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My dog's tummy is hard, she's panting and lethargic. Should I worry?
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | 6 years and 4 months old | 12 lbs
Luckie's tummy is a bit hard when pressed, she's panting and seems lethargic. Her nose is dry, her temperatue is 38.6 centigrade. She eats and drinks. She licks her nose a lot and all she wanta to do is lie down. She pees and poops regularly. Im worried
1 Answer
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on March 13th, 2017
Poor Luckie! She doesn't have a fever, as a dog's normal temperature is between 38.3-39.2C. The nose isn't used as a sign of illness in a dog, as their nose can go from wet to dry just by sitting in the sun or laying next to a heat source. Lethargy is a very general sign of illness in dogs, and it could be caused by a systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or injury. She could be panting because she is in pain or stressed out, and the hard tummy could be hard due to constipation (unlikely because she is pooping regularly) or an upset stomach. Given that she doesn't have a fever, is eating and drinking, and going to the bathroom regularly, I would monitor her for now. If she is still lethargic in 24-48 hours, or she develops other signs such a vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia, I would have her seen by a vet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful