My dog won't eat or drink, is lethargic, and breathing heavily. Help!

Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi there, I’m sorry Reynold isn’t feeling well. The symptoms you describe are pretty non- specific and can be attributed to many different problems. However, if he is acting uncomfortable, then I do think having him evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible would be the safest situation. Based on their physical examination findings they may recommend an x-ray or possibly blood work to help define the diagnosis and treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon.!! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Stress could cause this. Without knowing what the vet checked for or if any tests were run, it would be hard to say what is going on, however. You can try to entice some eating and drinking by adding a little boiled chicken or low-sodium chicken broth to Clifford's diet, however if he doesn't perk up in a day, or seems to worsen, talking with your vet again to see if any additional tests would be beneficial is best for finding out what is wrong.

Unfortunately, [vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/vomiting-1/), lethargy and increased respiratory rate all have can have [multiple causes](https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-10-warning-signs-that-require-a-veterinary-visit). Some can be serious and others not so serious. She might have eaten something that either disagreed with her or may be causing an [obstruction](https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-things-you-should-know-about-foreign-bodies-in-dogs) somewhere in her gastrointestinal tract. She could be sore from an unknown injury. She could have been exposed to or ingested a[ toxin](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-cleaning-products-that-are-toxic-to-pets) or irritant in her environment or this could be early signs of another condition or disease process. A complete physical exam by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER would be recommended if symptoms persist for more than 24 hours. Supportive care (IV or subcutaneous fluids, medication, etc.) may be administered until a diagnosis is reached.[ Your vet](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-signs-you-should-take-your-dog-to-the-vet-right-away) can perform an exam, blood work and possibly x-rays to determine the cause of the illness and suggest an effective treatment plan.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Dante. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian today if he is having difficulty breathing. He may have an upper respiratory tract infection, but there are more serious causes of trouble breathing. The veterinarian will examine him and make recommendations based on these findings. For example, if the lungs or heart sound abnormal, then x-rays of the chest are typically needed. Treatment is based on these results. The mass on the chest should also be examined. A procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is used to diagnose a skin or subcutaneous mass. The doctor will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This will tell if the mass is cancerous or not. It is unlikely though that the mass is related to his current clinical signs. I hope this information helps!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases causing nausea (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

I would take Ollie into a vet right away. As a senior dog, there could be serious causes to his symptoms, such as cancer, organ disease, respiratory disease, or heart disease. He needs to be examined by a vet to determine what is causing his symptoms so he can be treated.