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My dog's not eating, lethargic, straining to pee, vet can't diagnose.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | 8 years and 11 months old | 40 lbs

My dog (9 years old) isn't eating or drinking and has lost a lot of weight/very lathargic. Strains to urinate. Local vet did blood tests, xray and ultrasound/was unable to diagnose.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on December 27th, 2018

Straining to urinate in a male dog is a serious concern. The biggest causes for this are urinary stones or an enlarged prostate. These issues should be easily diagnosed with the tests you have mentioned. It sounds like your vet has a done a good work up. I would recommend a consult so we can discuss the test results and try to figure out what could be going on.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian
Published on October 2nd, 2017
I would make sure you vet has cultured the urine to ensure there is no infection. You could also ask them to do an ultrasound or refer you to a radiologist to do a detailed ultrasound of his bladder, urethra and prostate. I would also ask your vet if they have done a prostste exam. With Frankie being a neutered male, I am less concerned about a prostate problem but it never hurts to check. If he is drinking excessive amounts of water or if the irons looks dilute then I would also run some bloodwork to ensure all of his other values look normal. Finally, if everything looks normal then this could be a behavioral thing. And you may need to go back to basics with crate/house training. I hope this helps!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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