Can an old dog get depressed and stop eating when a new puppy arrives?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Belle. It can be stressful for an adult dog to have a puppy introduced to the home. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian though to ensure there is not an illness contributing to her lack of appetite. Labradors typically have huge appetites so it worries me a bit that she is not eating. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I understand your concern. The symptoms Maya are displaying are very non-specific and there could be many reasons. She could simply be moping because of the new puppy. But there could be a medical reason: lyme disease, metabolic diseases (liver/kidney), viral infections, fever, foreign body ingestion or cancer. Watch her closely for any changes like vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, limping, etc. Try adding boiled chicken or hamburger to her dog food to tempt her to eat. Try taking her outside for her favorite activity with out the puppy-a nice walk, swim in the creek, dog park or play ball. See if that cheers her up! I hope this helps and good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Dakota! I would have her seen by a Vet today due to her age. There are many things that can cause an older lab to stop eating and start panting. I worry about heart failure, pneumonia, cancer or anemia from a bleeding mass in the belly. Even a fever can cause these signs. I would have her examined and see if chest and belly X-rays needs to be done. They may also recommend blood work as well. I hope this helps and I wish Dakota the best!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that you recently lost your lab :( Other dogs can certainly be emotionally affected by the loss of a housemate, so it is not unusual for them to act off for some time. As long as Louie remains active, and is still eating/drinking/urinating and defecating normally, he will likely be OK. I hope this is helpful!

Hello, sorry to hear about Princess. Labs unfortunately can suffer from varying kinds of illnesses which may cause any of these signs. These may include dental disease, joint and bone diseases such as a torn ACL or arthritis, liver or kidney disease, and unfortunately cancer. It sounds like Princess is very sick and I would worry that she may have something that requires immediate medical attention. Additionally, if she is painful then she may be suffering and thus I would want her to have some sort of pain medications on board to help her feel more comfortable. The best way to rule out any potential life threatening disease, or treat her for pain or other medical conditions would be to have her evaluated by a veterinarian. You veterinarian will be able to run tests on Princess to determine what the best treatment for her will be and hopefully get her feeling a lot better. In the mean time, ensure she is comfortable and has access to copious amounts of water. Notify your doctor if you see any concurrent vomiting, diarrhea, coughing or sneezing. Best of luck and hope this helps.

I would definitely recommend some blood work, if this hasn't been done recently. Older dogs are prone to a number of health issues that can cause decreased appetite along with being less active - chronic kidney disease and hypothyroidism are two possibilities that are both very common. In many cases, these issues are treatable (at least to some extent) once a diagnosis is made, so it's well worth checking for them if you can - hopefully, there are some things you can do to make him feel better for as long as possible, even though he's getting older.

I'm sorry Odie isn't doing well! He could be in pain, causing him to be very lethargic and not moving a lot. Pain would also cause him to pant and eat less. His pain could be caused by arthritis, which is common in senior dogs, or hip dysplasia. There could also be other medical illnesses causing his symptoms, such as heart disease or cancer. I would have him seen by a vet today for a physical exam, geriatric blood test, urinalysis, and possibly chest and hip x-rays. These tests will determine what is causing his symptoms so he can be treated as needed.