Why is my dog lethargic and not eating? What should I do to help?

She may have ingested something that isn't agreeing with her GI tract. Monitor her and if the symptoms worsen, seek veterinary attention. If not, withhold food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet ( boiled boneless / skinless chicken and plain white rice) in small, frequent amounts. Serve warm or mix in a teaspoon or two of baby food to stimulate the appetite. If her appetite does not return or she begins to vomit, see your veterinarian.

Poor Lyl. There are so many things that can cause not eating and lethargy so it is hard to say for sure what is going on. I would make sure her gums are pink - if they are white, yellow or grayish blue then she is in critical condition and needs to go to the emergency clinic. Otherwise, you can try feeding her some plain boiled chicken (no bones) and white rice tonight and see if she will eat it. If not, then I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to determine if she is in pain anywhere or if something else is going on. They will be able to do bloodwork and even X-rays if needed. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better really soon!

It sounds like Ping does not feel well. Just like humans, there could be many different reasons that he is feeling sick. It could be something that passes on its own or it could be the first sign of something more serious. If he’s acting very lethargic or seems uncomfortable, have him examined by the veterinarian. Make sure he is drinking water appropriately. You may try feeding him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and plain boiled white rice. If he is still sick after 24 hours, make sure to have him examined by the veterinarian. If he gets worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Muffin! I'm not sure when you say she isn't eating well if she isn't eating a much as usual, or is having trouble eating. Both of those could be a sign of a medical illness, such as infection, systemic disease, or inflammation. It could also be a sign of teething. I would take her into the vet for an exam, it's not good that she isn't eating well. Eating enough is important for her health, and medical cause should be ruled out. I would make sure she is eating a puppy formulated food, and you can try to make the dry food more tempting by soaking it with gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and vomiting can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Layka evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. You can offer a bland diet which may help. This diet could be composed of rice, boiled chicken, ham, turkey, lean hamburgers or low fat cottage cheese. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (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. The approach must be logic, starting from offering different kind of food. A check up is needed if inappetence lasts for more than 24hours. 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!

Given the lack of clinical signs besides lethargy and inappetence, there is not much else to go on here. I would consider obtaining a rectal thermometer tomorow and checking for a fever (above 102.5), which might suggest the presence of an infection or inflammation. If you detect a fever, I would definitely suggest getting Rusty to the vet sometime soon. If there is no fever, but his condition does not get better by Monday he should be taken in for an examination regardless. You can certainly try and feed Rusty something that would normally be considering irresistible just to see if he will accept it, rather than just his normal dog food. Anyway, hope this helps and that Rusty is feeling better soon. It is entirely possible that he might just feeling a little under the weather or maybe could have eaten something he shouldn't have that upset his stomach. If this is the case, the symptoms should pass with short time.