Unless the Vet just totally bungles it, a needle aspirate is all that is needed to confirm the diagnosis of Lymphoma.

Given the 4-6 week time frame IF it's Lymphoma you really do not want to procrastinate.

Now to scare you to the Vet... Lymphoma can cause tumors in any organ. The eyes are an organ. That was one of my nightmares when my Daisy went throught this. Also it can infiltrate the nervous system including the brain. The good news - if there is such a thing with Lymphoma, is that when treated not only will your dog have a good quality of life but when it's time to go, they will go fast. For mine it was 24 hrs from tired but not ill, to severely ill.

Tell husband not to be afraid of the Chemo. I know I was initially. The dosage they give dogs is designed to yield a high quality of life, but not a cure. If the approach was to cure as it is in humans, then it would be a lot more toxic. Humans can provide immediate feedback to the Oncologist, dogs can not. The hardest part of Chemo for our dogs is not the side effects, but the owners getting over the precieved phobia of Chemo.

One of the tricks that the Dr. Waddle's of the world play is to administer Elspar and Prednisone initially. The results are dramatic, and the two drugs are the least toxic of the Chemo drugs. It gives the owners (not the dog) the courage to proceed. Get a referral you won't regret it.