My dog can't swallow, has fever & swollen throat. Emergency vet?

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

Your dog sounds quite sick, and I think he needs a vet immediately. That will be the best chance to save him. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Please get him assessed by your vet as soon as possible, this painful swelling may be from internal bleeding, an abscess and infection from the wound or a ruptured salivary gland. Your vet may wish to drain and test a sample of the fluid before starting medications. Keep him fasting for 12hrs before his appointment as sedation may be required

I’m sorry to hear about Autumn! If there is any swelling of the face, lips, or tongue, you should take her tonight- in fact now- as this could be a sign of severe allergic reaction. The sniffing the food but not actually eating it could be a sign of nausea rather than inability to swallow. If there is vomiting - especially more than twice- you should go in tonight. If she is drinking and urinating and just sort of panting and “off”, it can probably wait till the morning. I see things like this with pain/injury, spider bite, anxiety, mild nausea or tummy upset, and other things. Obviously if you see collapse, seizures, or difficulty breathing, see the emergency vet immediately. Best Of luck to you and Autumn!

He likely knocked his throat hard enough that eating or swallowing is irritating the vagus nerve and causes retching. You should monitor this and if it does not get better by tomorrow or if he has breathing problems, he will need to be seen by a veterinarian or at a petER. In the case of respiratory problems this is an emergency and he needs to be seen right away.

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 Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! If you are concerned about something stuck in Doggo's throat, I would have him examined by your veterinarian to appropriately identify the cause of the symptoms. If you are unable to get to your vet right away, I would maybe offer soft food on the off chance this is irritation in the throat from something Doggo swallowed. Soft food would be much easier than hard food to swallow. An examination will help identify any obvious object lodged in the mouth or throat. X-rays may also be recommended to help determine and identify the cause. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text based consultation if needed.