Swollen Glands

[akena]

My dog has had 4 visits to the vet this last week - due to swollen glands.  She has been having problems with her ears, the vet gave me some ointment to put in to help clear the wax.  Occasionally the glands would come up and the vet would give an anti-biotic and anti-inflammatory injection.
I had been anay for a few days and came home to Mushu looking as if she had a plastic bag of water around her neck. The Vet said it was the lymph nodes and nothing to do with her ears.  After 24 hours, the big floppy swelling had gone down, and the swelling felt more like a gel.  Each day she was having injections, the swellings had been going slowly down but this evening the swellings do seem larger, like to golf balls.
She is eating well.  I am not sure if I should go to another vet.  Any suggestions would be very helpful.

[Dan Sims, DVM]

A needle aspirate should be performed of the area and cytology to determine is the lymph nodes are up or a sialocoele which is when saliva leaks from the glands in the neck.
If the diagnosis is still undetermined then a biopsy should be done.
A second opinion is not a bad idea.

[akena]

Thank you for your comments and advice, which I am going to ask my vet if he can do the testing.  I do think we will be on our way to Nelspruit, South Africa, where there is a very good professional veterinary clinic, which I have used before for X rays.  It is a 6 hour round trip, so unfortunately we tend to use the local vets first.
Thanks again
Akena

[inporter]

Hi my 1 1/2 yr. old female cocker spaniel has swollen glands.  I noticed Sunday morning after I had shaved her neck that she is razor burned and I can see leaking fluid come from her neck now.  Is there any medications I can give her without taking her to the vet?  I was recently laid off and low on funds.