My 4-month puppy is lethargic and not eating. Is it an emergency?

Oh dear, poor Zisoou! Severe lethargy and a loss of appetite are very concerning signs, particularly that he is now having more abdominal effort. Unfortunately, these signs are all non-specific and could be due to a wide variety of underlying conditions - bleeding into the abdomen from a mass, heart failure, immune mediated hemolytic anemia, severe viruses, kidney disease, toxin exposure, among others. Regardless, this is an emergent condition and I strongly recommend taking Zisoou to an emergency vet immediately for evaluation. I hope that all goes well.

Poor Bisou! Because he is refusing to eat or drink, is very lethargic, and has vomited, I do think he should see someone tonight. If he had been eating or drinking, it would have been ok to wait until the morning, but since he isn't, yes take him into a vet now. Best of luck.

With vague symptoms such as generalized lethargy, there is no right or wrong answer to taking her now vs waiting until the morning to see if anything changes. If she is vomiting or has diarrhea then I would take her for sure. Since she is still eating and drinking, you can monitor her for further changes such as those before going in. IF she is not better after 24 hours then I would get her checked also. If you will feel better and sleep better by having her checked tonight, then that is the best option for you.

Hi there! Sorry to hear that Tiger is not feeling well. The clinical signs you describe are concerning when they occur in a puppy as they can be seen with serious gastrointestinal infections such as Parvovirus. Other possibilities include intestinal worms and dietary indiscretion, among other possibilities. The sooner these conditions are treated the better the outcome tends to be. For this reason, I recommend that you have Tiger evaluated by your veterinarian to check for these possibilities and to start therapy based on findings. At the very least they address dehydration if present and start him on medications. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for your boy!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Winston. If he either refuses food or starts vomiting again when he wake up, he will need to see an emergency veterinarian today. He is so young that you do not want to wait long if he is ill. It is very easy for him to become dehydrated. If he seems better when he wakes up, you can monitor him today and follow up with his regular veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Given the lack of clinical signs besides lethargy and inappetence, there is not much else to go on here. I would consider obtaining a rectal thermometer tomorow and checking for a fever (above 102.5), which might suggest the presence of an infection or inflammation. If you detect a fever, I would definitely suggest getting Rusty to the vet sometime soon. If there is no fever, but his condition does not get better by Monday he should be taken in for an examination regardless. You can certainly try and feed Rusty something that would normally be considering irresistible just to see if he will accept it, rather than just his normal dog food. Anyway, hope this helps and that Rusty is feeling better soon. It is entirely possible that he might just feeling a little under the weather or maybe could have eaten something he shouldn't have that upset his stomach. If this is the case, the symptoms should pass with short time.

It sounds like Ping does not feel well. Just like humans, there could be many different reasons that he is feeling sick. It could be something that passes on its own or it could be the first sign of something more serious. If he’s acting very lethargic or seems uncomfortable, have him examined by the veterinarian. Make sure he is drinking water appropriately. You may try feeding him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and plain boiled white rice. If he is still sick after 24 hours, make sure to have him examined by the veterinarian. If he gets worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.