My old dog won't eat and is breathing from her stomach. Is it serious?

These symptoms can be caused by a variety of different problems, including heart disease, bloat (gastric dilatation and volvulus), liver disease, or internal bleeding. Many of these problems are extremely serious, so I would recommend taking Missy to your nearest emergency clinic immediately. The veterinarian there can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry Layla is not herself! There are many possibilities for the symptoms you are describing: Not eating, panting, lethargic, restless. Some things that could be wrong: she could have a fever, she could be in pain (in her belly), she could be in heart failure, have pneumonia or other lung or heart issue, she could have eaten something that is now stuck in her intestines or stomach, lyme disease, she could be bleeding some where or she could have a metabolic problem like kidney failure, liver disease, etc. The possibilities are long and some are serious. The most serious symptom you are reporting is the trouble breathing, that alone is a reason to take her to your Vet today. I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Alice isn’t feeling well. I do not suspect she is constipated as that doesn’t happen very often in pets. I suspect the breathing is a sign of pain probably from her abdomen. She could have an intestinal virus (like the flu) that could be causing her not to feel well. They are sometimes accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea. She could also be painful somewhere else, have an infection internally, or she could have gotten into something she shouldn’t have. You can take her temperature rectally- anything over 102.5 is concerning. But even if she doesn’t have a fever and is still acting painful, I would take her to see a vet. They will start with an exam to see if they locate the problem. They may need to run blood work and take X-rays of her abdomen to look for a problem (which would also show if she was constipated). If anything, they can get her medications to help relieve her discomfort. Good luck and kisses to Alice!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would recommend a visit to the vet. A week of inappetance, lethargy, and now panting is concerning for many different conditions, some fatal without treatment. Concerns would be a foreign object stuck in his gut, severe gastritis, heart disease, infection/sepsis, etc. Lethargy and inappetance (not eating) are vague clinical signs that can be associated with many disease conditions. Your vet will do an exam, and likely run some bloodwork, and might have to take some x-rays. Best of luck with Alfie, I hope he feels better soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. You need to seek veterinary care for her. Her symptoms have gone on long enough that they will unlikely resolve without treatment. The difficulty breathing is worrisome as well. She will need fecal testing and possibly laboratory work depending on her exam findings. Based on these results, treatment can be prescribed. I would discuss the probiotic with your veterinarian as well. There is a large variation in quality and some have actually been found to contain pathogenic bacteria. I hope this information helps and she is feeling better soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. It is not possible to help her at home without knowing what she has. I recommend that you have Loki evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

OH my. I can understand your despair, especially after having already taken her to your vet. It sounds like she needs to have some testing done to determine what the underlying problem is so that she gets the proper treatment. A pet that is having difficulty breathing, not eating and blood in the stool (could be due to stress), sounds like a possible lower airway infection or even pneumonia. She needs to go to another vet for a second opinion, bloodwork and chest radiographs to evaluate her lungs. If she does have pneumonia, then she will likely need to be hospitalized and treated symptomatically for a few days until she is hopefully well enough to go home. Here is a finanical assistance website in case you need help affording her veterinary care. http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html I hope that Bea is able to make a full and speedy recovery from her illness. Best of luck to you. Take care.