My dog has a painful neck lump, head tilt, and can't eat. Vet?

It does sound like Pepper is sick. This large lump on her side could be an abscess, cyst, benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. An abscess or malignant tumor would cause her to not want to eat or drink. It is serious that she doesn't want to drink, and I would take her into a vet now. If you wait until morning, she could become seriously dehydrated, and it's best to prevent that. The vet can examine the lump and can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it to diagnose 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. The vet will also likely do routine blood tests and a urinalysis to diagnose why she is feeling so poorly, and how best to treat her.

Aw poor Tottie! Without examining the lump is impossible to say if it is anything to be worried about. It also sounds like Tottie has an ear infection. I'd recommend taking Tottie to see your veterinarian so that her ears can be checked. Your vet can also check the lump and take a needle sample to determine if it is a problem. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Tottie's issues can be resolved quickly!

If she hadn't lost so much weight in such a short period of time, I'd say it was fine to wait until Friday. Given the amount she has lost, which is a lot, I think it's best to have her seen by her vet before Friday for both this lump and weight loss. This lump could be a cyst, a benign growth, or a malignant growth.

This lump on Siu q could be a benign tumor, a cyst, an abscess, or a lipoma. It would be rare for such a young dog to have a malignant tumor, but it is possible. 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 would take Siu q into the vet today or tomorrow to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed. As for the lack of appetite and lethargy, those are very general signs of illness in dogs, and it could be caused by systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or injury. Because Siu q is going to see the vet for this lump, I would have a health check done on her as well to diagnose the cause of the lethargy and lack of appetite.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Oh poor Angel! She sounds very painful. Neck or back pain does really hurt when the dog moves. The lump just may be a muscle or an illusion on how she is holding her head due tot he pain. I treat neck pain with anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and pain medictions. The dog needs to be strictly rested for several weeks, this means no running, jumping, playing with other dogs and leash walks only. Angle should be seen by your Vet for an exam and medications. I wish Angle a speedy recovery!

It is possible something occurred while you were gone to cause the lump. The only way to know for sure is to have her examined by your vet and the lump needs to be aspirated (drained). The lump could be a detona, mass or even an abscess. An abscess can cause pets to have a low grade fever, lack of appetite, and moodiness. It's best to get this treated quickly with your vet and get her on a short course of antibiotics if an abscess is confirmed.

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 Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.