My dog has lymphoma, why did his neck tumor swell overnight?

Question

My dog (beagle mix) was diagnosed with lymphoma and has been on prednisone since February. He has been doing fairly well and getting regular check-ins with his vet. Yesterday morning I woke up to find the spot on his neck where his cancer tumor is located had swelled up over 4 times the size it was the night before. I know cancer can grow quickly in dogs, but his tumor balloned up overnight in the space of a few hours. The vet thinks he may have been bitten by an incest, but there's no wound. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 13 years and 4 months old | 26 lbs

Catherine Stecyk · Accepted Answer

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Thunderbolt has lymphoma but I'm happy he has been doing fairly well with his prednisone. It is possible that this area could be his lymph node which has swollen/grown significantly in size. This can happen pretty acutely, over the course of several hours to a day. This would suggest that his lymphoma is progressive, and his body may not be responding to the prednisone any longer. There are other chemotherapeutic options that may benefit Thunderbolt. I worry that a mass on his neck could continue to grow and possible cause difficulty breathing or swallowing. I recommend having Thunderbolt evaluated by your veterinarian to determine what the swelling is exactly (lymph node vs. mass vs. abscess, etc), and discuss other treatment options. I hope this is helpful!

My dog has lymphoma, why did his neck tumor swell overnight?

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