10 yr. old shi tsu

Question
I have a 10 year old male shi tsu.He has had chronic ear problems (itching,dry,flakey skin,earwax secretions,etc.) throughout his life,as well as food allergies.The past couple of weeks or so,the lymph nodes under his jaw have been somewhat swollen,and he seems lethargic as well.These same lymph nodes were swollen about 8 months ago,and his groomer and regular vet told us it was common in this breed,and it would go away,and it did.This time,however,it has not abated yet.Sometimes he will go without eating for most of the day,then he'll wolf down his food without chewing,just to throw it back up again later,or he'll go without eating until he throws up what appears to be bile,then later he will eat.
Now it seems that his hearing has diminished,as he acts startled sometimes when I approach him from the rear,and he doesn't even look when I call him.Any thoughts?

Answer
Thanks for your question.
Enlarged lymph nodes is definately a concern, it could be something as simple as an infection such as an ear infection, tooth root abscess or more serious like lymphoma or cancer which has spread to the lymph nodes. At his age he is really about due for a full work up anyways so I recommend taking him in to see your vet and having them run a full blood screen, in particular I'm a little concerned about his liver function if he is vomiting bile. In short, a dog that is not eating should definately see a vet. hope this helps
Good luck