What to do if my dog is weak, can barely walk, and needs hand-feeding?

I am so very sorry to hear about your dog. Based on your photos she looks severely emaciated and dehydrated, and possibly anemic (I can see her third eyelid in one photo and it looks quite pale). The possible causes are many and could include severe parasitism, infectious disease, autoimmune disease, organ failure, cancer, toxin exposure. Your dog needs veterinary attention right away if she is to survive, or to help her pass peacefully if you are unable to provide care for her. It sounds like she is suffering and she needs to be examined by a vet and have some testing done (such as stool testing and bloodwork to start) to try to determine why she is so ill. I wish you the best of luck with her.

Your dog needs to be seen by your vet as soon as possible. Any abrupt change in behavior or attitude is a sign he's not feeling well, and without an exam from a vet there's no real way to know what's going on and therefore, how to treat it. He could have eaten something he shouldn't have that's causing an obstruction or irritation, he could have been exposed to something toxic that you weren't aware of, there's a number of possibilities. Your vet will do an exam, lab work, possibly x-rays if indicated, and based on these results, your vet will be better able to understand what is going on with your dog and how best to treat him.

Rio sounds like he is very sick. When pets begin to show evidence of weakness, this indicates that there is severe illness taking place. This could be due to many things including dehydration, low blood sugar, electrolyte imbalance, infection or neurologic disease. It is impossible to know what is happening without a physical exam and blood work. I recommend to have Rio examined by his veterinarian right away. Serious conditions that are treated early are more likely to have a better outcome. Best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian right away if at all possible. The symptoms you have described can be the result of an intoxication, orthopedic pain such as arthritis or a neurological problem. An examination will be performed and x-rays may be needed to diagnose the problem. From there, appropriate treatment can be prescribed. I hope this information helps!

I am very concerned about your dog's condition and highly recommend a veterinary visit. There are a few general categories that fit with what your dog is showing at home. One would be weakness due to a nerve problem in the back end. This can happen if a disc has moved out of place in the spine and is pressing on the spinal cord. This can cause dogs to have trouble walking and placing their feet in an appropriate way. Some have the appearance of walking on their toes. Otherwise they are able to place weight on the back legs but stagger or sway when walking. This can be an emergency situation if the disc slips more into the spinal cord and causes paralysis. Another type of weakness that causes trouble getting up is if there is a lack of proper blood circulation. The lower level of blood in the body causes them to be lethargic due to the decreased oxygen circulating throughout the body. In an older dog, the most common cause of this is with a tumor or mass on the spleen that has ruptured. The spleen holds a large amount of blood and if it has a rupture, the blood leaks out into the abdomen. In addition to the lethargy, we often see pale gums and a pot belly appearance due to the pooling blood. An x-ray or ultrasound would help determine if this is occurring. These are the two most common reasons for such a dramatic change in her appearance. There is also the chance of her eating something she shouldn't. The best thing for her would be to have an exam as soon as you are able to determine what is causing her signs. The vet may recommend bloodwork or an x-ray. Unfortunately. older large breed dogs can lose nerve function in their back legs due to age changes. There is little we can do to help this aside from keeping them comfortable. Due to how sudden the signs showed up, this is less likely, as it is often a more gradual change.

It sounds like she should be examined by a vet to determine the cause of her problems. It is very concerning that she is thin and weak and your vet can run some lab-work to screen for kidney disease, liver disease, endocrine diseases, etc. Your vet can also take x-rays, if needed, to look for any abnormalities that would cause decreased appetite and weight loss. She could also have a problem with her teeth and your vet can do a dental evaluation. She may need an antibiotic to treat a conjunctivitis. Please call a vet and schedule a check up.

Any continued abnormal symptoms (longer than 24 hours) warrants a vet exam. I cannot tell you what is wrong with her just by your description. There are many different things that could be causing her symptoms. Those symptoms are very vague and could be caused by any illness or disease process. I can tell you that you need to be diligent getting weird symptoms checked out especially with an older dog. Please get her a vet exam as soon as you can. They may recommend running some lab tests and/or x-rays.