My dog has a hard lump in his throat and won't eat. What's wrong?

It's a little difficult to tell what exactly is swollen in your picture, but it's possible that Frankie has an enlarged salivary gland or lymph node, or something like an abscess. All of these things can occur suddenly. I would recommend having your vet take a look - they might be able to get a better idea from being able to see and feel the swelling in person. They might recommend taking a sample using a small needle (fine needle aspirate) if it seems like a lymph node or salivary gland is swollen.

Although a picture of it would help to determine more specifically the underlying cause of it, differential causes would include lymph nodes enlargement, abscesses, tumoral masses or accumulation of fluid due to venous return impairment. A check up is essential to confirm of these causes and give you appropriate treatment options.

There are many possibilities, an absess, blocked salivary gland, insect bite or injury would be the most common causes for rapid swelling. The reduced appetite is a concern, this may be due to discomfort, narrowing of the throat or fever. If this persist or increases overnight he should be checked by your vet, monitor for any changes to his breathing which would require an emergency visit

It is hard to tell from the photo exactly but I am worried about the location of the lump. Dogs have lymph nodes in that area than can become enlarged with lymphoma :( I'm not trying to scare you but that is one possibility. Of course there are other things that it could be: reactive lymph node (not cancer but just inflamed), fatty tumor (benign), cyst, abscess. Your vet will certainly be able to give you a better idea after an exam but be prepared that some testing may be needed. Namely, a fine needle aspirate of the lump and some bloodwork. That will probably be the start. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Marv. I hope it is something easy.

Based on what you are describing and the location of the lump I would be concerned that your dog has either enlarged lymph nodes (either from infection or cancer) or an abscess. Since your dog has these symptoms and is lethargic as well I would be concerned about a systemic illness. I would recommend taking your dog to see the emergency vet instead of waiting to see how he does over the weekend. Best of luck. Thanks for using Boop by Petco!

If Hank has an infected tooth, that could certainly explain his symptoms. If the tooth is painful, he may not want to eat normally and may just not feel well. If the lump on the neck is a lymph node that is draining the infected tooth, that could also be related. So, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Hank tomorrow to see what they think and to determine how to treat Hank. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Hank is feeling better soon. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Thank you for your question. A lump the size of a cupped fist on the neck of a 10 lb dog is a big lump!! I can't tell you exactly what it is, but there are a few possibilities. Depending on the location, an enlarged lymph node is possible, but that is pretty huge for a lymph node. I would suspect this is either an abscess or a tumor. You will want to get Zuki to the veterinarian so they can perform a fine needle aspirate, which is where they use a needle to collect cells and look under the microscope to make a diagnosis. If this is just an abscess, they might be able to lance and drain it and make Zuki feel much better. If this is a tumor, it will not be so simple. Until you can get to the veterinarian, you can trim the hair, and place a hot pack over the area for 10 minutes several times a day. If it is an abscess, this might help it break open and drain. But don't wait long to seek veterinary care, as it could get much worse. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.

That appears to be a lump on Dusty, and it could be benign or malignant. There is a possibility that if this lump is malignant, that it could be causing him to be lethargic and not eat much. The lethargy and anorexia could be completely unrelated to the lump. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I recommend calling your vet to have an appointment made for him in the next couple of days to have this lump checked out, as well as his anorexia and lethargy. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hi, and thanks for your question. Although a picture of it would help to give you a more specific answer, this lump/bump/growth should be ideally examined by your local vet to have a diagnosis established. Your vet may want to perform an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy to sample the bump and determine its underlying nature. Differentials would include skin cysts, infections, benign or more malignant type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

A lump near the shoulder could be an enlarged lymph node, an abscess, a cyst, a tumor, etc. I would recommend that you have Roscoe examined by a vet, especially since you have noticed a behavior change. The vet will do a thorough physical exam, and may want to collect a sample of cells from the lump to examine under the microscope. They may also recommend blood work or other diagnostics to see what could be going on.