My dachshund has a swollen throat, bad breath, and seems unwell. What to do?

It could be infection or unrelated periodontal disease. Dabo will need to be rechecked by your veterinarian to confirm either diagnosis. Antibiotics may be indicated. A dental cleaning may also be indicated along with dental xrays to evaluate all the teeth below the gum line. Discuss payment plans or alternative financing options, such as CareCredit (www.carecredit.com) with your veterinarian. Ask friends and family if they can assist you financially. Crowd funding or local charities may also provide financial assistance. Red Rover (www.redrover.org) is also another option for financial assistance.

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 my, that is a problem! I am most suspicious of the following: 1) If she recently weaned puppies (which doesn't look likely based on the appearance of the rest of the mammary chain), it could be she's got a blocked duct thats abscessed or she has severe mastitis. Either of those conditions would likely cause her to be lethargic, decreased appetite, fever, feeling sick. OR 2) She has a tumor that has become infected. A mammary tumor or skin tumor is less likely to make her "feel sick" than what I mentioned just above under #1. Regardless of the cause, you need to take her to your vet. She likely needs antibiotics and I suspect they may talk to you about surgical intervention as well. I suspect she is painful as well and they can get her some medication to make her more comfortable. Put an E-collar (cone of shame) on her to prevent her from licking at it, and get her to your vet as soon as you can. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dogs do not typically have enlarged thyroids and hypothyroidism usually causes the thyroid to shrink. There are other organs in that area-lymph nodes and salivary glands- that could be the cause of the enlargement. Fat is also a possibility. I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions at this point and recommend waiting until her exam and blood work to be sure. They may also want to stick a needle in the area of swelling to determine what it is. Good luck and kisses to Chloe!

Unfortunately, without an exam or testing it would be hard to say what can be done to help. A good first step is to try and find the cause of the sinus and throat swelling through bloodwork, X-rays, exam, etc. Possible causes may include an allergy to something in the environment, an allergic reaction to a bite or sting, food allergies, illness, infections, growths, etc. As the treatment varies depending on the cause, finding the underlying cause is best. Treatment may include medications such as allergy meds or antibiotics, or additional tests or procedures to help reduce symptoms.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is certainly a somewhat common scenario unfortunately and it is important to make sure that the potential risks do not outweigh the benefits. That is why I can understand your veterinarian's concerns. Your veterinarian could consider a course of doxycycline or clindamycin antibiotic which are commonly used for dental disease as an important component of it is likely due to an infection. Also, it would be important to make sure that you clean her teeth regularly as that is likely going to help as well. Good luck and have a great day!