Why is my old Golden Retriever lethargic and not eating with a liver tumor?

Liver tumors may or may not be truly "cancerous", i.e. Cause metastasis to other parts of the body and severe disease. Dogs can have benign liver tumors that don't metastasize, however they can get very large and impact liver function. There's really no way to know which type of tumor - benign or malignant - your dog has without a biopsy of the tumor. Ultimately the increase in water consumption is concerning, as polydipsia (increased water intake) can be a sign of severe liver disease. Some blood work would help to understand whether there is significant disease, as well as possibly an ultrasound exam of the liver. There may be medications that she could benefit from that would improve how she feels, however ultimately it's likely that addressing the tumor surgically - if that's even possibly - is the only way to definitively improve the situation.

Poor Mazy! It definitely sounds like something isn't right. There are many different things that could cause decreased appetite and lethargy, so it's hard to say what might be wrong without being able to examine her and run some tests. She could have anything from liver or kidney disease, to heart disease, arthritis pain, a GI problem of some kind, or even some type of cancer. I would recommend taking Mazy to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment depending on what is found.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Betty White is acting slightly lethargic and not eating/drinking as much as you think she should. Firstly, excellent job getting vitals on her! From the information you provided, and assuming she is an otherwise healthy puppy, I think it is OK to monitor her at home over the weekend and bring her to your veterinarian on Monday. Signs to watch for that would warrant a trip to the Emergency veterinarian would be repetitive vomiting or diarrhea, excessive lethargy (unwilling to rise or respond to you) or complete cessation of eating. You can offer her a bland diet such as boiled chicken or beef and rice (in a ratio of 2 parts rice to 1 part meat) in small meals over the next 24-48 hours to see if this helps her appetite. This may also help settle any gastrointestinal upset she may be having. Always make sure she has access to water as well. I hope this is helpful!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear about Booda, she sounds very sick. Since she is vomiting, acting lethargic, not eating and having neurological signs, I would have her seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Especially in an older Golden, cancer is a top differential for the cause of her clinical signs. Your veterinarian will want to do a complete physical exam, along with bloodwork and/or x-rays to look for evidence of disease. Because she is coughing, I'm afraid she may have cancer in her lungs, or less likely something like pneumonia. Unfortunately, you may have to consider thinking about her quality of life. Vomiting, coughing, not eating and being unresponsive to stimuli are not indicative of a good quality of life. I hope this is helpful, and I'm very sorry to hear about Booda.

The only thing I would recommend doing is seeing your veterinarian. If Baby has an enlarged right heart and an enlarged liver it's possible that she is in right sided congestive heart failure and that this is causing her decrease in appetite. They may also be unrelated. A decreased appetite should be taken seriously in an older dog. The vet might recommend checking blood work or x-rays to determine what the cause may be, and from there they may be able to recommend treatment as well.

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 Ginger! I would take her into a vet now. It can be very serious when a senior dog is vomiting, not eating, and is extremely lethargic. She needs veterinary are now, please take her into a vet right away. Best of luck.