My 8-year-old dog lies down to eat. Is this a sign of illness?

If your dog is lying in the "prayer position" - front end down and rear end up - while acting uncomfortable, it's usually a sign of abdominal pain. It sounds like your pup isn't feeling well for some reason. You can try offering her a bland diet of plain boiled chicken and rice for today to help settle her stomach. If this doesn't help, or if she develops any other symptoms such as vomiting, not wanting to eat, or acting lethargic, then I would recommend having her examined by a vet as these can be signs of a serious GI problem such as pancreatitis.

Not wanting to eat can be a sign of nearly any sort of illness, ranging from a simple upset stomach to much more serious conditions involving multiple organ systems. It's encouraging that she will eat out of your hands, but if this is not usually how she eats than I would say that she should be assessed by a veterinarian. A thorough physical exam might help reveal a problem if one is present. As far as things you can do at home to assess the situation, you can obtain a rectal temperature (above 102.5 or below 99.0 is considered abnormal), check the gum lines for paleness / dryness, and check the skin for hydration. Hope this helps and that Ellaa is feeling OK soon.

It definitely sounds like Lola is having a hard time getting around. This can be a common change in dogs that have arthritis, but the sudden onset has me concerned that something more serious could be going on. Possibilities include meningitis, intervertebral disc protrusion or rupture, muscle spasm, among many other things. Lola needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible for a full physical exam. The vet will pay particular location to muscles, the back and may do a neurologic exam to assess for any deficiencies. Bloodwork may be recommended to screen for internal causes of sudden pain, such as infection or kidney disease. Based on diagnostic results, your vet will be able to prescribe appropriate pain medications. Unfortunately there are no over the counter pain medications that are safe for Lola. You can try to raise her food and water bowls up to a more comfortable level, and have plenty of soft bedding for her to lay on on the floor.

She could have arthritis in her rear legs, degenerative myelopathy, neck or back problem, etc. She should to be examined by a veterinarian to determine the exact cause. Your vet can do a full orthopedic exam and take x-rays, if needed, to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. She may need an anti-inflammatory and or pain medications to help. Hope she feels better soon.

Thank you for submitting your question Marley. Lowering his head to eat should not result in pain from his knee problems. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian to have his neck and back assessed for pain. This is common in small breed dogs and would be a more likely cause. In the meantime, carry him as much as possible and you can raise his food and water dishes so he doesn't have to reach down. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hello, thank you for your question about Yusi. It is possible that this could be benign and could be a comfortable position for Yusi to eat in. It is also possible that she is favoring one leg because of discomfort/pain. However, if this was the case I would expect her to be limping or showing discomfort while walking or during other parts of the day. If this is the case I would recommend having Yusi seen by a veterinarian to help assess for any bone pain or other abnormalities. If she is otherwise acting normally I would recommend continuing to monitor her. Hope this helps, good luck!

While these changes in behavior pattern are curious, I don't see a need to be overly concerned if everything else is normal. However, it is true that these small changes may be an early sign that something is wrong. Pay attention to how much she eats and drink. If it seems more or less, then this can indicate a problem. Also run your hands over her entire body and feel for anything out of the ordinary. Also, I am seeing that Lalya is 72lbs. This is rather heavy for a husky. Make sure that she is not getting too chunky or this can cause problems like diabetes in her old age. They can easily get fat without you noticing, because of all that fur. I've added a link below that can help you assess her body condition. You want Lalya to be at a 3. http://petobesityprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DogBCS_APOP.pdf I hope this is helpful.