Why is my dog limping, lethargic, and acting unlike herself lately?

Hello. Limping & a lack of appetite may be a sign of some metabolic problem or an infectious disease. Tick fever is one thing that comes to mind that can cause lameness & illness at the same time. The weight loss is concerning because this indicates that this may be a chronic problem. Before things get any worse for your sweet girl, it would be best to have her evaluated by your veterinarian at your earliest convenience. The sooner you can find out what is causing her symptoms, the sooner you can get her back to feeling better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These symptoms are very suspicious of a tick born disease such as tick fever, babesiosis or lyme disease. you should take him back to your vet and request a blood test to identify those potential blood parasites, treatment is with some very specific medications and antibiotics.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Gidget! How old is Gidget? Have they tested her for Lyme disease or other tick born diseases? That should be done. Other possibilities are immune medicated joint disease or meningitis but Lyme disease is very high on my list. Good luck!

I'm so sorry that you are having this problem with Frankie. It can actually be quite difficult to determine where a dog is painful when they are limping because many dogs are very stoic and do not show pain well. Often dogs dislike their feet being handled and may pull away for that reason instead of pain, so it is possible that Frankie has an injury somewhere other than his foot since you did not see anything in his paw. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Frankie to see if they can find the source of the pain and determine what is causing the problem. I would not recommend giving Frankie any pain medication at home because some over the counter pain medications are toxic to dogs and some will interact with prescription medications that your vet may want to prescribe. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Frankie feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If he was behaving normally otherwise, then watching him at home would have been recommended, but since he is lethargic as well, he really should be seen. It could be anything from a strain or pull to orthopedics injury to infection. A physical exam, xrays and a screening for tick borne diseases would be recommended. Treatment will depend on the diagnosis. In the meantime, restrict activity to just leash walks for elimination and avoid excessive running, jumping or rough play until he sees the doctor.

Hi, in my opinion it sounds like Frankie could have potentially injured her cruciate ligaments. This would be a potential diagnosis provided the lameness seem to affect just one of her legs. If both legs should be affected, and she should be hopping like a bunny it could be that she is suffering with hip dysplasia. I would recommend to have Frankie rechecked. I hope this helps and that all goes well !

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.