Why is my 6-year-old GSD weak, not eating, and can't stand up?

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.

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.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. The approach must be logic, starting from offering different kind of food. A check up is needed if complete inappetence lasts for more than 24hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

I am sorry to hear about Sadie. She definitely needs to visit a vet for this issue since it has been going on for so long. If she seems weak, has abdominal pain, is not eating or is vomiting, is having trouble breathing, or has pale gums then these would be reasons to seek emergency care. If not I would try to get an appointment at your vet as soon as possible.

I am sorry to hear that your dog isn’t feeling well. Many different problems can cause the signs your are seeing. These include Addison’s disease, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and exocrine pancreatic Insufficiency , and even cancer. EPI is common in shepherds and this could certainly happen in young dogs. Ideally an examination and blood work should be done by a veterinarian for a diagnosis. If that is the problem then adding pancreatic enzymes such as Prozyme and feeding a bland diet such as hills i/d can make a big difference. Best of luck and I hope you get an answer soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello, You can try to syringe her water to keep her hydrated and rub syrup on her gums to prevent low blood sugar. However, Olie must see a veterinarian to determine the cause of vomiting and receive proper treatment. Typically, vomiting in a puppy her age is secondary to parasites, a virus, or even an intestinal obstruction.

I think you need to get her to a vet immediately. I would be very worried that she has something serious going on like a tumor on the spleen which is very common in GSD. The trazadone may not have been the best idea. Side effects associated with Trazodone include lethargy, sedation, vomiting, diarrhea, panting, hyperactivity, ataxia, increased anxiety, increased appetite, shaking, restlessness, and/or agitation. I strongly recommend a vet visit right away. Don't let her suffer. She sounds very sick.