Palpable peripheral lymph nodes in the dog and cat are the mandibular, superficial cervical (prescapular), and popliteal lymph nodes. You might choose to evaluate all peripheral lymph nodes as a group, or you might prefer to examine certain lymph nodes when you are examining that general area (i.e., examining mandibular lymph nodes during the head exam; examining superficial cervical nodes when you are examining the neck or forelimbs; examining popliteal nodes when you are examining the hind limb). Either method is great and is up to you!

Assess lymph nodes for:

• Size (normal will be <1cm and often <0.5cm in dogs and cats)
• Texture (normal nodes should be soft)
• Any pain (abnormal)

Below is a video describing palpation technique and demonstrating identification of the normal peripheral lymph nodes in the dog:

Mandibular lymph nodes

Also called submandibular lymph nodes, these are located ventral to the mandible and their placement can be variable within the subcutaneous tissue in this region. Mandibular lymph nodes are differentiated from salivary glands because they are usually more mobile than the glands. They are usually more rostral than the salivary gland, ventral to the mandible.

Superficial cervical (“prescapular”) lymph nodes

Also called prescapular lymph nodes, these are located cranial to the shoulder joint in the subcutaneous tissues. These nodes are often adjacent to or under the superficial muscles in the neck. In a normal dog, superficial cervical lymph nodes are easiest to palpate when the dog is standing. Gently palpate over the cranial shoulder joint, progressively deepening your palpation in this area.

Popliteal lymph nodes

Popliteal lymph nodes are located on the caudal aspect of the hind limbs, opposite the stifle joint. The node is located in the subcutaneous tissue between the biceps femoris and the semitendinosus muscle (where the medial borders of the muscles diverge from each other).