Any idea's?

[Kasianni]

Hi!! My 8 year old Dachshund, has had a lot going on recently. Most recently after being crated in January/Feb for a herniated disc..he was on lots of meds but after 8 weeks was walking perfectly. Mid March, diarrhea with mucus and blood, back to vets. Given metronidazole, steroids for inflammation, went home..still had issues..back to vets, blood tests, pancreas test, all done all normal. Changed foods twice..went it I/D then to Royal Canine Gastro Intestional moderate calorie..All symptoms went away..but since on this new food seems it caused more issues or they were already there...Mid August, noticed a while spot on his eyebrow, I scratched it white stuff came out, that was that..then he had a few more around his eyes, and feet and I thought Demodex (he had it has a pup) gave him a few baths with Pyoben and it was under control..acting normal etc. Mid September, suddenly head full of little raised bumps, off to vets again. Did a skin scraping, in two spots, no demodex..where those spots were, he lost the fur so he was looking like a big polka-dot. This was only on his head, face, muzzle and ears. Rest of body was fine. Has swollen lymph nodes. Dr said this was an infection and treated with a shot of antibiotics (due to tummy issues easier then given pills and pepcid etc) after week one, bumps were all gone and fur already growing back. Went back last Tuesday for second shot as they only last 2 weeks. Vet said wow, 50-75% healed already. Nodes in neck went down but still noticeable in the back of legs. Had the shot and we are on week 3 today. He is to go back to vets next Tuesday to see how its going. I asked about cancer because of the nodes and he said he didnt' think it was that as all his tests in May came back perfect and that he didn't think it was cancer and present itself as a skin infection in his face. When I was there last Tuesday I asked again he said 75% chance not cancer. What the heck does that mean? This dog is my heart dog. I rescued him at 7 weeks, he had parvo and countless other issues and my vet saved him so I do trust him. I asked him if he was worried and he said no. If the dogs was showing other signs of being sick, maybe but he is full of energy, eating, playing, and the skin issue is clearing up so well so WHY are the glands still swollen. Its freaking me out, I can not stop thinking of it, I can't sleep, I am so worried. Please don't tell me "its just a dog" as so many have. This boy was there when I went through chemo and other things and I love him more than anything else. He is loving and just the sweetest boy. So my question is really, this, he's had 2 shots now (so tomorrow 3 weeks on antibiotics) and his glands are still swollen..each day, his skin gets better and better. Vet said they've gone done in his neck but not the back legs but he was not concerned. Why am I so worried?? Any advice??

[MaxaLisa]

I personally would get a second opinion from a good internal medicine vet.
http://www.acvim.org/

I might be concerned about something like a tick disease. An adult dog with demodex says that the immune system is suppressed, and that is not normal for an adult dog.

[Kasianni]

He DOESN'T have demodex. Vet did two scrapings, two weeks apart. He had it when he was a puppy. He's been on lots of meds due to being crated for a herniated disc. He wasn't outside much due to his back, its not a tick disease, every time he was out I checked for ticks when we came back in. He's got a very short coat, I sleep with him and check him often. I know his immune system is suppressed as he's been on so much meds since a puppy and parvo virus and all kinds of other things. He's had complete blood tests and other tests, everything was normal.

[hazelrunpack]

It does sound as if he's improving. It sometimes takes lymph nodes a long time to go down after an infection, so it might just be that it hasn't been long enough for everything to resolve.

Did the vet ever biopsy one of the bumps (as in needle aspirate, as opposed to skin scrape)? I'd be interested to see what was in them--pus, just signs of inflammation or something else entirely...?

Meanwhile, I would still screen for tick disease--there are relatively inexpensive (like US$60) snap tests that screen for more than one at a time--way cheaper than doing individual titers. We have found one bloated tick on one of the dogs--yet 5 of them were showing symptoms, had positive snap tests, and are now being treated for anaplasmosis. So you don't always see the ticks before they pass on the diseases.

[Kasianni]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

It does sound as if he's improving. It sometimes takes lymph nodes a long time to go down after an infection, so it might just be that it hasn't been long enough for everything to resolve.

Did the vet ever biopsy one of the bumps (as in needle aspirate, as opposed to skin scrape)? I'd be interested to see what was in them--pus, just signs of inflammation or something else entirely...?

Meanwhile, I would still screen for tick disease--there are relatively inexpensive (like US$60) snap tests that screen for more than one at a time--way cheaper than doing individual titers. We have found one bloated tick on one of the dogs--yet 5 of them were showing symptoms, had positive snap tests, and are now being treated for anaplasmosis. So you don't always see the ticks before they pass on the diseases.

Hi! No biopsy..yet. He checked for Demodex at two week intervals and was all clear. He had complete blood tests done in May cause of his tummy issues and everything was normal so he didn't do any blood tests in September. He had a shot of Convenia 3 weeks ago, and since they only last 14 days, he was back there a week ago today for another shot. His head was covered with raised bumps, all over his head, face, muzzle..a few on his feet. One week after the first shot, all the bumps went down, and he looked like a spotted dogs cause he lost hair where the bumps were. However, looking at him today, you would know that had happened..his skin is amazing and healing so well now. The vet thinks it was a reaction to something (meds maybe, he had metronidazole, twice, steriods, he was de-wormed in case of Giardia, 3 treatments, 5 days each a few weeks apart, last one in September, they had to rule that out cause of his tummy issues even though fecal tests came back negative) so lets just say he had so much meds in him. Then in July changed his food to this crappy one I don't like..This all started in August with a few bumps on his face, washed him with Pyoben they went away, then in September boom, all over his face and head, and feet. That's when the vet checked for Demodex and gave him his first shot of antibiotics!!! You said sometimes it takes lymph nodes a long time to go down after an infection???? You mean longer then the 3 weeks its been?? How long acn it take, do you know? You have heard of them taking time after an infection?? If so you don't know how happy that makes me feel to hear this. I think my vet said the same thing last week. We are going back this Friday. He said if it was cancer, Lymphona, it wouldn't present itself on his head like it did. Just hard not to worry about that. I have to stop googling things on the internet..going to drive myself insane..I'll ask about tick disease on Friday when we go back. Thanks for taking the time in writing me back.

[hazelrunpack]

I hear ya about googling stuff--the imagination can be a powerful force for evil! LOL Still, provided you keep in mind that the internet is a breeding ground for horror stories and stay away from the more sensational sites, you can find some good information out there.

If your dog is still clearing the infection (whatever it is), the lymph nodes would likely still be swollen. I wouldn't worry until at least a few weeks after the last of the skin problems have resolved. I don't know if it's the same in dogs and cats, but when I was a kid, I'd typically have swollen lymph nodes for a month or so past kicking the infection.

[Kasianni]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

I hear ya about googling stuff--the imagination can be a powerful force for evil! LOL Still, provided you keep in mind that the internet is a breeding ground for horror stories and stay away from the more sensational sites, you can find some good information out there.

If your dog is still clearing the infection (whatever it is), the lymph nodes would likely still be swollen. I wouldn't worry until at least a few weeks after the last of the skin problems have resolved. I don't know if it's the same in dogs and cats, but when I was a kid, I'd typically have swollen lymph nodes for a month or so past kicking the infection.

Yes true, there is some great info out there! Well, after the first shot 3 weeks ago, it took about 6 days for the lumps to go away..when I went back to the vet last Tuesday for the second shot, he said it was clearing up nicely and he wasn't concerned about the glands. Yesterday was one week after the second shot I thought the gland would be gone. His fur is still growing in, but how do I know if he is still fighting the infection if the bumps are gone? Actually come to think of it, I did find the odd one or two near is eye so I guess that is a indication that its not quite gone. I had a tooth abscess once, had a swollen gland under the jaw. It was huge and its still there, a lot small but still there and my doctor said it happens sometimes so I know we can have issues like that, but dogs?? He is eating just fine, actually this dog would he all the time if he could but I have to keep his weight just right as he is a Dachshund and has IVDD, so have to watch the food lol. I don't know, I want to think positive and its so hard. I know that today, I have a happy dog, and I should just enjoy today, this moment, I know all this, its hard to apply all this when we have these thoughts in the back of our head. I go back Friday to the vets, scared to go but anxious to talk to him as well.