Why is my dog lethargic, not eating, and has a swollen belly?

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. These symptoms are concerning, especially coming from an older pet lIke Blue. His warm feeling body could indicate an internal infection or inflammatory disorder, and his panting and swollen stomach could indicate underlying heart disease, an infection, or even cancer has to be considered here. I would highly recommend taking him in to your vet to have some testing done as soon as possible. The vet needs to do some bloodwork analysis and an x-ray to find out the underlying cause for his symptoms, since there are several disease processes that can cause the same symptoms. I do hope that Blue is able to make a full and speedy recovery with a diagnosis that is readily treatable. I wish you all the best! Take care.

Fluid in the abdomen is usually caused by either heart failure, low blood protein levels, or cancer. Blood work should be done to check protein levels. A follow up appointment with your veterinarian soon is important, and more work up should be done to identify the cause. Blood work, urinalysis, and ultrasound are the steps I would usually take is a case such as Major to find the problem and develop the best treatment options. Best of luck and I hope you find an answer soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Sheena should be evaluated by a veterinarian right away! If her belly is swollen she could be suffering from bloat (stomach full of air), a GDV (where the stomach bloats and turns on itself) or she could have fluid in her belly or uterus (pyometra). All of these conditions are very serious and require immediate veterinary care. I hope Sheena is doing ok! Please let us know if you have more questions.

Not eating for so long is very concerning. Brownish vomitus likely contains blood, and a swollen tummy can be a sign of liver failure, a tumor, a serious infection, pancreatitis, or an intestinal blockage or bloat. By now this is an emergency and I strongly recommend you take Brooklynn to a vet or Pet ER right away. The vet will need to do x-rays and some blood tests, possibly and ultrasound to find out what the problem is.

Not eating for 3 days is serious for a puppy. They are not able to regulate blood sugar like an adult and they don't have the same reserves either. The swollen belly could be related and could indicate parasites, a blockage, an infection or a heart condition. I recommend to have your puppy examined today by the veterinarian. Bring in a stool sample to the appointment. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! How old is Max? If his belly seems distended and he is now acting ill, my concern would be that the swelling could be due to fluid in his abdomen (blood or free fluid), or a stomach torsion. This can be due to a splenic growth, liver disease, a toxin ingestion, or another underlying medical issue. If his gums are pale, not pink, I would have him evaluated immediately by a veterinarian, as it could be due to internal bleeding, or if he has non-productive retching (indicative of a stomach torsion). If his gums look pink and moist, I would still recommend he be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as you can to determine what the underlying swelling is, and what necessary treatment needs to be taken to resolve it. Good luck!

Poor Storm! It's hard to say for sure what might be causing this without seeing him. From what you describe, I would be concerned that he may have a testicular infection or even testicular cancer. If his belly looks swollen, this is often a sign of fluid in the abdomen, which can be caused by cancer, liver failure, heart disease, or internal bleeding. It does sounds like this is a serious problem, so I would recommend having him seen by a vet right away - he/she can do blood work and x-rays to help determine the problem and see what can be done to help him.