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Section: Veterinary Care In-depth
Diagnosis In-depthSimple palpation of the swelling under the neck or under the tongue is often all that is necessary to make the presumptive diagnosis of salivary mucocele. These swellings are soft and feel like fluid within a pocket of tissue. This is unlike the feel of a tumor that might cause a similar swelling in these areas. Tumors usually have a firm, often irregular, feel to them and may be painful to touch.The definitive diagnosis is made by removal of a sample of the fluid from the swelling and examining it under the microscope. The fluid from a mucocele is usually clear or slightly yellow and thick like mucus. There are usually few cells seen in the sample. Special stains are used to determine if the fluid is saliva. It is important to make sure that the problem is not a pocket of infection (abscess) that might require different treatment.No other tests are usually necessary to make the diagnosis.
An abscess is a sac or lump that contains pus. The hallmark signs are pain and swelling in the area, as well as redness and an increased temperature of the skin overlying the abscess.
Very often the word “lump” brings the word “cancer” to mind, although there are many other causes of lumps, such as malignant or benign tumors, abscesses, cysts, hematomas (blood-filled mass) or hives....
Ptyalism, or excessive salivation or drooling in dogs, may be normal in certain animals; however, when it is a sudden event that persists for an extended period of time, it is usually associated with illness...
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