Why is my senior dog suddenly lethargic, not eating, and sleeping?

Poor Charlie! There are several things that can cause him to be lethargic and not eat like kidney or liver disease, an infection, a tumor/cancer, general GI upset, parasites, and much more. Since he has an extensive medical history and he isn't eating well and lethargic, I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look at him asap. Your vet will be able to do a fecal, blood work and even x-rays if needed. They will be able to recommend the best treatment plan for him to help him feel better! I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rudy! Any change in behavior or appetite in an older dog raises concern. The symptoms are non-specific. Possible reasons are: pain, fever, nausea. These things could be causes by arthritis, lyme disease, kidney, liver or gall bladder problems or even cancer. I recommend an exam by your Vet and full blood work and urine to try to find out what could possibly be wrong. I hope this helps and I wish Rudy a speedy recovery!

Hi and thanks for posting. Sounds like this is unusual behavior for Ruby and certainly is concerning. There can be a number of things that may be going on here and it is very hard to say what exactly is the cause without examining Ruby in person. I would recommend Ruby sees a veterinarian for a hands on exam as soon as possible to help pinpoint where the problem is. Your veterinarian may also recommend x-rays, blood work, fecal testing, or other tests to aide in an accurate diagnosis.

Poor Lyl. There are so many things that can cause not eating and lethargy so it is hard to say for sure what is going on. I would make sure her gums are pink - if they are white, yellow or grayish blue then she is in critical condition and needs to go to the emergency clinic. Otherwise, you can try feeding her some plain boiled chicken (no bones) and white rice tonight and see if she will eat it. If not, then I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to determine if she is in pain anywhere or if something else is going on. They will be able to do bloodwork and even X-rays if needed. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better really soon!

Yes it would be best to have her seen. Decreased appetite and lethargy are very common symptoms of many diseases, many of which may be treatable. The best way to know what is going on (diagnosis), how serious it is, and how to help her feel better is to have her seen. Most likely your vet will recommend some senior bloodwork and xrays to start. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Your post got cut off due to character limit. The last thing that came through was "I feel like I have..." Based on the description that did come through your pet is exhibiting general signs of lethargy and lack of appetite which could indicate internal illness/disease. I would recommend having your older pet examined by your veterinarian and potentially bloodwork ran to get to a diagnosis here. Disease processes can be vague in symptoms initially but if caught early will give your pet the best chance at recovery and can limit the extent of treatment that is needed. Also making sure your pet is fed only dog food with no people food which can upset the pancreas and cause illness over time is recommended.

Old age isn't a disease, so I would be concerned that Turner's lethargy and anorexia is caused by a medical problem. The problem is that these symptoms can be caused by many things such as heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer to name a few. Keep an eye on him tonight, and if he's still this way in the morning, take him into the vet. Try to tempt him to eat with some boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice. You can also try soaking his dog food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth. Best of luck, I hope this helps!