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My dog has swollen lymph nodes. Can vets diagnose lymphoma without bloods?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | French Bulldog | Female | spayed

My dog had swollen lymph nodes under her jaw and the vet has said it is lymphoma but can they know for sure without bloods? Or will they 100% know

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 24th, 2019

Sometimes there are diseases like lymphoma where there are characteristic symptoms that the vet just knows are caused by that disease. But I recommend getting a fine needle aspirate of Luna's lymph nodes to be sure.

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

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Does a lymph node have to reach a certain size before one could say that it is lymphoma? How big are lymph nodes usually when the diagnosis is lymphoma?
Not necessarily as other disease processes can cause lymph node swelling. Every case is different and some dogs have mild lymphadenoapthy at diagnosis and others have significant lymphadenopathy. In general however reactive lymphadenopathy is usually more mild. If lymphadenopathy is suspected it is important to rule out other causes such as systemic diseases (tick borne, fungal, etc.) especially in a young dog in certain parts of the country (or with a travel history), allergic skin disease, etc. Ultimately needle sampling of the lymph nodes is an initial step but will not always diagnose all cases. There are also different types of lymphoma with different presentations, prognoses, and treatment approach. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My dog has a swollen lymph node causing breathing issues. After some tests (ultrasound of abdomen - with swollen nodes - and chest x-ray), the vet thinks its lymphoma, despite the cytology coming back as lymphoid hyperplasia. Her only other symptoms
I'm sorry Shiloh isn't doing well! Unfortunately cancer can be common in senior dogs, and I'm not surprised your vet suspects lymphoma. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain what is her diagnosis, so I recommend taking her into another vet for a second opinion. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi my dog has a swollen lymph node she's a 15 month old French bulldog. She has had antihistamine and antibiotics from the vet which reduced the swelling but now one week later it has come back, could this be lymphoma? Thanks, sam
If it has come back after the initial course of treatment, I would see if your vet can perform a fine needle aspirate and send it out for cytology review with a pathologist. This will help determine if the lymph node in question is suspicious for lymphoma or not. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns. I am also available via consultation.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
hi my german shepherd has swollen lymph nodes, she is 3.5 years old, shes so young, she is neutered. could she have lymphoma? she has no symptoms at all.
Unfortunately lymphoma is one of the possibilities, even at this age, many times in the beginning the only symptom will be swollen lymph nodes. swollen lymph nodes could also be due to an infection, you will need to take her to the vet in order to get it checked, a blood test and sample from the lymph node will be taken in order to get a diagnosis, the treatment will be given accordingly.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello. My dog is about 56-60 years old (dog years) and she has swollen lymph nodes on her neck. I just noticed them a couple days ago and I want to know what I can do to get rid of them. I heard it could be cancer, but I don't want to jump to conclus
Swollen lymph nodes can be a sign of cancer, tick borne diseases, or infections. The swollen nodes will not go back to normal until the underlying cause is addressed. I'd recommend seeing a veterinarian - a test for tick disease or sampling the lymph node with a needle might be recommended.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a large firm mass growing in its neck (directly under the mandible) that is the size of a strawberry. It is moveable within the skin and is shaped like an inflated kidney (not one coherent sphere). There are no other growths on her and it
Unfortunately it is difficult to say what it is without seeing it in person and aspirating it. I would have your vet examine her and take an aspirate of it to look under the microscope or send to a pathologist. It could be the lymph node which could indicate lymphoma but could also just be a reactive lymph node secondary to an infection. It could also be a salivary mucoceole which is in the salivary gland located in a similar location. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma based on all lymph nodes being grossly enlarged as well as her spleen. My vet did blood work but the tests all came back normal. Does this mean she doesn't have lymphoma or did we just catch it in an early
Routine bloodwork is not sufficient to diagnose lymphoma. Sometimes it can show changes in white blood cell levels that would clue us in to look for cancer, but it is not a "cancer test". I would recommend that you discuss lymph node biopsy with your vet as the next diagnostic step.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Our maltipoo Jenny has had swollen lymph nodes now for a few weeks. She was on Clavamox for a week then taken off for 2 days. Now she is Baytril and Clindamycin. They are getting smaller but slowly. Her symptoms: no appetite, mild fever that is now g
Lymph nodes can become enlarged because they are draining an infection or inflammatory part of the body, because the lymphatic flow is being disrupted, or because of cancer in the nodes. I would discuss additional diagnostics with your vet, which may vary depending on which lymph nodes are involved. Aspiration of the affected lymph nodes is easy and can often be done without sedation. The samples are sent to a pathologist for review. X-rays of the chest and or abdomen may be indicated. Ultrasound of the abdomen may be needed. Dental cleaning and removal of diseased teeth if the lymph nodes are near the head.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a few lumps on his body, and swollen lymph nodes under one arm pit. He is eating, drinking, and exercising with no issues
Swollen lymphnodes can be reactive, meaning that they are responding to infection or inflammation somewhere. They can also be swollen due to lymphnod cancer (lymphoma), or metastatic cancer from somewhere else. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. They may consider doing a needle aspirate to help diagnose if there is anything concerning or not. Best of luck and I hope Rusty does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dogs lymph nodes in her neck started swelling about a month ago then i noticed the lymph nodes under her belly was swelling. Cpl of days ago I noticed that her back legs and feet was extremely swollen so I felt and looked for cuts or sores but fou
Swelling of the lymph nodes, especially when multiple lymph nodes around the body are swollen, is something that should be addressed by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Your veterinarian would most likely do a fine needle aspirate which means they would insert a small needle into the lymph nodes to draw out a sample. They would then look at this sample under a microscope. Widespread lymph node enlargement could be a type of cancer called lymphoma. It could also be an infection throughout the body. The cough could be related to infection or could result from enlarged lymph nodes in the chest. A chest x-ray may be necessary to find the cause of the cough.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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