My Lab is lethargic and not eating her food. Is she okay?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rocco! I do not think him being neutered 6 months ago has anything to do with a poor appetite and lethargy. the heat can make dogs slow down but it doesn't make Labs not eat! Labs love food. I am worried and recommend you have him seen by your Vet for an exam, blood work and belly X-rays. Possible causes are: kidney problems secondary to Lyme disease (huge issue in US with labs, even young ones), ate something causing a blockage, cancer and many other things. I would take him in since it has been a few weeks. I wish you the best!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Based on your description, it is difficult to say for sure what the cause is. I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would start by having her blood tested and have abdominal x-rays taken as well. I hope this helps!

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!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Brak n Jan is not doing well at home. Any signs of lethargy, decreased appetite, and acting abnormal, especially in a younger dog, warrant a visit to the veterinarian. A 2 year old Lab should have lots of energy and a good appetite if they are healthy. It is possible that he is systemically sick, either with gastrointestinal disease, liver or kidney disease, or other metabolic issue causing him to feel unwell. He may also be painful somewhere, causing him to not want to eat and walk slowly. I recommend contacting your veterinarian to have him seen at the next available appointment. Your vet will likely recommend bloodwork to look for any evidence of infection or organ abnormalities that can be treated. Do NOT give any pain medications that are intended for humans to Brak n Jan, as these can be fatally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely behavioral and may be a food preference problem. I would recommend experimenting with different dog food formulas, texture, kibble size, dry vs. canned, etc. and see if this helps. Many times it is just a matter of finding the right formulation and texture that the dog prefers. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Based on your description this could be a number of things. She is a large breed growing puppy so they often go through spurts of sleepiness where they may not eat as much of their food. With that said, this should then be followed by a spurt of activeness and engorging in her food, within a 24 hr period. If she is lethargic and not eating well for more than a day, then she may have an infection and should be checked out by your vet asap. Pets also don't often pee on themselves, even at this age. This concerns me for a possible urinary tract infection, which causes her to have an inflamed bladder, which then causes her to not be able to pee in a designated area. At almost 3 months of age though, she may still be potty training. At any rate, it is best to get her seen with such vague symptoms, just to make sure she doesn't have an infection and to get her treated right away if there is one present. I hope that your fur baby Sansa feels better soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Betty White is acting slightly lethargic and not eating/drinking as much as you think she should. Firstly, excellent job getting vitals on her! From the information you provided, and assuming she is an otherwise healthy puppy, I think it is OK to monitor her at home over the weekend and bring her to your veterinarian on Monday. Signs to watch for that would warrant a trip to the Emergency veterinarian would be repetitive vomiting or diarrhea, excessive lethargy (unwilling to rise or respond to you) or complete cessation of eating. You can offer her a bland diet such as boiled chicken or beef and rice (in a ratio of 2 parts rice to 1 part meat) in small meals over the next 24-48 hours to see if this helps her appetite. This may also help settle any gastrointestinal upset she may be having. Always make sure she has access to water as well. I hope this is helpful!