Why did my 4-month Golden Retriever puppy suddenly stop eating?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a very 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. An immediate check up is needed as persistent inappetence could deteriorate his clinical condition rapidly. 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!

Sometimes dogs can be upset by a change in schedule. Dogs don't necessarily need to be fed twice a day. I would continue to offer Lucky two strict meals a day for a week. If he still refuses to eat the second meal, then you can combine the two amounts into one bowl and just feed one meal. It does not concern me that he is refusing 1 meal as long as he still eats the other!

Poor Mazy! It definitely sounds like something isn't right. There are many different things that could cause decreased appetite and lethargy, so it's hard to say what might be wrong without being able to examine her and run some tests. She could have anything from liver or kidney disease, to heart disease, arthritis pain, a GI problem of some kind, or even some type of cancer. I would recommend taking Mazy to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment depending on what is found.

This can be normal but usually this happens closer to 60-63 days of pregnancy. You could try to offer her some plain boiled chicken (no bones) and rice to see if you can entice her appetite. If not, contact your vet for an exam to ensure there is nothing more serious going on that she may need medications or treatment for. I hope this helps!

Thank you for sending your question and the photo of Oakley - he is very cute! Sometimes when our pets suddenly change a behavior, we are (naturally) inclined to look at other evernts to see if there might be a connection. While dogs do mourn the loss of people they are very close to, this typically happens when dogs and their people have lived together for many years, so I’m not sure this is a realistic cause of his sudden loss of appetite. There are just so many things that can cause a normal young dog to stop eating - parasites, a blockage in the intestines, infectious diseases like parvo or leptospirosis- it’s hard to say what is going on, but your instincts to go to Oakley’s vet are 100% correct. I encourage you to get him in and get him checked out - exam and blood work at minimum - to see what’s going on.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Betty White is acting slightly lethargic and not eating/drinking as much as you think she should. Firstly, excellent job getting vitals on her! From the information you provided, and assuming she is an otherwise healthy puppy, I think it is OK to monitor her at home over the weekend and bring her to your veterinarian on Monday. Signs to watch for that would warrant a trip to the Emergency veterinarian would be repetitive vomiting or diarrhea, excessive lethargy (unwilling to rise or respond to you) or complete cessation of eating. You can offer her a bland diet such as boiled chicken or beef and rice (in a ratio of 2 parts rice to 1 part meat) in small meals over the next 24-48 hours to see if this helps her appetite. This may also help settle any gastrointestinal upset she may be having. Always make sure she has access to water as well. I hope this is helpful!

It could be that Dakota has a GI illness or may have eaten something that upset her stomach. It's good that she has stopped vomiting and is drinking water, but I imagine her stomach is still a little sensitive from the vomiting. I can give you a home remedy to see if that helps her. I would feed her a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, she vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away. Good luck, I hope this helps!