Swelling on dog's neck, stiff neck, strange behavior -- Please help!

[AinaWGSD]

Stiffness and lethargy and the change in behavior you have noted all combine to a trip to the vet if it were my dog. It could be something as simple as a bite (snake, spider, some other kind of bug), or it could be something more serious like an abscess, or lyme or some other tick borne disease. Even a "simple" spider bite could become serious. Last year the vet I work for saw several dogs with brown recluse bites...they started similarly to what you described and within a day or two the area became necrotic and sloughed. They were pretty gnarly and most of those dogs still have scars where the bite was.

 

[Dutchgirl]

I found out that he was fed some kitten food with his dinner two days ago. Could he be having an allergic reaction from that?

 

[Mother_Hen2011]

Quote:
Its possibly but most likely not if the swelling is on the back of his neck...

 

[CapricornFarm]

Is he up to date on rabies vaccine? Maybe he tangled with a rabid coon. That is nothing to mess with. I would say not much chance cat food would cause all those symptoms. If he is rabid, he will need to be put down.

 

[countrygirlwannabe]

What breed of dog and how old is it? Also, was it "treated" for heartworm or given heartworm preventative, those are two very different things. How much kitten food did it get?

 

[SarahFair]

Nah... Not cat food.

Sounds like somethings bit him.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Your dog needs to be seen by a veterinarian.

I would suggest that you consider it an emergency, and get him to a veterinarian as quickly as possible.

If the one you call is busy, call another one.

Quickly.

 

[Mother_Hen2011]

Quote:
x2

 

[Dutchgirl]

Quote:
He is a five-year-old Standard poodle.

He is getting monthly doses of Ivermectin mixed with his food.

I don't know how much. It was mixed with his normal food.

 

[Dutchgirl]

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