Why is my dog lethargic, eating slower, and won't chew bones?

Poor Nellie! If she had a piece of bone caught in her tooth, that would be painful to her and could be the cause of her lethargy. But it could also be that she ate the bone, and it's now causing a GI obstruction or perforation also causing her to be lethargic. Labs are notorious for eating things they shouldn't, so this is a possibility. Given that she has been tired for over 24 hours now and the fact that you found a piece of bone caught in her teeth, I think a vet visit is warranted. The vet may want to do x-rays to see if she does have a foreign body. You can wait to take her into the vet tomorrow, but if she starts vomiting, you see blood in her vomit or feces, she stops eating or drinking, or she has diarrhea, take her into an ER vet immediately. Good luck, I hope this helps.

Poor Chispa! She does sound like she is feeling ill. Anorexia and lethargy are very general signs of illness, and could be caused by infection, injury, systemic illness, or inflammation. I would recommend taking her into the vet in the morning for an exam. If she develops other signs overnight, such as vomiting, I would take her into a vet immediately.

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!

Poor Layz! If her breath smells terrible and is eating less than usual, I would suspect that she may have a dental problem. Dogs need regular dental care just like humans, and if they don't get it, they can develop severe gingivitis, a tooth root abscess, or a rotten tooth among other conditions. She would be eating less because it's painful for her to eat. I would give your vet a call today to set up an appointment for her. The vet can examine her mouth, and if they feel that there is a dental problem, will want to do a dental scaling, cleaning, and polishing. It's best for her health to have this checked out as soon as possible, as dental problems that are left untreated can lead to further health problems such as abscesses on the liver and heart infections. Best of luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Scooby has been lethargic and not eating, especially after eating 3 chew bones, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having abdominal x-rays taken to see if he has developed a foreign object intestinal obstruction from the bone chews. He may also be dehydrated, have pancreatitis, etc. It is impossible for me to say for sure without examining him and performing diagnostics. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It is not good to give your dog bones, especially poultry bones as they can shatter and cause obstructions or irritate/injure the GI tract. If November has eaten bones and is now showing signs of illness (not eating, moaning in pain, seeming in distress) it would be best to seek veterinary care ASAP for an exam.

Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am happy to help. Thank you for the photo, it is helpful. I agree with you and am also concerned Shilo has dental disease (and potentially periodontal disease). I can't know for sure the full extent until the plaque is removed but it looks like there is some gingival recession affecting both of the smaller teeth behind her upper canine tooth. It also looks like there is a far amount of plaque or potentially infection around the base of those teeth. Depending on severity, there may be a pocket of infection under the gum line. Plus exposure of the tooth roots can be uncomfortable and this could make Shilo not eat well. Here is a link about Periodontal Disease: https://www.petcoach.co/article/periodontal-disease/ Here is a link with general information about pet dental care: https://www.petcoach.co/article/periodontal-disease/ I recommend to make an appointment this week with Shilo's veterinarian for an exam. They can give her a thorough exam and then discuss with you appropriate therapy. If they find that those teeth are in bad shape, they will most likely recommend to remove them. This is the best course of action long term and Shilo will still be able to eat, chew and play normally after they are healed. I hope this helps and that things get figured out quickly!