Skip to main content
Home

Severe Leg Swelling and Red Lumps Under a Boxer's Skin

by A reader

Reader Question
My 6 1/2-year-old Boxer mix has severe soft swelling in his right leg, from the shoulder down to his paw. It's painful for him to stand on, but he does walk on it a bit. For the past 3 months he has had bright red lumps under his skin and on his belly, some like marbles, some in two half circles facing each other, and one large twisted one under his belly. He was on an antibiotic for 6 weeks for tick fever, and for the past 7 days on a different antibiotic plus a steroid. Since yesterday his leg started swelling. He is not lethargic, eats well and tries to stay active. He doesn't whimper unless touched, and the area is only mildly warm.


Answer from Our Team

Severe new swelling of a whole leg needs to be seen by your vet today. In a dog with red lumps under the skin for months, possible causes include a blood clot, a blocked lymph vessel, deep infection or inflammation of the fat under the skin (panniculitis), immune-mediated vasculitis, and some cancers, including mast cell tumors and lymphoma, which are common in Boxers.

Ask your vet whether a needle sample or biopsy of the lumps has been done, since that is the best way to know what they are. Swelling can also be a reaction to the combination of medicines, so be sure the vet knows exactly what he is on.

Go to an emergency vet right away if the leg becomes cold, very painful, discolored, or he has trouble breathing, collapses or stops eating.

See tick-borne diseases in dogs and mast cell tumors.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to General Invitation.