My dog is lethargic after a trip. Is he sick, tired, or ate something?

Hello, and thank you for your question. It is concerning that his lethargy has been persisting for so long. It is difficult to say what this could be, but some dogs are hardy enough that the only symptom they may show of being ill is lethargy. I would certainly recommend having him checked out by a vet to be sure we are not missing a medical issue. They can perform a full physical exam to check for any areas of pain or infection, and may recommend additional blood tests or x-rays depending on what is found on the physical exam. For example, some problems I commonly see after grooming visits are skin or ear infections. If this is detected by the vet, they can recommend medications to help clear the issue. If he physically checks out fine, it is possible this may be a purely behavioural issue, in which case the vet can also provide advice on how to help as well. I hope this helps, and that Chewy is feeling better soon!

I am sorry to hear about Leia! If you feel she is really lethargic then I would recommend bringing her in to the vet for an exam. Lethargy is a very vague symptom so there are many different possible causes, but your vet can do a physical examination to try to narrow down the possiblities for her lethargy. This in combination with a good history and sometimes labwork will help pinpoint the cause of her lethargy and how best to treat the condition.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Cornelius may be tired from the trip indeed. Other common causes of lethargy in a puppy include fever, ongoing infection, abdominal or musculo-skeletal pain and more. As long as Cornelius had something to eat and drink and is resting comfortably, you should monitor him at home. However, if he is still lethargic tomorrow morning, you should take him to your local vets for an appointment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If lethargy is the only sign you are seeing at the moment, I would continue to monitor him for now as this could be just a transient thing due to discomfort from a long hike for example, among other possibilities. However, if this continues throughout the day or he develops any other signs such as inappetence, vomiting and/or diarrhea, have him evaluated then. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lack of energy can be the sign of many things that go from just being tired to actually representing a problem like due to pain for example. If he is otherwise fine, I recommend you keep a close eye on him for now. If there is no improvement within the next 2-3 days, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

I would be concerned that Bell hasn't returned to normal after 12-24 hours. While heat injury is possible usually dogs have issues sooner than now such as seizures, diarrhea, bruising and/or collapse. She could have a problem with her GI tract, something stuck in her esophagus or even a respiratory issues causing her changes. If she continues to cough, seems lethargic/lack of energy, or has any vomiting, diarrhea or continues to have a decreased appetite today she needs to be seen by a veterinarian. I would try calling your veterinarian today as they sometimes have an oncall service or an emergency veterinarian on call to answer questions as well.

Poor guy. A number of things could be going on internally to cause lethargy. I wouldn’t expect the hit by car incident to cause issues this far out, so there may be some other internal cause. Unfortunately lethargy can be caused by just about any and all disease processes (ie IMHA, Addison’s disease, underlying heart disease, etc) so it’s impossible to presume what could be causing this without running some tests. Therefore I recommend taking Charlie to your veterinarian for a proper examination and testing (bloodwork +/- radiographs). The vet should be able to narrow things down fairly quickly and get Charlie treated appropriately. I hope that your pet Charlie is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes and take care.