Small senior dog not eating while dog-sitting. What should I do?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Whitey is not feeling well. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. She may be quite ill with these symptoms. I would recommend having her blood tested and having abdominal x-rays taken. I hope this helps and that Whitey gets better soon. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite, lethargy and pain can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. These are serious signs and a veterinary evaluation is needed to know what is causing these and what would be best to treat it with. I recommend that you have Oscar 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!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Milo is having some issues eating and is experiencing some weight loss. There can be many medical causes for these types of symptoms including dental disease and tooth pain, pain from osteoarthritis, organ dysfunction, or other causes. My best advice to you and Milo would be to have Milo evaluated by a veterinarian to help pinpoint a cause so he can be treated appropriately and hopefully made to feel better around meal times. I hope this helps and best wishes to you and Milo!

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!

Hello. Have you tried any canned, wet or soft-moist foods? Some dogs do seem to prefer this as they age. I would especially try the FreshPet diet as many pets really seem to like it. If he continues to refuse to eat, you should have Dash evaluated by your veterinarian as there could be an underlying reason for his refusal to eat. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am so sorry to hear of these concerns for Nypsy. Changes in behavior such as increased anxiety and inappropriate eating can be an indication of a neurological issue. This could be a condition known as canine cognitive dysfunction (doggy dementia), lesions in the brain can also affect behavior and are more commonly suspected if there is increased aggression or the onset of seizures. The change in appetite could be due to a metabolic issue such as kidney disease, which can cause a pet to feel nauseous. These types of conditions would require bloodwork with your veterinarian to diagnose. Dental disease is also very common in older, small breed dogs. It can contribute to changes in food intake due to oral pain. I would recommend tempting Nypsy with some tasty treats such as boiled chicken or a little canned dog food. Also do not offer her any more sweet tea-sugar is not good for our pets and if Nypsy is suffering from some sort of metabolic issue it could make things worse. When you are able I would recommend taking Nypsy to your regular Vet for a thorough physical exam and possibly some bloodwork to rule out anything significant.

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!