Where is a Dog’s Adam’s Apple?
Your dog’s Adam’s apple will be underneath their chin, in the middle of their throat towards the front.
You will usually be able to find it by gently feeling your dog’s throat in this area.
However, remember that not all dogs will have a prominent Adam’s apple. And, you should always be very gentle when inspecting your dog’s throat.
This area is delicate and can be uncomfortable for your dog if you’re too forceful.
Is a Dog’s Adam’s Apple Easy To See?
Some dogs might have an easily visible Adam’s apple. In these cases, it will just look like a small bump in your dog’s throat.
However, for most dogs, you will only be able to find their Adam’s apple by feeling for it.
Most dog Adam’s apples are well covered or disguised by their fur. Particularly in breeds with long fur.
So, you may struggle to actually see the lump at all.
Sebaceous cysts on a dog’s neck
A sebaceous cyst is actually a misnomer. It might make us think that it is a problem with the sebaceous gland, but this is not actually the case. The cyst is not full of sebum and does not originate in the sebaceous gland. However, since they are so commonly referred to as sebaceous cysts, even veterinarians will refer to them as such.
They appear as a lump of varying sizes and are made up of different substances, mainly fatty tumor-like cysts made of keratin or fibrous tissue. They are generally not harmful, but it is possible they can become infected. The dog may not even notice them, but they can become large and unsightly.
Sebaceous cysts in dogs do not generally require treatment, but if they are on the neck it is possible they can become problematic. One of the major reasons is because the cyst can become irritated by the dogs collar and increase infection or irritation. If this is the case, surgery is a viable option. The procedure is relatively simple and dos not require much recovery time. While sebaceous cysts can appear on almost any part of the skin, when removed form the neck, the dog may not even need a protective collar.
Another cause of a lump in our dogs neck might be due to an abscess. These are collections of pus which stay under skin and are caused by an infection, usually a bacterial one. For example, if our dog is playing around too roughly (or even fighting), the neck is a common place to receive a bite or scratch.
Sometimes, the skin closes over, but there remains an infection on the inside. The pus collects and a abscess forms. It can happen with dirty or clogged hair follicles also. Even a sebaceous cyst as described above can develop into an abscess.
Pimples are often similar to sebaceous cysts, but they are temporary and caused by dirt collecting in a hair follicle. When the follicle becomes infected and inflamed, it will lead to folliculitis. This presents as a raised lump on the skin and is most commonly caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus pseudintermedius[1]. Folliculitis is usually temporary and should resolve themselves naturally, but treatment may be necessary for acute or chronic cases.
They can also be caused by a foreign object which gets caught in the dogs flesh such as a foxtail or similar barbed splinter. If our dog suffers some pain and we are unsure of its cause, we should get it checked out in case there is an infection. It is something to consider when we go walking in the country or anywhere there is high bushes. When you return from these areas, we should give our dog an inspection, especially as there may also be the presence of ticks which can also impart blood diseases. Check their legs in particular.
Speaking of ticks, any sort of insect bite may elicit an eruption in the form of an abscess. They are not fatty lumps, but can feel quick soft and have some give when you touch them. These kind of lumps are prone to bursting, either as part of the healing process or because they have been knocked against something. Either way, it puts the dog at risk of further infection, so we need to be careful. The abscesses are diagnosed by the vet, usually by examining and taking a sample. They are treated by disinfection, antibiotics and sometimes even draining the area of pus.
Sometimes, the lump in your dogs neck may be the result of a tumor. Tumors are abnormal growths of cells, a type of neoplasm. An organisms cells multiply and replace themselves many times of the course of their lives. However, the mechanism of this replication may have some errors, especially in later in life. This can cause the cells to grow disproportionately and out of control.
Often this process can occur very quickly. This is how the bulges, lumps or tumors are formed. They may seem to appear overnight, but it is possible the beginning of the tumor dates from a long time prior. They can appear anywhere in the body whether under the skin or in particular organs, spreading throughout the organism during a process known as metastasis.
There are many factors in the appearance of tumors in your dog. This cause determines whether they are benign or malignant. The damage they cause, in both form and severity, largely depends on which part of the body they occur. It is therefore advisable we take our dog to the vet once a year for younger dogs or twice for those over the age of seven years. This is to help with the early detection of tumors such the prognosis will be affected by the speediness of the diagnosis. They can also determine whether they might be cancerous and advise on the right course of treatment.
For this reason, it is important to check our dogs regularly at home just in case these lumps may be present. Through a blood test and/or biopsy, the vet can then decide whether the lump is something which needs to be treated and what this treatment may be. Whether benign or malignant, the lump may be removed in a surgical procedure. If it is cancerous, it may also be accompanied by radio or chemotherapy.
The presence of a lump might also indicate a cyst which is not cancerous. These could be lipomas which are cysts of fatty tissue which collect and are removed in a relatively simple procedure. However, it is always a vet who needs to provide the diagnosis and determine a benign fatty tumor with something malignant.
Lymph Node Aspirate in a Dog
A dog’s throat has many components to it that allow your dog to bark, howl, or even whine and while throat cancers are very uncommon among dogs, they’re not impossible. If tumors or lumps do develop within your dog’s throat, they are usually in either the larynx or trachea (and into the esophagus).