My cat lost his meow...

My cat is primarily an outdoor cat but he comes inside as well. But recently he was gone for like 4-5 days where he never came for food or anything. I found him this morning in my backyard laying in a ball , i brought him inside the my house and he ate and drank water but i noticed he was dry heaving and he lost his meow, its a little scratchy but very faint; its almost not their. I also noticed his paw is a bit swollen but he lays on it and is able to walk right and jump on the couch so its not broken. Im not sure if he got injured by other cats or maybe ate something?

He doesn't sound like he's well.  Can you take him to a vet?

Also, is he fixed?  That would cut down on his wandering and getting into fights with other cats.