My old dog with arthritis won't eat for two days. What's wrong?

This is abnormal behavior for sure. If you are worried you should have to the vet for an exam. If you don't think your vet is helpful there is no issue with you getting a second opinion elsewhere. Arthritis, even very advanced, is not likely to cause inappetence. Something else must be underlying. I would suggest a thorough vet exam, some blood testing and some x-rays.

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 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!

Hello. I wonder if Ruby is showing some signs for arthritis & is is pain. This would certainly cause her to be restless. Did your vet just check a voided urine sample, or was a sterile one sampled? This might give more information. We can also see urinary incontinence in spayed female dogs. Often this will respond to medications like Proin & Incurin. If she continues to not act well, the next step might be some x-rays or an ultrasound exam to see if there is something ongoing that was not apparent on the blood work. Hopefully, she will start feeling better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rudy! Any change in behavior or appetite in an older dog raises concern. The symptoms are non-specific. Possible reasons are: pain, fever, nausea. These things could be causes by arthritis, lyme disease, kidney, liver or gall bladder problems or even cancer. I recommend an exam by your Vet and full blood work and urine to try to find out what could possibly be wrong. I hope this helps and I wish Rudy a speedy recovery!

Poor Lyl. There are so many things that can cause not eating and lethargy so it is hard to say for sure what is going on. I would make sure her gums are pink - if they are white, yellow or grayish blue then she is in critical condition and needs to go to the emergency clinic. Otherwise, you can try feeding her some plain boiled chicken (no bones) and white rice tonight and see if she will eat it. If not, then I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to determine if she is in pain anywhere or if something else is going on. They will be able to do bloodwork and even X-rays if needed. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better really soon!

If only Rubie could talk! I recommend to have Rubie examined by the veterinarian today. new behavior like this could indicate low blood sugar or liver problems causing ammonia levels to build up in the blood stream. Best to play it safe and rule out a medical cause. I hope this gets figured out quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Unfortunately not eating is a shared symptom of just about every disease process so it’s impossible to know for sure without some kind of testing. You can try offering her some boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese to see if this entices her to eat. However if she continues to refuse food, or develops any other signs of illness then it’s best to get her seen by your local vet ASAP for some testing (bloodwork, urinalysis +/- radiographs). Once we know what is going on internally, then we will know what she needs to hopefully improve her condition. I hope that Lena feels better soon. Best wishes and take care.