Why is my 7-year-old dog drinking lots, sleeping, and not playing?

I’m sorry Buddy isn’t feeling well. The good news is that his blood work looked good! Sometimes with real nebulous Symptoms such as what Buddy is displaying it can be difficult to pin point the cause. When he is sleeping standing or sitting it makes me suspect that laying down is uncomfortable. This makes me wonder is his belly or his back is uncomfortable . Young dogs certainly have a reputation for eating things they shouldn’t and an intestinal foreign body would be high on my list of concerns. Also I see a lot of back pain in these types of cases as well. Sometimes serial examinations are helpful because you find things on a repeat examination that maybe wasn’t as evident the day before. If he doesnt seem to improve then I would encourage you to have a follow up appointment soon. An x-Ray of his abdomen may be recommended. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello. In an older dog, lethargy can be due to infection, inflammation, arthritis, immune dysfunction or even cancer. You do need to have Mylo seen by your veterinarian so the appropriate tests can be conducted & correct treatments started to have Mylo up & running around again soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

There could be many reasons that he has slowed down and doesn't seem as active. It could be related to arthritis, neck/back pain, endocrine disease, infections, kidney/liver disease, parasites, etc. Have a vet take a look at him to help determine the cause. Your vet can run lab-work and take x-rays to help diagnose and treat. He may need an anti-inflammatory and joint supplements to help.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Moxie. I think that her sudden change in behavior is worrisome. Dogs can slow down as they age. However, she is only middle aged. Plus age changes are gradual. Not as dramatic as you have described. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. I worry that she is painful somewhere. For example, neck and/or back pain is common in small and medium breed dogs. Arthritis or a soft tissue injury could also explain the signs you are seeing. The veterinarian will carefully examine her. X-rays may be recommended. Based on these results, treatment can be started to help her feel better. In the meantime, keep her quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Excessive thirst can be a sign of many different diseases including liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes, infections, Cushing's Addison's, etc. Have your vet take a look at him to determine the cause. Your vet can run lab-work to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. The limping may be unrelated and your vet can examine his leg to try to figure out the cause. Hope Hunter feels better soon!

This can be caused by many different things, including impending illness, stress, pain, a change in his environment, behavioral, etc. I would recommend a good checkup with a vet to see if there is a medical cause. The vet will perform a thorough physical exam and look for any abnormalities or sources of potential pain. Bloodwork may be recommended to for internal medical illnesses. If nothing is uncovered, then they may discuss other treatments such as things for stress or help you evaluate what started this new attitude.

If she is drinking or urinating more than usual, she should be seen by your veterinarian. Given her age, blood work should be done to assess major organ function, especially kidney function. Dogs can have kidney disease but show no symptoms until kidney function is greatly reduced. If diagnosed early, it may be managed.