Adopted poodle not drinking or eating, plus dark urine. What to do?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree, that is some very dark urine which indicates he must not be drinking enough. You need to increase his water intake. The best way to do that is to add some chicken or beef broth to his food; use the low sodium kind. The added salt (even in the low sodium variety) should encourage him to drink more. If this dark urine continues for more than a few days you should take him to your vet for an exam and urine test.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is certainly not that unusual in puppies and really in some adults as well as they adjust to a new environment. If she seems fine otherwise with a good activity level, I recommend you try a highly palatable diet such as the Purina Pro Plan shredded blends or potentially consider adding pieces of boiled chicken or dog grade gravy to make her current diet more palatable. This is likely going to work for you. If at some point, she appears to not be doing well, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Good luck!

This could just be related to his significant anxiety, or it could be early signs of illness, especially parvo virus if he hasn’t been fully vaccinated. You can try offering a bland diet of chicken breast and cooked white rice to encourage him to eat (you can add a little extra broth for hydration). But if he isn’t doing better tomorrow, he needs to see a vet to determine if there is a medical cause for the change.

Hi and thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I understand your concern here. I also assume that the age you put on here is incorrect since it says that Louis is already 1 years old. A puppy is considered to be under 1 year. You can simply place water from the faucet into a regular dog bowl and offer it to him. He should drink readily and know what to do from there. If he doesn't seem interested at first, you can place a few drops on your finger and offer it to his lips for him to lick off. Do this a few times and he should begin to drink on his own. You can also give him canned puppy food in the beginning, just in case he doesn't drink an adequate amount of water initially, and this can help supplement his water intake. I hope this helps! Best wishes moving forward with your puppy. Take care.

Congratulations on your new addition! I'm glad to hear that Champ is very well-behaved. It's never a big surprise when a new pet refuses to eat or drink well when they're first brought to a new home. This change can be quite stressful and intimidating to them, and can evoke a bit of anxiety, leading to this refusal to eat or drink. First of all, try to give Champ as much space as he wants. You can offer him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice for a few days to try to tempt him to eat, then gradually mix in his regular dog food. When you offer him food, try to do so in a quiet, calm environment where he can eat undisturbed by people or other pets. Initially, he'll probably be more willing to eat and drink when he's alone. My guess is that he's drinking some water when you aren't watching - particularly if he's urinating normally. Try to work on giving Champ a safe space where he can always go if he wants to be alone, such as a crate or a bed in the corner of a quiet room, and respect his boundaries by always leaving him alone if he's in that space. Building up on this safe space can help a dog feel more comfortable and confident in their surroundings, which in turn will likely facilitate normal behaviors, including eating and drinking. Best of luck with everything!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Romeo and for providing a picture, it's helpful. I'm sorry that he's been sick. If he's been vomiting and not drinking much, yes it is possible that he's a bit dehydrated. His urine in the picture does look a bit yellow, but if he is now drinking water and feel better, I expect he will become hydrated again in due course. It's fine to increase his water intake, and you could add some gently warmed, low sodium chicken broth to his food to help with increasing his fluid intake. I hope this helps.

Poor Woodrow. He sounds very sick and likely has an internal illness that requires testing and treatment through your vet. There are so many possible causes for lack of appetite, including liver disease, kidney disease, infection or pancreatitis just to name a few. We need to first have some bloodwork done on him to see if that shows any clues as to why he is ill. He may need additional testing if the bloodwork doesn't reveal anything. I would make it a point to take him in to your vet within the next 24-48 hrs if possible. Until then continue to offer him boiled plain chicken and rice or tuna and rice to see if you can keep him nourished. I would also offer Pedialyte (non-flavored) diluted with water to try and keep him hydrated. I hope that things work out for your pet Woodrow and that he has a full and speedy recovery. Take care and best wishes.