Dog bloated, hunched back, pain after eating, lethargic. What's going on?

A dog with abdominal pain may walk with the back hunched or may posture in a "play bow" (front legs on floor, back end in the air). Lethargy, decreased appetite and rapid breathing may also indicate some degree of pain, abdominal or other.

Poor pup! From your description, it sounds like something is seriously wrong. Trouble walking could be caused by arthritis, a neurologic problem like a stroke or herniated disc in the spine, or generalized weakness due to a severe illness of some kind. A bloated abdomen can be caused by GDV (gastric dilatation volvulus, or "bloat"), which is a life-threatening condition where the stomach fills with air and twists on itself; other possible causes would include congestive heart failure, an abdominal tumor, liver failure, or internal bleeding. These signs are indicative of a severe, possibly life-threatening problem that needs immediate veterinary care, so I would recommend taking your dog to an emergency vet right away. He/she can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what can be done to help her.

It sounds as Halo is suffering from a gastrointestinal condition, possibly an infection. it could also be due to ingestion of a foreign body material. i would recommend taking him to the vet the first chance you get, he will need to be checked first, if the vet thinks it's a simple gastrointestinal infection he will need an anti vomiting injection, antibiotics and a special food for a few days in order to get better.

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 Ferris. In dogs that develop and bloat, they will show signs of open mouth breathing, non-productive retching as if trying to vomit, severe abdominal pain, and bloated/distended abdomen. These signs don't generally subside without emergency intervention that requires surgery. If Ferris is now comfortable and sleeping then its likely she does not have a bloat especially after drinking water and keeping it down. However, it cannot be determined without getting her evaluated, so if Ferris continues to have the signs you saw initially, then I would indeed get her evaluated soon. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I'm sorry Cash isn't doing well! Unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications you can give him. Many human ones are toxic to dogs, and can be fatal if given. If he's bloated, that's medical emergency as bloat is fatal without treatment. My advice is to take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

This is very very concerning and he needs to be taken back to a veterinarian. There is a possibility that he has an intestinal obstruction, or other serious intestinal problem, The next step would be xrays to see whether there is excessive gas and something blocking the intestine or stomach exit (pylorus). Please take him back to your veterinarian for a recheck.