The dog lymph nodes in the neck and head are always located in the course of lymph vessels. Here, I will show you the exact location of the lymph nodes (essential) in a dog’s neck and head.
Quick summary: in a dog’s neck, you will find 2 major lymph nodes (superficial and deep cervical). In contrast, the head region of the dog contains 3 major lymph nodes – parotid, mandibular, and retropharyngeal lymph nodes.
I will show you the lymphocenters from the dog’s neck and head along with these lymph nodes. You will also find the ideal anatomy of the dog lymph node with the labeled diagram in this article.
So, if you want to know the number, normal size, location, and anatomy of the dog’s neck and head’s lymph nodes, let’s continue this article.
Dog lymph nodes in the neck
Typically, you will see 2 major lymphocenter in the dog’s neck – superficial cervical and deep cervical lymphocenters. These 2 lymphocenters contain the followings lymph nodes in the dog neck –
- Superficial cervical lymph nodes – dorsal and ventral (in superficial cervical lymphocenter),
- Deep cervical lymph nodes (Vary in number),
- Cranial deep cervical lymph nodes – 2 in number,
- Middle deep cervical lymph nodes – (normally single in dogs), and
- Caudal deep cervical lymph nodes (single or bilateral),
Except for the first one, all other lymph nodes are under the deep cervical lymphocenter of the dog’s neck.
Again, in a dog’s head, you will find 3 major lymphocenter – parotid, mandibular, and retropharyngeal lymphocenters. These lymphocenters of the dog head show the following major lymph nodes –
- Parotid lymph nodes (2 in number),
- Mandibular lymph nodes (three-sided lymph nodes),
- Buccal lymph nodes of a dog,
- Medial retropharyngeal lymph node (the largest lymph node in the head and neck of the dog), and
- Lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes,
Here, the mandibular and buccal lymph nodes of the dog are under the mandibular lymphocenter. Let’s see the summary of the lymph nodes of the dog’s neck from table 1 –
| Lymph nodes in dog’s neck | Number | Location |
| Superficial cervical | 2 | Lateral to serratus, and scalenus muscles, |
| Cranial deep cervical | 2 | Dorsomedial to thyroid gland |
| Middle deep cervical | 1 | Along carotid trunk |
| Caudal deep cervical | 1 or 2 | Ventral to trachea |
| Medial retropharyngeal | 1 | Ventral to atlas wing |
But, you will find the details, anatomical facts, and location of the lymph nodes mentioned above from the dogs’ necks. Before that, let’s know the anatomical facts of the dog lymph node.
Dog lymph nodes anatomy
You will see similar anatomical features in all lymph nodes from the dog’s head and neck. The lymph nodes are the structural and functional unit of the dog’s lymphatic system.
The essential functions of the dog lymph nodes are –
- It filters the lymph (clear colorless fluid), and
- Act as a germinal center for lymphocytes,
If you want to know – what lymph is and how this lymph is formed, then the below-mentioned article might help you –
You know the lymph node in the dog’s neck is located along with the lymphatic vessels. These nodes are located in a suitable place where they will not disturb the functioning muscles and vessels.
You will find numerous lymph nodes in the adipose tissue of different places, like the flexor angle of the joint, mediastinum, mesentery, and vessels. If you see the external anatomical facts of a dog lymph node, you will find the followings –
- Outer capsule,
- Concave hilus, which contains efferent lymph vessels (exist from the node), and other vessels,
- Another aspect contains numerous afferent lymph vessels (enter into the lymph node),
Here, the lymph vessels that enter the dog lymph node are the afferent lymph vessels. Before perforating the capsule, you will see different minute vessels from the afferent lymph vessel.
These smaller lymph vessels pass the dog’s lymph node’s subscapular, cortical, and medullary sinuses. Now, these vessels unite and exist from the dog lymph node through the hilus as the efferent lymph vessels.
Again, you will see the poorly defined cortex and medulla of the dog lymph nodes. Each nodule contains a light color central area which may be seen under the light microscope.
Dog lymph nodes location neck
You already got the idea on the lymphocenters along with the lymph nodes from the dog neck. Now, you will see the accurate location of these lymph nodes from the dog’s neck –
- Superficial cervical lymph node of a dog – locates on the lateral surface of the serratus ventralis and scalenus muscle, just cranial to the supraspinatus muscles.
- Deep cervical lymph nodes of the dog – locate along the cervical segment of the trachea on each side.
- The cranial deep cervical lymph node of the dog – locates between the caudal end of the medial retropharyngeal lymph node and the thyroid gland.
- Middle cervical lymph node of the dog – locates ventral to the trachea in the middle third of the neck and lies along the carotid trunk.
- The caudal deep cervical lymph node of the dog – locates on the ventral surface of the caudal third of the cervical part of the trachea.
The medial retropharyngeal lymph node is considered the largest node of the neck and head of the dog. So, let’s see the location of the medial retropharyngeal lymph node from the dog neck –
- Medial retropharyngeal lymph node of the dog – locates ventral to the wings of the atlas and bounds by the digastricus and longus colli muscles.
I hope you will identify all these lymph nodes from the neck of the dogs easily. Now, let’s know some other facts about these lymph nodes of the dog.
Superficial cervical lymph nodes in the dog
Typically, you will find 2 superficial cervical lymph nodes in the dog (each side). These superficial cervical nodes are oval and somewhat flattened.
These nodes also covered by the following muscles of the dog’s neck –
- Cleidocephalicus muscle,
- Omotransversarius muscle, and
- Dorsal end of the trapezius muscle,
You will find the superficial cervical artery and vein at the caudal part of these superficial cervical lymph nodes. They pass cranial to the shoulder in the groove between the shoulder and neck.
The ventral superficial cervical lymph nodes are located on the right side of the trachea and the left side of the esophagus. Sometimes the number of nodes in the superficial cervical lymph center may vary in dog breeds.
The afferent lymph vessels of these lymph nodes come from the followings structures –
- Pharyngeal region and pinna,
- The lateral surface of the neck,
- Different segments of the thoracic limb, and
- The cranial part of the thoracic wall,
The efferent vessels (lymph) of the superficial cervical lymph nodes finally connect to the right lymphatic duct. Again, the superficial cervical lymph node empties into the thoracic duct (on its left side).
In addition, both side of these nodes also empties into the jugular vein directly. If you want to learn the course of the dog jugular vein, you may go through the following article from anatomy learner –
Deep cervical lymph nodes in the dog
Normally, you will find 3 types of deep cervical lymph nodes in the dog’s neck. The cranial, middle and caudal deep cervical lymph nodes of the dog locates along the cervical part of the trachea on each side.
They are very small lymph nodes in the neck and vary in number. These smaller lymph nodes of the neck are typically oval to spherical.
But, sometimes, you may find them as elongated structures that remain parallel to the long axis of the trachea.
In most dogs, you will find cranial deep cervical lymph nodes. The location of these deep cervical lymph nodes varies in the following ways –
- Lies dorsomedial to the thyroid gland along with the carotid trunk, or
- On the pharynx cranial to the thyroid gland,
The middle deep cervical lymph nodes are rarely found in the neck of dogs. But, you will find the caudal deep cervical lymph nodes in a dog (single).
Do you know from where the afferent lymph vessels of deep cervical lymph nodes come? The afferent lymph vessels of the deep cervical lymph nodes come from –
- Larynx, trachea, and esophagus,
- Thyroid gland of the dog, and
- Also, from the last five or six cervical vertebrae,
Here, the cranial deep cervical lymph nodes receive lymph from the medial retropharyngeal node. Again, the caudal deep cervical lymph nodes empty into the right lymphatic duct and also the thoracic duct.
Retropharyngeal lymph nodes in the dog neck
The retropharyngeal lymphocenter of the dog neck consists of medial and lateral lymph nodes. But, the lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes rarely occur in the dog.
The lateral retropharyngeal lymph node of the dog’s neck lies on the dorsal border of the horizontal part of the cartilaginous external acoustic meatus. The parotid salivary gland completely or partially covers this lateral lymph node of the dog’s neck.
The medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes of the dog are the largest transversely compressed nodes. You will see the caudal pointed end in the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes in the dog.
The size and the weight of the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes of the dog will increase with age. You know the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes of the dog lie ventral to the wing of the atlas vertebrae and surrounding by the followings –
- Cranially – by digastricus muscle,
- Dorsally – by longus colli muscle,
- Ventromedially – by the pharynx and larynx,
- Laterally – by the mastoid part of cleidocephalicus and sternocephalicus muscles, and
- Cranioventrally – it is related to the mandibular salivary gland,
The afferent lymph vessels of the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes come from the tongue, oral, nasal, and pharyngeal passages. They also come from the salivary glands, the deep part of the brain, the larynx, and the esophagus.
The efferent vessels of the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes drain lymph into bronchial lymph nodes.
Now, let’s learn a little about the lymph nodes from the dog head region.
Dog lymph nodes in the head
So from the head region of the dog, I will describe only 2 important (excluding the retropharyngeal) lymph nodes – parotid and mandibular lymph nodes. First, let’s see the exact location of the lymph nodes of the dog head from table 2 –
| Lymph nodes in dog neck | Location | Numbers |
| Parotid lymph nodes | Rostral base of the ear | 2 |
| Mandibular lymph nodes | Lies dorsal to linguofacial vein | 2/3/5 |
| Buccal lymph nodes | Rostral to facial and superior labial veins | 1/2 |
Here, the parotid lymph nodes of the dog are bean-shaped. Typically, these nodes locate deep to the rostrodorsal border of the parotid salivary gland.
Again, you may tell this structure to locate on the caudal part of the zygomatic arch and the adjacent part of the masseter muscle. The afferent lymph vessels of the parotid lymph nodes come from the following structures –
- Caudal half of the muzzle, eyelid, and eye glands,
- The external ear, temporomandibular joint, salivary glands,
They drain the lymph into the nearest organs or structures and finally into the medial retropharyngeal lymph node.
Dog mandibular lymph nodes
In the mandibular lymphocenter of the dog, you will find 2 lymph nodes – mandibular and buccal. The number of mandibular lymph nodes in a dog may vary from 2 – 5.
They are three–sided, flattened lymph nodes distributed on the dorsal aspect of the linguofacial vein. Again, you may find the ovoid-shaped mandibular lymph nodes that may occur ventral to the linguofacial vein.
Here, the afferent lymph vessels of the mandibular lymph node come from different parts of the head. Again, the efferent lymph vessels of the dog’s mandibular lymph node go primarily to the medial retropharyngeal lymph node.
Where are the buccal lymph nodes located in the dog’s head? The buccal lymph nodes of the dog are situated in the dorsal, ventral, and rostral angles of a facial and superior labial vein, dorsal to the buccinators muscle.
Dog lymph nodes normal size
Now, I will show you the normal size of the dog lymph nodes from both the neck and head. First, let’s see the normal size of the superficial and deep cervical lymph nodes from the dogs –
- Superficial cervical lymph nodes – most of these nodes are oval and somewhat flattened. They are collectively 25 – 35 millimeters long and 8 – 10 millimeters thick.
- Deep cervical lymph nodes – range widely in size and may be visible or several millimeters.
- Medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes – it approximately 40 – 50 millimeters long and 15- 25 millimeters wide.
- Lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes – the average diameter of these lymph nodes is 8 – 10 millimeters.
So, the superficial cervical and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes are the largest lymph nodes on the neck of dogs. Now, let’s see the normal size of the dog lymph nodes from the head region –
- Parotid lymph nodes – are medium-sized, and the typical length is about 8 – 10 millimeters. Again, they show 4 – 6 millimeters wide and 3 – 4 millimeters thick.
- Mandibular lymph nodes – the flattened, three-sided mandibular are approximately 8 – 10 millimeters long. In comparison, the ovoid-shaped mandibular lymph nodes of the dog are 20 – 25 millimeters long and 8 – 10 millimeters wide.
- Buccal lymph nodes – you will find approximately 8 – 10 millimeters in length and 4 – 5 millimeters wide in the dog’s buccal lymph nodes.
All these sizes (measurements) are approximate and may vary in dog breeds. But, you may easily get an idea of the size of the dog lymph nodes with the information provided earlier.
Where are lymph nodes located on a dog’s neck – summary and diagram
So, there are only 3 important lymph nodes in the neck region of the dogs – superficial cervical, deep cervical, and medial retropharyngeal. Under the deep cervical lymph nodes in the dog, you will find 3 types of nodes – cranial, middle, and caudal.
All the exact locations of these superficial and deep cervical lymph nodes from the dog are listed in table 1. Again, the medial retropharyngeal is the largest lymph node that occurs in both the head and neck regions of dogs.
In very short – the superficial cervical lymph node of the dog is located on the lateral aspect of the neck. Again, the deep cervical lymph node of the dog locates on the cervical part of the trachea.
Now, let’s see the diagrams of the different lymph nodes from the neck and head of the dogs. First, let’s see the diagram of the superficial and deep cervical lymph nodes of the dog.
Here, the diagram shows the superficial cervical lymph nodes that lie on the serratus muscle. Again, the diagram shows three types of deep cervical lymph nodes (cranial, middle, and caudal) from the cervical part of the neck.
Now, let’s see the other different important lymph nodes diagram from the head region of the dog. Here, the diagram shows the palpable parotid lymph node from the head region of the dog.
Again, the diagram also shows the mandibular and buccal lymph nodes from the dog’s head region. You will find more labeled diagrams on the different lymph nodes from the neck and head regions of the dogs here on social media of anatomy learners.
Lymphocenter in the thorax, abdomen, and pelvic limbs of a dog
You will find other articles where I explain the lymph nodes from the different lymphocenters of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvic limbs. So, here, I will only enlist the lymphocenters along with their essential lymph nodes from the dog’s thorax, abdomen, and pelvic limbs from the dogs –
- The axillary lymphocenter of the dog – contains axillary and accessory axillary lymph nodes,
- A ventral thoracic lymphocenter of the dog – contains cranial sternal lymph nodes,
- The dorsal thoracic lymphocenter of the dog – has aortic thoracic lymph nodes,
- Mediastinal lymphocenter of the dog – possesses cranial and caudal mediastinal lymph nodes,
- Bronchial lymphocenter of the dog – you will find 5 – 6 types of lymph nodes in the bronchial lymphocenter of the dog,
Tracheobraonchail lymph nodes are very common types of lymph nodes in the bronchial lymphocenter of the dog. Here, you will see the right and left tracheobronchial lymph nodes in the dog.
The middle tracheobronchial lymph nodes are the largest nodes and form a V-shaped appearance in dogs. But, you may rarely find pulmonary lymph nodes in dogs.
Now, let’s see the lymphocenters from the abdomen of the dogs –
- The Celiac lymph center of the dog – possesses hepatic lymph nodes, gastric lymph nodes, and pancreaticoduodenal lymph nodes,
- Cranial mesenteric lymphocenter of the dog – you will see the jejunal lymph nodes and colic lymph nodes (right, middle, and left) in the cranial mesenteric lymphocenter of the dog.
Lymphocenters in the dog’s pelvic limb
In the pelvic limb of the dog, you will find some important lymphocenters. Let’s see the lymphocenters from the dog’s pelvic limb with their important lymph nodes –
- The popliteal lymphocenter in the dog’s pelvic limb – possesses only the superficial popliteal lymph node,
- Iliofemoral lymphocenter of the dog leg – possesses distal femoral and external iliac lymph nodes,
- Inguinofemoral lymphocenter in the dog’s pelvic limb – contains superficial inguinal lymph nodes (name varies in male and female dogs).
Frequently asked questions on lymph nodes on dog neck
In this section of the article, I will enlist the commonly asked questions on the dog lymph nodes in the neck and head. You will get concise answers to these questions that the anatomy learners ask on the topics of dog lymph nodes.
Okay, let’s see the commonly asked questions on the dog lymph nodes with their possible concise answers –
Can you feel lymph nodes in the dogs neck?
Yes, you can easily feel superficial cervical lymph nodes from the dog’s neck. Sometimes you may also feel the cranial deep cervical lymph nodes (when enlarged) from the neck of the dogs.
But can you feel any lymph nodes from the head region of the dog? Yes, you can feel lymph nodes from the head region of the dog also.
The enlarged parotid lymph nodes located along the base of the ear can easily feel from the external approach. But, the other lymph nodes from the dog’s neck and head are hardly palpable.
This is due to the deep location of these lymph nodes in the dog’s neck and head. Most of these lymph nodes are surrounded by different muscles, and you can’t feel them from the external approach.
Conclusion
So, superficial and deep cervical lymph nodes are the most important nodes in the dog neck. For practical purposes, you might know the exact location of all these superficial lymph nodes from a dog’s neck and head.
The information on dog lymph nodes in the neck and head in this article might give you a basic idea of their location and anatomy. Now, you might identify these lymph nodes practically from the live sample of the dog’s neck and head.
