I have a 1 week old pup who is a nice size, however when she was born she had what I thought was extra skin at the neck... no biggie. However I noticed yesterday that her neck puffy up some and felt spongey like there was fluid build up in there. It actually did bulge out some. Was not rock hard pitting edema, it was spongey and soft like fluid. She did have a loose collar on, so I took it off. Within two hours the puffiness was down and she was back to a "fat" neck with extra skin/roll but NO spongey fluid feel. I thought it may had been the collar. Today I woke up to the spongey feeling again, though not as pronounced as yesterday. She seems perfectly healthy, is gaining anywhere from 3-5 ounces a day.

Do you guys think this is something of concern? Have you ever seen an edema at the neck of a pup? I didnt think it was fat since it went down and then came back, though she is a BIG pup LOL 2 pounds 1 ounce at 5 days old

PS.... mom does not pick up the pups at the scruff

Could it be that maybe when the Mom was cleaning the pup tried to take the ribbon off and gave a puncture and it is filling with fluid/infection? I would contact vet. let us know.

It can be fluid from the skin being pulled off the muscle. Your vet will draw the fluid off so the skin can re-attach. You need to put the pup on antibiotics. Better have it seen soon. Good luck.

ASAP for diagnosis and treatment I strongly advise. Good luck and let us know what the diagnosis is please.

Well, went to the vet, they took out 6 cc of fluid (serous tinged with blood). Not sure where it is coming from. Could be trauma though there is no evidence. She was put on antibiotics and if (and I feel when ) it fills back up we will send out a sample to the lab for testing. Other than that she is healthy

I had a friend with a 1 week old pup with the same thing - big fat abscess on the back of the neck - not sure how or why but it cleared up after a drain was put in for a few days and the pup was placed on antibiotics.

I had that too on the belly, but it was a puncture wound from mom picking her up!

Woke up this morning and it filled right back up! Poor girl, she is healthy other this pouch of fluid...

Poor baby

I would draw more fluid and send it to the lab to find out exactly what is going on.

Please keep us posted.

Maybe wait a little longer, don't think is a problem.

Just got back from the vet, we decided to put a drain in to allow the fluid to drain out. Hopefully by Friday night when it is removed everything will be cleared out.

Prayers that this will take care of her problem.

So the tube was removed today. We had a cytology report done, and the first half has only revealed infection. She still has a lump, though we are praying its just fiberous (sp?) tissue. So strange

this sounds like "puppy strangles" possibly. It is an infection. If left unattended the neck is full of fluid and the puppy can't nurse due to the swelling. Thus the term strangles. Antibiotics will take care of it. It can get the size of half an egg and if lucky it would open and the fluid can be pushed out. It is nasty. Luckily you had the vet open it and us the antibiotics quickly.

Puppy Strangles, an autoimmune condition (if that is what it is) also normally requires a steroid normally. I would ask your vet if the possiblity of puppy strangles exists and how they intend on treating it. If required, get a 2nd opinion.

Usually it is treated with a combination of a steroid and antibiotic. Check under the neck, behind the ears and all over the body for other area's of possible lumps.

We thought strangles at first, but its not at her lymphnodes, its not near her neck or ears and she was only 5 days old when it started, and typically strangles is seen alittle older (3 weeks). It is between the scapulas only.