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Why is my dog not eating, losing weight, lethargic, and trembling?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | 3 years and 5 months old

My dog is not eating, has a poor appetite & diarrhea when he does not eat, although when he does, the fecal is normal. Fecal exam sent and results were normal. Sometimes blood in stool, not sure if it’s from overstraining but he was prescribed metronidazole and it did not help. He is losing weight and lethargic, trembles at times.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. B. DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)

Answered By Dr. B. DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)

Veterinarian

Published on December 9th, 2018

It looks like you shared urinalysis results. Was bloodwork run as well? If this is a urine test there appears to be a large amount of bilirubin in the urine which is very abnormal. If bloodwork has not been done it needs to be right away. There are several causes for the abnormalities on your kids urinalysis and for weight loss. Bloodwork helps rule in/out many problems. The next step will then likely be some imaging (xrays, ultrasound). Your kid is young, it is important to run more tests to get to the bottom of the weight loss/poor appetite. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
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