Mandibular Salivary Glands

[Guest w9816]

Have been browsing the forum and read about several similar cases, but there does not seem to be any real diagnose for many of them. Here is our story.
Only a few weeks after I got my 2-year old grey, and in fact on the evening of the same day I had had him for a check-up to the vet, I noticed swelling under the jaw. I was not sure if it was the salivary glands or the lymph nodes but having lost my deerhound to laryngeal cancer just two months earlier I got quite concerned and we headed back to the vet’s office a few days later. Now the vet was not sure either, if it was a salivary problem/infection/blocking or if it had something to do with the lymph nodes (this struck me as a little odd, that a professional could not tell which gland it was) but anyhow we got a prescription for antibiotics. One week went by, no change, back to the vet’s, this time for needle biopsy. Samples were taken and we also got another type of antiobiotics. Let me also mention that the dog seemed perfectly healthy all the time.
When results from the biopsy came back, they did not reveal anything out of the ordinary. No infection (of course he had already been on antibiotics for one week) and the cells were normal, and from the salivary gland.

 

So, what is it? The glands are not changing in size (the size of a small grape), they are symmetrical (same size on both sides, seems unlogical that both would be blocked). A stubborn infection after all? Some sort of reaction due to changes in diet?

 

 

[Scooby172]

My grey/whippet mix has swollen salivary glands. When she was less than a year I noticed the swelling, took her to the vet who initially put her on a round of antibiotics with no change, then did a biopsy, nothing unusual came back. Keeva is now 11 years old, healthy but her salivary glands are still big. Hope nothing turns out to be wrong with your dog either.

Linda, Jack and Keeva

[Batmom]

Can you take a picture? It's normal for the mandibular glands (just behind the corner of the jaw) to be visible and palpable on a skinny, thin-skinned breed.

[Guest Fasave]

My guy had a torn salivary gland but they discovered it when the incubated him for another procedure. Some torn salivary glands are obvious for the outside, however, in this case it sounds like there are two sides that are inflamed. My guys was just one gland on one side. I hope it's just a greyhound/skinny dog thing.

[KF_in_Georgia]

You probably saw this one, but in case you missed it, I'll provide a link to Get Em's thread.

[Guest w9816]

There is still no change, but on the other hand he does not seem to "suffer" in any way. So I guess we'll just have to look&see. When comparing to my other grey, I can feel his glands too, but they seem to sit deeper in the neck and are not visible at all.

 

[EllenEveBaz]

I can't get a good picture of them, but my Romie has always had "bumps" that stick out similarly to your dog's, ever since I've had him. Neither vet I've taken him to has seemed concerned. Romie's seem a little lower down and more "square."