One month ago I took Maxine (who is a 2 1/2 year old boxer/american bulldog mix) into the vet because she had a 3 cm lump (sort of squishy, movable, detached) under her chin where it connects to her neck on the left side of her throat. I freaked out because the doctor was saying possibly lymphoma. She did a needle aspiration and it came back inconclusive for infection or cancer (said there were slightly varying sizes of lymphocytes, which was somewhat concerning, but there were also neutrophils, which as I take it, is a sign of infection). So she put her on 2 weeks antibiotics to see if that would help. Well after her 2 weeks of pills, it was a LOT smaller, but still there, so she put her on another 2 weeks of antibiotics. Now that brings me to today. It's hard to see, and hard to even find, but it's still there, even squishier than it was before and tiny.
When I finally stopped freaking out it that it was cancer because it shrank due to the antibiotics, I noticed something else. I have everyday been checking her other lymph nodes to see if they are swollen since that is a sign of lymphoma. And now I'm starting to freak out because I noticed two pretty small bumps on both opposite sides of her neck behind her jawline. They are exactly the same size. I don't know if because I'm so worried that I'm taking this as something it isn't, and being overly-paranoid, but I don't remember if they had always been like that, or not.
I feel them when I go all the way to the end of her jaw, below her ear, and drop down about an inch or so. Sort of right behind the corner of where her jaw hinges. They are firm, but not hard, don't cause her pain, etc. As a note she hasn't been acting any different from the start of this, still playing, not losing weight (she has even gained weight), being exactly the same.
Are these her lymph nodes? Because the lump she had initially under chin and on her neck the doctor said was her lymph node. Or could these be jaw muscles or something that I have just never paid attention to? Are you supposed to be able to feel normal lymph nodes at all, or does this mean they are swollen? Like I said, it's been a month since her first lump popped up (and these are not anywhere near as large as the first one was), if she had lymphoma shouldn't she be having some sort of other noticeable symptoms with her attitude by now? As you can tell, my stress level is through the roof, thinking that she has cancer.
Thanks for reading, any input it greatly appreciated.
When I finally stopped freaking out it that it was cancer because it shrank due to the antibiotics, I noticed something else. I have everyday been checking her other lymph nodes to see if they are swollen since that is a sign of lymphoma. And now I'm starting to freak out because I noticed two pretty small bumps on both opposite sides of her neck behind her jawline. They are exactly the same size. I don't know if because I'm so worried that I'm taking this as something it isn't, and being overly-paranoid, but I don't remember if they had always been like that, or not.
I feel them when I go all the way to the end of her jaw, below her ear, and drop down about an inch or so. Sort of right behind the corner of where her jaw hinges. They are firm, but not hard, don't cause her pain, etc. As a note she hasn't been acting any different from the start of this, still playing, not losing weight (she has even gained weight), being exactly the same.
Are these her lymph nodes? Because the lump she had initially under chin and on her neck the doctor said was her lymph node. Or could these be jaw muscles or something that I have just never paid attention to? Are you supposed to be able to feel normal lymph nodes at all, or does this mean they are swollen? Like I said, it's been a month since her first lump popped up (and these are not anywhere near as large as the first one was), if she had lymphoma shouldn't she be having some sort of other noticeable symptoms with her attitude by now? As you can tell, my stress level is through the roof, thinking that she has cancer.
Thanks for reading, any input it greatly appreciated.
