My dog is lethargic, sore, weak, not eating, has pus. What's wrong?

This sounds very peculiar especially in such a young pup. I would be worried that he has a fever, and it would be important to check. If so, I would be suspicious of polyarthritis due to sepsis, lyme disease or other tick born diseases. Common conditions I see in young pups are pancreatitis, gastrointestinal parasites, and gastroenteritis. A good physical exam would be helpful. A painful abdomen, a positive fecal exam etc would help to narrow down what is going on.

I am so sorry to hear that your dog is so unwell. From what you are describing it sounds possible that he could have ingested a toxin, have a urinary tract infection, an infection of the prepuce, or an issue with his kidneys. Because he is so lethargic and not eating I would suggest a trip to the veterinarian as soon as possible to a diagnosis and appropriate treatment. If you can collect a urine sample to bring in that would be helpful. In the meantime you can try the following at home; Keep up fluids with; Pedialyte flavourless mixed with water 50/50 Low sodium chicken broth Encourage eating; Chicken boneless and cooked Low fat ground beef cooked Best of luck and ask any further questions you have here, we are here to support you. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

The ocular discharge may or may not be related to his lethargy, decreased appetite, and usual stool volume and color. As long as the eye is not red, I would not worry too much. The lethargy, decreased appetite, and stool are suggestive of a primary gastrointestinal, pancreatic, or liver problem. You are doing a good job of trying to keep him hydrated. Continue the pedialyte and offer some chicken and rice. Discuss bloodwork including testing for pancreatitis, and abdominal x-rays with your veterinarian.

Tyson is four years old, so that would be young for cancer, but it could be a remote possibility. It could be that he has a severe skin infection causing the pus, or he could have a systemic illness. He needs to see a vet now, please take him into one immediately. Best of luck.

This appears to be a pustule, which indicates a skin infection. The skin appears rather red, which indicates that something must be irritating the skin. Often, a skin infection starts due to some sort of irritation. The common causes of skin irritation are allergies and external parasites (fleas, mites, lice). However, this does not explain him acting lethargic or sick. This would be my primary concern and could be due to many different things. I think it's best if you can take Akita to get examined by the vet sometime soon. The lethargy can indicate moderate to severe conditions, so it's best if you can take him within the next 24 hours to keep him from getting worse.

Lameness, loss of appetite and energy are definitely concerning. This can be caused by tick borne diseases such as Lyme disease. There are also certain bone and joint diseases that only affect growing puppies, and need to be ruled out with an x-Ray. I recommend having your appointment sooner rather than later, you may want to call your vet and ask for an earlier appointment.