My Golden Retriever hasn't eaten in weeks, has anemia. What to do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! To be able to help your pup, it is crucial to find out why he is not eating and most importantly why he is anemic. This may be due to an immune mediated condition or an infection of some kind. For this reason, I recommend that they proceed with diagnostics such as infectious disease testing and abdominal ultrasound to look for possible reasons. Therapy would be dependent on findings. Hoping for a speedy recovery!

The most significant finding I am seeing in the lab work is a decreased hematocrit, or anemia. Anemia can be related to intestinal parasites, blood loss from ingestion of rat bait or other toxins, some blood infections, or autoimmune disease. Your vet might recommend a fecal analysis, x-rays of the chest or belly, or sending out blood tests to look for infectious disease as a next step. Most of these diseases would be treatable. It seems like creatinine, a kidney value might also be elevated but there are no reference ranges listed so it is also possible that that is considered normal for that particular chemistry machine. If the creatinine is truly elevated there might be some concern for kidney disease. A urine sample would help determine if the kidneys are functioning okay and your vet might recommend this as a next step as well. Of course, your veterinarian was able to examine Dora in person and that is also an important part of interpreting lab work. I would recommend checking in with your vet to see what they would recommend as a next step, and what diseases they would prioritize based on her full history and exam.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Lucky is not feeling well. I am quite concerned about the anemia as the level is getting low. I unfortunately do not know what the cause is of the anemia as there are many causes ranging from immune mediated anemia, cancer, hemorrhage, etc. Because I do not have Lucky in front of me and am unable to examine him, I cannot make the most appropriate treatment recommendations. There are no over the counter remedies that will help with this most likely as he most likely needs a further workup to pinpoint where the red blood cells are going. Until then, it is a guessing game. I would recommend trying to get him somewhere where there is a veterinarian so that he can be worked up further. I hope this helps and hope that Lucky feels better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the blood results, I am concerned about the kidneys as it looks like Doyle is in renal failure with the high BUN and Creatinine. The anemia and high WBC count are also concerning. The anemia may be due to a chronic infection, the renal failure or auto-immune. I would recommend further testing such as x-rays and abdominal ultrasound. Is it possible that Doyle may have eaten something toxic to cause the renal failure? I would pursue further diagnostic testing to rule other causes out. Run some infectious disease panels such as panels to check for tick borne infections as well. Chronic ehrlichiosis (tick borne disease) can lead to renal failure in some cases as well as the anemia and high WBC count. I hope this helps and hope Doyle gets better soon. You may consider an internal medicine specialist for Doyle as well.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. This could absolutely be due to anemia given her pale mucous membranes. I recommend that you have Snow evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a very concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. An immediate check up is needed as persistent inappetence could deteriorate his clinical condition rapidly. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Poor Mazy! It definitely sounds like something isn't right. There are many different things that could cause decreased appetite and lethargy, so it's hard to say what might be wrong without being able to examine her and run some tests. She could have anything from liver or kidney disease, to heart disease, arthritis pain, a GI problem of some kind, or even some type of cancer. I would recommend taking Mazy to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment depending on what is found.