Why is my dog throwing up, drinking lots, and licking his genitals?

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Some dogs will tend to spend more time than others licking around their genitals. However, excessive licking in this area can also be a sign of urinary tract infection, prepucial infection, inflammation or allergies. Even neutered dogs can have their penis come out from time to time. If it stays out for an extended period of time or the dog cannot get it back into the prepuce this can be an emergency medical condition. If Leo continues to exhibit these behaviors it may be a good idea to have a veterinarian check him out to ensure there are no issue. I hope this is helpful! Best of luck to you and Leo!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. Based on these symptoms I would recommend having Leo examined by a veterinarian so he can have testing performed to rule out the possible causes. I would want to see what his kidneys, liver and everything else are doing to ensure that there is no systemic illness leading to the weight loss. I would also recommend having his urine tested to ensure there is no urinary tract infection. With the difficulty urinating, I would be concerned that there may be a bladder stone, crystals in the urine, bladder tumor or other disease of the urinary tract. A urinary stone can cause a urinary obstruction which can cause many other problems, which is why it is best to have this looked at sooner rather than later. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have other questions.

It sounds like Leo is sick and I recommend to have him examined by his veterinarian. Pets can develop diarrhea and vomiting due to many conditions including new food or treats, bacterial over growth, viral infections, parasites or other even organ disease. With continued diarrhea, there are often bacterial shifts in the gut that will make matters worse regardless of the initial cause. Make sure to bring in a sample of fresh stool. The doctor will check him for parasites and bacterial over growth. Many times a bland diet can help and then a slow, gradual introduction to the new food can be done. A bland diet can consist of 25% boiled white meat chicken and 75% boiled white rice. This should all be plain. A good diet in general is Royal Canin and I recommend to feed this brand. It is low residue and highly digestible. I hope Leo starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions!

It sounds like there may be more than 1 thing going on. The vomiting may just be an upset stomach if he ate something he wasn't supposed to but it can also be pancreatitis/foreign body/etc. The red thing on his chest may be a growth, hotspot, or something else but without seeing him it is hard to say. I would try to take him to the veterinarian today or tomorrow (if your veterinarian is open). His urinating when he is excited can be hormones but also urinary tract infection and even prostatitis. I would take him to emergency if the vomiting doesn't stop, there is any blood or any other symptoms. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

If Luger is going in for his neuter today, I would certainly have them check some blood work and a urine sample at that time to make sure that there isn't anything medical going on. It sounds like they were not aware of how much water he was drinking at the shelter, so the fact that he is not house broken may be due in part to a medical condition that is causing him to drink more water and you will need to correct the medical condition before being able to successfully house train him. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Leo. In the bloodwork that he had done, do you know of his cobalamin, folate and pancreatic values were tested? These are important tests with chronic gastrointestinal disease. Cobalamin and folate are vitamins used in digestion. If either are low, they will require supplementation. This can help a lot. Next, has he undergone a strict diet trial with a prescription diet? This will help if he has a food allergy, food intolerance or inflammatory bowel disease. These are a few things I think of when hearing of Leo's problems. I hope this information is a good starting point for you.

Coco may have a urinary tract infection causing the increased drinking and urination. You can get a sample and check to see if the urine is clear yellow. If it is greenish or blood tinged then he should have an exam and urinalysis at your veterinarian. He may need antibiotics to clear up the bacterial infection. They may want to check his kidney function and palpate his prostate also. As long as he's eating and has plenty of water you can wait a few days to see if this improves. If not please take him in so he can get the proper treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Coco.