My dog has a bump on her throat and won't eat. Is it serious?

I would be very concerned this lump could be cancerous, and it's very serious that Riley will not get out of his bed and will not eat. I think he needs to see a vet now. 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.

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!

I would recommend that you have Henry examined by a vet. It is easier for a physical exam to determine what structures are affected, rather than a picture. It could be an enlarged lymph node, an enlarged salivary gland, or a mass. The vet will do an exam and may take a sample with a needle for examination under the microscope.

Oh my. Poor girl. This is either a hernia or a really badly infected anal gland. I would highly recommend taking her to your vet asap to have this evaluated. I am leaning more towards a hernia as the cause, and she needs to get medical attention for this soon if this is the case. I wish you all the best moving fowrad with your pet Baby girl! Best wishes and take care!

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.

I recommend getting her in to see your vet right away. The location alone of this growth is in danger of occluding her breathing, as evidenced by the coughing. Anything in the mouth and/or tongue will bleed, and there may be more bleeding that you aren't seeing because she is swallowing it. Please don't wait to get her seen. If caught early, there is a better chance of getting the growth surgically removed before it can spread or choke her.

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