Puppy sick with lethargy and drooling: Is it an emergency?

I’m so sorry to hear about Marley. Unfortunately this is a potentially very bad situation. These tiny guys get low blood sugar, low blood volume, and low temperature so easily. These can lead to shock and death pretty quickly. I urge you to take her in to a 24 hour emergency clinic as soon as possible. They may want to start active warming, place an IV, and give glucose and fluids straight into the IV. If taking her in is out of the question, apply Karo syrup or honey to the gums, get a thermometer (or sacrifice one you already have). And warm her up with a towel over a heating pad or hot water bottle. Take a rectal temp every 15 minutes and keep warming until her rectal temperature is 99F. Under NO circumstances should the heat source touch her directly as she can burn easily. If she can hold her head up and seems alert, offer water in a bowl to her face at least once an hour. Small frequent hi-calorie meals (such as nutrical or canned puppy food) should be offered all night. Sadly, this all may still fail without IV fluids and other veterinary intervention. Worse yet, I have temporarily pulled little guys like this out of shock two or three times only to have them finally pass or the owners euthanize. I suspect that these guys often were born with an organ abnormality that was unknown. I know that was a lot of information so please feel free to reach out to me via text or phone consultation if you have more specific questions or need further guidance. (See link below.) Best of luck to you and Marley!

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!

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!

I'm sorry Pebbles isn't feeling well! I am concerned by your description that she is very lethargic. Lethargy is a very general sign of illness, and it can be caused by systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or injury among many other causes. The drooling and runny nose could be due to a respiratory infection. As long as Pebbles is eating and drinking normally, and going to the bathroom normally, then you can wait until the morning to have her seen by a vet. If she, however, isn't eating or drinking normally, then I would have her seen by a vet now.

Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. 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!

Hi there, I’m sorry Reynold isn’t feeling well. The symptoms you describe are pretty non- specific and can be attributed to many different problems. However, if he is acting uncomfortable, then I do think having him evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible would be the safest situation. Based on their physical examination findings they may recommend an x-ray or possibly blood work to help define the diagnosis and treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon.!! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

It always concerns me when young puppies get lethargic. Puppies are more susceptible to the effects of dehydration and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) than adult dogs, so diarrhea is more serious for Wallace than it would be for an adult dog. If he's back to acting normally, eating, drinking, and doesn't have further diarrhea or vomiting, it's perfectly fine to continue monitoring him at home. However, if he remains lethargic, has more mucousy diarrhea, begins to vomit, or refuses to eat or drink normal amounts, then you should have him examined by his vet. Your vet will need to do a physical exam. Depending on their suspicions based on their exam findings, they may recommend some diagnostic testing or may opt to start him on some medications. Possible causes of this type of issue include stomach upset from a virus, intestinal parasites, among many other issues. If your vet finds that Wallace is dehydrated, they'll also be able to give him some fluids. I hope that he feels better soon!