Dog Antibiotic Injections Greenville SC

Q. I recently had my 1-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever spayed. Everything went well, but two weeks after her surgery she developed a golf-ball-sized lump in the scruff of her neck. We returned to the vet and were told that it could be the result of the antibiotic she was given during her surgery. They gave her a benadryl-type antihistamine.

It has since festered into an open sore that is draining and slowly going down, but is really nasty looking. We returned to the vet, and he said it would get uglier before it got better, and she may always have the lump as a result of the scar tissue. He gave her an antibiotic called Antirobe twice daily. He also said he has never see a reaction quite like this.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. We love our vets, and we are not faulting them, unless there is something I should look into.

A. It does sound like your dog is having a bad reaction to an injection given in her neck. Typically, an injection with amoxicillin or ampicillin is given under the skin as a precaution to prevent infection following surgery.

The injection is typically given into the space between the skin and the muscle (the subcutaneous area). Occasionally, the injection may inadvertently be injected into the muscle. Although this may be more painful to a dog that is not anesthetized, it's not usually a problem.

Author: Jon Geller, DVM

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