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My dog has a soft lump under its jaw overnight. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boston Terrier | Male | neutered | 30 lbs

Dog has soft lump under jaw/neck appeared over night.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on March 25th, 2018

Good morning. If it is towards the back of the jaw it could be an enlarged lymph node or salivary gland. Other possible causes are an abscess or tumor. In young dogs we see a lot of abscesses in that area because they are chewing on sticks or other things and they can puncture the oral tissue and cause an abscess under the jaw. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. A needle aspirate may be done to help determine the diagnosis and treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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