My puppy is lethargic, won't eat or drink, and his stomach is big. Is he sick?

This sounds very peculiar especially in such a young pup. I would be worried that he has a fever, and it would be important to check. If so, I would be suspicious of polyarthritis due to sepsis, lyme disease or other tick born diseases. Common conditions I see in young pups are pancreatitis, gastrointestinal parasites, and gastroenteritis. A good physical exam would be helpful. A painful abdomen, a positive fecal exam etc would help to narrow down what is going on.

From the sign you are describing it is quite difficult to determine the underlying problem. General signs of lethargy could be commonly due to high temperature which may be related to an infection. In puppies gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections are by far the most common type of infections. If the signs do not resolve in the next 24hours or if Luna is showing any inappetence, more evident lethargy or any other signs (vomiting and diarrhoea for example) I would strongly advice a veterinary check up.

She may have ingested something that isn't agreeing with her GI tract. Monitor her and if the symptoms worsen, seek veterinary attention. If not, withhold food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet ( boiled boneless / skinless chicken and plain white rice) in small, frequent amounts. Serve warm or mix in a teaspoon or two of baby food to stimulate the appetite. If her appetite does not return or she begins to vomit, see your veterinarian.

Poor Luckie, she sounds sick. If she is nauseous, that could cause her to lick her lips and drink lots of water. Being lethargic and not moving around can mean she has a fever or is in pain. Luckie may have an issue inside the GI tract (intestines) causing nausea or trouble with how her organs, particularly kidneys and liver are functioning as the cause for these symptoms. I recommend having Luckie examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. They may recommend x-rays to look at the GI tract and/or blood work to evaluate her kidneys and liver. Good luck!

For puppies that are still eating and drinking but lethargic and no signs of GI issues I would be suspicious of a couple of things: 1) puppy is just sleeping more now because he is still growing, Pitt Bull terriers and other large breed dogs can go through pretty fast growth spurts and this can definitely cause pups to sleep more. 2) If puppy is overly lethargic and running out of breathe easily or becoming intolerant to exercise or play I would be suspicious of a cardiovascular abnormality. I would recommend you schedule an appointment to have a vet do a heart auscultation (listen to the heart with microscope) to ensure your pets heart does not have any arrhythmia's or murmurs.

Oh no, I'm sorry Ziggy isn't doing well at all Edye and Chris! Based on the symptoms you have described, I wouldn't rush him into the ER vet tonight. It can be worrying that he has had minimal appetite today and is lethargic, but not eating or drinking for 3.5 hours isn't concerning just yet. You are correct that it could be his belly upsetting him, and I would monitor him overnight. Should he still not be eating or drinking in the morning, or if he is still lethargic, then I would take Ziggy into the vet. Over the night, if he starts vomiting, having diarrhea, or becomes very lethargic, then yes I would take him into an ER vet. Hopefully he just has an upset stomach and will feel better in the morning. You can try offering him some boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts to see if that tempts him to eat. I hope this helps and Ziggy feels better soon!

He should be examined by a vet to determine the cause, especially if he is lethargic. He could have an infection, parasite, pancreatitis, kidney disease, liver disease, endocrine disease, obstruction/foreign body. Your vet can run labwork and take xrays to help diagnose and prescibe medications to treat. He may need fluids to prevent dehydration and medications to control the vomiting.