My dog hasn't eaten or pooped in 3 days. Should I be worried?

Hello, thank you for being concerned about your neighbors dog. Loss of appetite can be from an infection, parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, ingestion of a foreign body, or some toxicity. I would try to encourage your neighbor to have his pet examined at the earliest convenience. Not eating for 3 days is a serious sign of something going on. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It certainly is concerning that Loki’s appetite has been decreased for so long, and if he is also losing weight there is probably a medical reason for why he doesn’t want to eat. When a dog isn’t eating much it also doesn’t produce as much stool, and I would guess this might be why Loki has not defecated in three days. Of course there are many other possibilities as well, and I would recommend seeing a veterinarian for a physical exam to start. They might recommend checking blood work as a first step.

I am very sorry to hear about Batista. You don't mention if he had any testing done but at his age with his symptoms we would recommend to start with an abdominal x-ray and potentially ultrasound based on what we see on x-ray. A blood work panel would also be recommended to check for changes in blood cells that may indicate infection, internal bleeding, or cancer as well as a chemistry panel to screen for things like liver and kidney problems as well as endocrine disease and other systemic illness. If he has had some of these tests already and you wish to discuss them in more detail you can try utilizing the Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach consulation service for a one-on-one discussion.

Hello and thank you for your question and reaching out to our consultation service. If your dog has not eaten in three days, this is something you should be very concerned about and should seek veterinary attention immediately. If your dog, however, is eating completely normal but has not defecated in three days, this is nothing to be worried about yet. As long as your dog continues to eat normally, drink normally, Urinating normally, and plays, it sometimes can take up to a week to have a bowel movement. But if at any point your dog starts to act or look sick, you need to go to the veterinarian soon as possible. I hope I’ve given you the information you needed. Thanks for your question

Since this has been ongoing I recommend getting him seen by your vet to find out what is causing his loss of appetite. It may be that he's holding out for people food but the vomiting is concerning. Your vet will do an exam, lab work, possibly x-rays and based on the results your vet will be better able to tell you what is going on and how best to treat it.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry that Bear has not been eating. Since it has been more than a day that Bear has not eaten, I recommend taking him to the vet. It could be anything from not liking his original food, to an upset stomach, to something more serious like pancreatitis, a foreign object, oral pain etc. Your vet can perform a full physical exam and decide if additional diagnostics are warranted at that time (blood work, fecal testing, radiographs). If Bear has any vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy- I would recommend taking Bear in sooner to the vet.

It is not entirely clear from your post whether Chase has had diarrhea or if you are concerned he is constipated. If he has been having diarrhea for the past three days you should consider seeing your veterinarian. There are many, many potential causes ranging from stomach upset, eating non-food items, to intestinal parasites or even more serious diseases. Your veterinarian might recommend testing a stool sample to start, and depending on Chase's physical exam may then recommend prescription treatments. I would continue with the bland diet until he can be examined and make sure he has access to plenty of water. I typically don't get too concerned about a lack of bowel movements unless a dog is straining without producing stool. That being said it is a little concerning that Chase's appetite is decreased so if this behavior continues or you are concerned he is straining and may be constipated you should again see your vet. He could have ingested a foreign object causing constipation or might have electrolyte changes that lead to decreased motility in the bowel. I hope this answers your question - feel free to repost and clarify if necessary!