# lump on dogs face



## ShannonF (Feb 4, 2013)

Around a month ago I noticed a small hard lump on my dogs face, it was at the edge of her jaw below her ear, it appeared suddenly and wasn't hurting her or affecting her eating or drinking. I figured she may of banged herself as she is a clumsy dogue de bordeaux pup (now nearly 10 months old) so left it abs monitored it over the next few days. 
It didn't go down so I took her to the vets who gave me antibiotics and sent us on our way. The antibiotics didnt do much, the lump shrunk briefly but then grew in size, I took her back and again they gave me antibiotics but this time show anti inflammatorys aswel. 
This time the tablets she was given gave her bad diarrhoea with blood in so I was advised to stop giving them to her.
the lump settled down on its own and was nearly gone until mid last week when it started getting abit bigger (only to the size of a large grape) and then yesterday when I got home from work it had taken a dramatic for the worse........ it was HUGE! I mean it was the size of a baseball, her whole face/neck was sticking out, she hadn't eaten all day, didn't greet me at the door and was very lethargic and really not herself. 
I rushed her to the vets and they gave her a strong painkiller injection and are operating on her today. It is really painful for her and she has been crying all night when she lies on it.
has anyone else been through this? The vet says it could be saliva gland, foreign body or a tumour(not likely as she is so young) I'm worried sick about her and hate seeing her in pain.


----------



## mollymo (Oct 31, 2009)

Poor girlie that looks very painful. Hope all goes well today for you all.


----------



## ShannonF (Feb 4, 2013)

mollymo said:


> Poor girlie that looks very painful. Hope all goes well today for you all.


Thanks, I'm so worried about her.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

ShannonF said:


> Around a month ago I noticed a small hard lump on my dogs face, it was at the edge of her jaw below her ear, it appeared suddenly and wasn't hurting her or affecting her eating or drinking. I figured she may of banged herself as she is a clumsy dogue de bordeaux pup (now nearly 10 months old) so left it abs monitored it over the next few days.
> It didn't go down so I took her to the vets who gave me antibiotics and sent us on our way. The antibiotics didnt do much, the lump shrunk briefly but then grew in size, I took her back and again they gave me antibiotics but this time show anti inflammatorys aswel.
> This time the tablets she was given gave her bad diarrhoea with blood in so I was advised to stop giving them to her.
> the lump settled down on its own and was nearly gone until mid last week when it started getting abit bigger (only to the size of a large grape) and then yesterday when I got home from work it had taken a dramatic for the worse........ it was HUGE! I mean it was the size of a baseball, her whole face/neck was sticking out, she hadn't eaten all day, didn't greet me at the door and was very lethargic and really not herself.
> ...


Could be a salivary gland they can get blocked and infected. It would make sense too, as a course of antibiotics would likely deal with infection whilst on them and for a short time after, but once off them and the gland is still blocked and bacteria and infection builds up again then it would come back.

If the second time he gave her NSAIDs non steroidal anti inflammatories of which there are several brand names like metacam, Rimadyl and others, then NSAIDs can cause gastric upset and inflammation and things like colitis which is often loose of diarrhoea like motions usually with muscos a clear jelly like substance and blood.

Other common causes of lumps on the face too, can be a damaged, or fractured tooth, bacteria can get down below the gum line and into the root canal causing a tooth root abcess. Again antibiotics will calm it down and take away infection temporarily while on them and for a while, but once off them the bacteria builds up again and the abcess will come back with a vengeance. They can get huge and come up quickly once they start as the infected pus builds up. The only way to once and for all get rid of tooth root abcesses is to take the tooth out and put them on antibiotics while its healing.

As regards foreign bodies then that's a possible too, especially as we have just gone through and still going through grass seed season, the grass that looks like ears of wheat are the worse, as the seeds are barbed and once enter the skin can only go one way and that's further inwards, the can migrate under the skin and even enter between the toes disappear and migrate up tendons and cause problems in all sorts of locations. Once in they too can set up infection and things like abcesses.

You can get things too like sebaceous cysts, the glands that produce sebum (oil) to keep the skin and coat healthy can get blocked and a cyst can form that can also get large and become infected.

There is a good chance I would of thought that it could well be one of these suggestions above.


----------



## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

Whatever it is, I hope she's home safe, sound and pain free very soon


----------



## ShannonF (Feb 4, 2013)

Picked her up last night and it turns out it is an absess caused by a foreign body, they can't find the foreign body so think it was something tiny like a grass seed.
I'm not very happy though as she still has a big lump and a cut which they said has to be left open for it to continue draining itself.... I would of thought they should of drained it all rather than leaving a slit in her face which is dripping blood and pus!?


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

ShannonF said:


> Picked her up last night and it turns out it is an absess caused by a foreign body, they can't find the foreign body so think it was something tiny like a grass seed.
> I'm not very happy though as she still has a big lump and a cut which they said has to be left open for it to continue draining itself.... I would of thought they should of drained it all rather than leaving a slit in her face which is dripping blood and pus!?


If it is an abcess, then you can help it drain and draw out the pus, by flushing it out and bathing it a few times a day. Best thing is a saline solution.
You can make this by getting a clean bowl, and boiled water, add about a teaspoon of salt to a litre of water, dissolve it in the boiled water and then let the water cool, and then flush out and bath the area when its cool enough, by doing that for the next couple of days, until all the pus has drained it will help. The danger is if it seals itself before all the pus has drained as an abcess can re-form. By bathing it and cleaning it all out, it will help it continue to drain until its all gone and then it will heal fine.


----------



## canuckjill (Jun 25, 2008)

Sled dog hotel said:


> If it is an abcess, then you can help it drain and draw out the pus, by flushing it out and bathing it a few times a day. Best thing is a saline solution.
> You can make this by getting a clean bowl, and boiled water, add about a teaspoon of salt to a litre of water, dissolve it in the boiled water and then let the water cool, and then flush out and bath the area when its cool enough, by doing that for the next couple of days, until all the pus has drained it will help. The danger is if it seals itself before all the pus has drained as an abcess can re-form. By bathing it and cleaning it all out, it will help it continue to drain until its all gone and then it will heal fine.


Good advise, if your not sure on how to do it ask your vet to show you for next time. Mine did with my cat years ago, not done right it may cause problems...


----------



## ShannonF (Feb 4, 2013)

Thanks for the advise, I'll do that and hopefully it will all drain out quickly. Does anyone know roughly how long it can take for these things to go away or does it really just depend on the animals own circumstances?


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

ShannonF said:


> Thanks for the advise, I'll do that and hopefully it will all drain out quickly. Does anyone know roughly how long it can take for these things to go away or does it really just depend on the animals own circumstances?


Once its fully drained and all the pus and infections out it should start to heal pretty quickly. Did they not give you antibiotics, with abcesses on cats and dogs I have had they have given ABs too usually to fight infection systemically.


----------

