Why is my 10-year-old dachshund fatigued with weight gain and neck swelling?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If you want to rule out hypothyroidism 100% you should have a profile done that includes fT4, TSH, T3, fT3. I like the profile to Michigan State. With that being said, hypothyroidism at 21 months old is exceedingly rare. It occurs in larger breed dogs more commonly. These dogs have stunted growth, have retention of "puppy coat," orthopedic abnormalities due to delayed growth plate closure and many other obvious abnormalities. Dynasty looks very normal. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely unrelated to her hypothyroidism. It may be the site of an infection or inflammation. They may be able to confirm this tomorrow and start antibiotics as needed to make her feel better. Good luck!

I recommend you make an appointment to have Maya seen by your vet as soon as you can based on the information you provided. Lymph nodes can become enlarged for a number of reasons, including infection, inflammation, trauma, or, unfortunately, certain types of cancers. There are also salivary glands near the neck that can become enlarged due to dental disease, infection, inflammation, or even stones in the salivary glands. Your vet will be able to help you determine what the areas you are feeling are and help devise a treatment plan accordingly. Best of luck to you both!

Hello. Her liver values are not bad at all, & her liver does not look enlarged. You might want to request a test to look at bile acids & perhaps an abdominal ultrasound to see if the x-ray has missed something in the abdomen. Finish the Doxycycline, & see if she truly has Ehrlichiosis or if this is just a red herring. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If heart and lung issues have been ruled out with Chole's veterinarian, the coughing may be due to a collapsing trachea which can cause a goose honking cough and can cause syncope or fainting due to lack oxygen. This can be diagnosed with an exam and chest x-rays. Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) is not uncommon in dogs and can cause increased water consumption as well weight gain. I would recommend running a full Thyroid panel (Total T4, Free T4, and Thyroid stimulating hormone ) to confirm the presence of a thyroid problem. If Chloe is hypothyroid, thyroid hormone replacement medication is typically given. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Poor John! This swelling on his neckline could be due to a dental problem such as a tooth root abscess, or it could be swollen lymph node. If he's acting differently than usual (i.e being mellow), then clearly there is something going on with him that requires a visit to the vet. Given he is eating and drinking fine, it's ok to wait until Monday to have him seen by a vet but I wouldn't wait longer than that. The vet can diagnose what is causing the swelling and how best to treat it. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that Daisy has been feeling so poorly. It is very concerning that she is experiencing difficulty breathing with wheezing, and weight loss. Difficulty breathing indicates that she is already in some degree pain with a diminished quality of life. Given her enlarged lymph nodes, weight loss, and respiratory changes, lymphoma would be my primary concern. This would be diagnosed by fine needle aspirates that use a needle to draw a few cells out of her lymph nodes for microscopic evaluation. However, even if you opt not to pursue further testing (which is understandable), I still strongly recommend taking Daisy to her vet for a physical exam and thorough discussion of her current quality of life. It may be in Daisy's best interest to consider euthanasia to alleviate her suffering. I realize that this is never an easy decision to make, but I hope that an open discussion with her vet may provide some clarity. I'm sorry that you and Daisy are going through this situation.