Why is my dog eating less, bloated, constipated, and moving slowly?

I am very sorry to hear about Gracey. These symptoms are certainly concerning and warrant a visit to Gracey's veterinarian for an examination. We can see constipation in dogs but we don't see it commonly and it usually wouldn't cause enlargement of the abdomen unless it was severe. It is possible she isn't have bowel movements because she hasn't had any intake of food. With a bloated appearance to the stomach we worry about fluid buildup in the belly which can be a result of heart disease, low protein levels (which an be due to kidney or intestinal disease or severe parasitism), bleeding or oozing from a tumor. We can also have enlargement of the belly due to a space occupying mass (such as a tumor). If your dog isn't spayed then another possibility would be a uterine infection (her uterus could be full of pus and causing the bloated look). I would recommend having Gracey seen as soon as possible, if she seems lethargic or has an elevated temperature (over 102.5), has pale gums, or is vomiting then she should be seen tonight at the emergency vet. Some of these conditions can be life threatening if left untreated.

With Molly not eating well for a while and now and with a bloated abdomen this does not sound like just constipation. Not wanting to move and abdominal bloating in a senior dog may be due to heart disease or she may have a mass in her abdomen. I recommend taking her in for an exam and X-rays to see if it's fluid, constipation or a mass causing the bloating. Your veterinarian may recommend a blood panel also to check her organ function and whether she is anemic. Heart conditions often can be treated with a good response. It's important to know what is causing her bloating in order to treat her successfully. If your veterinarian feels like her body is shutting down and she has a poor prognosis they can help you decide what is best for Molly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help answer your veterinary questions about Molly.

Poor Coco! That much distension in the stomach can indicate fluid (ascites) in the abdomen or an enlarged abdominal organ like the liver. These problems can develop secondary to heart disease, liver failure, low protein levels, severe GI parasites, and cancer. I'd recommend taking Coco to see a veterinarian right away as he needs blood work and X-rays to know why this is happening. This is a true medical emergency as many of the causes of a distended stomach can be life threatening. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I am hoping Coco has an easy recovery!

I wouldn't worry about bloat if he's eating and drinking OK. Lethargy and a firm abdomen can indicate that something is causing pain in the abdomen, but is not specific to any one problem. It could be an intestinal disease, liver information, kidney inflammation, or other condition affecting abdominal organs. In order to narrow-down the cause of this, Confucius needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian. It's not an emergency, but good to have him seen in the next day or two. I hope that helps and Confucious feels better soon.

Hello, sorry to hear about Draco. It sounds like he may be having mild sings of an upset stomach. You can continue to monitor him for any vomiting, diarrhea, inappetence, or lethargy. If you note any of these, then he should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Otherwise, you can feed him a bland diet of plain white rice, skinless, and boneless boiled chicken, and low fat cottage cheese. If he has any other signs including panting, persistent vomiting, or retching and if his stomach becomes severely distended very fast, then he should be seen on emergency basis by a veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hi there. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry that Nexa is having this issue. What you have done so far was perfect! Good job! A distended abdomen can be due to many things. Here is a list of some possibilites: 1. constipation 2. bloat - I agree that after 12 hours this is unlikely 3. abdominal mass/tumor 4. abdominal fluid (ascites) 5. pyometra - infected uterus; common since she is not spayed I would be worried about this even though she seems to be "normal". If it is an "open" pyometra she may not be feeling as ill as if it were "closed". 6. internal parasites (ie: roundworms, hookworms, etc) Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I suggest you get Nexa to your vet for an exam. Some simple blood testing and a couple x-rays could rule in/out most of the things I have listed above. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you suspect that Rogue's abdomen is becoming larger, I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The symptoms you are seeing could be due to a systemic disease or infection so it would be best to have a veterinarian take a look at her and perform some diagnostic testing such as blood test and x-rays. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. The sooner she is seen the better. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!