neck and lower cheek.

Once the veterinarian shaved the area, she discovered

  • bruising and redness centered at the top of the swelling
  • discoloration streaking downward from that
  • squishy swelling that centered around a solid center
  • a pocket filled with fluid

Can you guess what happened to Lilly? What would you make of an acute swelling like that? What would you do if it was your dog?

Read Lilly’s story here.

Related articles:
Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog: Swelling
Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog: What Is that Bump?

Further reading:
Dog Facial Swelling: Causes and Treatment

Categories: Dog health advocacy • Facial swelling • Lumps and bumps • Poisonous insect bites • Real-life Stories • Swelling • Symptoms

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer, dog health advocate, writer, and author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Countless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that merely seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to get a diagnosis. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners. What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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