Swollen gums in dog.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Vikas...thanks so much for your question about Amber.

This is a tough one for me to answer without actually seeing your dog, but I can give you a few of my thoughts.

I don't like the fact that his gums are swollen and that his lymph nodes are swollen as well. It sounds like your vet aspirated the lymph nodes to see if this was lymphosarcoma which is a cancer of the lymph nodes. However, if this was negative I think the biggest concern is cancer inside the mouth or on the gums.

An infection could cause lymph nodes to be swollen, but with everything you told me an infection does not seem to be as likely as a cancer. I am assuming your vet has tried courses of antibiotics, but if not, this is not a bad idea.

There are several different types of cancers that can appear on the mouth and gums. However, unfortunately mouth cancer is often very aggressive and difficult to treat. The biopsy which was sent away should really tell you which type of cancer it is.

The fact that Amber is still eating is good. Usually in a case like this our goal is to keep the dog comfortable and keep him eating.

If the results do come back as cancerous, the report should tell us what type of cancer it is and your vet will give you treatment options. If the cancer has caused the lymph nodes to swell then this means that simply removing the cancer will not cure it. Your vet may talk about chemotherapy options or possibly even radiation if that is available in your area. However, most mouth cancers are difficult to treat.

I'm sorry for the bad news. I hope Amber does ok.

Dr. Marie.

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.