My dog won't eat/drink, has bad breath, licks lips. What should I do?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lyla. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. She could have an infected tooth or a wound in her mouth contributing to the oral pain and bad odor. A thorough exam will be performed to attempt to identify her problem. From there, a treatment plan can be developed. In the meantime, you can soften her food with warm water or offer canned food to make it easier for her to eat. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

It sounds as Buzz is suffering from a gastrointestinal condition, possibly an infection. it could also be due to ingestion of a foreign body material. i would recommend taking him to the vet the first chance you get, he will need to be checked first, if the vet thinks it's a simple gastrointestinal infection he will need an anti nausea injection, antibiotics and a special food for a few days in order to get better.

I'm sorry to hear that Monty has been having these issues. Looking at the picture, it appears that he has a very mild amounts of tartar on his fourth premolar, so I highly doubt that this is the source of his problems. Dogs often lick their lips as a result of nausea or other irritation. Rather than dental issues, I would be more concerned about stomach upset from something he ate or other internal issues, or even allergies if he also seems itchy. Kidney disease, gastrointestinal viruses, or eating something unusual can all cause nausea. Certainly try to have Monty examined by his vet as soon as you're able to, but it doesn't sound like this is an emergency situation that requires a trip to the ER. However, if he refuses to eat or drink, starts to vomit or have diarrhea, becomes lethargic, or experiences facial swelling, then these are all signs that warrant a trip to the ER. Feeding a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice until his vet visit may help to settle his stomach if he's experiencing some nausea. I hope that Monty feels better soon!

I am sorry to hear about Chico's current condition. Based on the clinical signs you have described, two top differentials come to mind. The first one is dental disease. This causes a wretched odor to emanate from the mouth and when bad enough, will make a dog not want to eat anything at all. The pain can be quite severe in some cases. The inability to defecate may actually be a indication that Chico hasn't been eating and doesn't have to go. The other differential that comes to mind is kidney disease. When kidney disease becomes severe, dogs can develop something known as a uremic scent from their mouth. It also causes anorexia, and subsequently, lack of defecation. I would definitely have Chico taken to the vet sometime soon for both an oral exam and some blood work. Best of luck with him!

Poor Rosie. This foul odor around her mouth could be due to a broken tooth or an infected tooth, and that would prevent her from eating well. It would also make her lethargic. She needs to see a vet now, please take her into one immediately.

Poor Luckie, she sounds sick. If she is nauseous, that could cause her to lick her lips and drink lots of water. Being lethargic and not moving around can mean she has a fever or is in pain. Luckie may have an issue inside the GI tract (intestines) causing nausea or trouble with how her organs, particularly kidneys and liver are functioning as the cause for these symptoms. I recommend having Luckie examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. They may recommend x-rays to look at the GI tract and/or blood work to evaluate her kidneys and liver. Good luck!

Wally is showing signs of potential distress and may be in need of medical intervention. Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian to gather information about what is happening internally with him. [Lab work](https://www.petcoach.co/article/your-pets-bloodwork-what-to-expect) (CBC, chemistry panel, urinalysis, fecal exam) may be recommended after the exam to diagnose or rule out systemic infection and to assess major organ function.. The lip smacking could indicate either nausea (dogs will salivate a lot and become nauseous due to illness), severe [dental disease](https://www.petcoach.co/article/a-comprehensive-dental-care-program-for-your-cat) (infected teeth are painful and can make it hard to eat) or increased [stress/anxiety](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-surprising-ways-stress-can-impact-your-pet). Without an exam, we don't know how to best help Wally until we know what we are treating, which is why getting him seen at this time is the next best step towards his care. Until you can get him in to the vet you can offer Wally some slightly warmed baby food (or force feed him a little) and small amounts of unflavored Pedialyte to help keep him hydrated. Hopefully, this will tide him over until he is seen by your vet.