Why is my senior dog not eating, drinking, or standing up for 2 days?

I'm sorry your dog isn't doing well! I would be concerned that she may be in pain, and she could have a neurological problem causing her inability to walk. It's quite serious that she hasn't eaten for four days and can't get up. I work for a home euthanasia service, so I frequently encounter the question of when to put an animal to sleep. I always recommend looking at the dog's quality of life. When a dog can't stand up and isn't eating, their quality of life has declined to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. She will be starving from not eating, and that will be painful to her. It's also probably distressing she can't get up. In this case, I personally don't think it would be fair to wait it out. You can have her seen by a vet tomorrow to see if there are pain medications to give her to see if that helps her get up and medications to stimulate her to eat. If those don't work, then letting her go peacefully is the most kind option for her. I'm sure that's not something you want to hear, and I'm very sorry that she is doing so poorly.

I am very concerned about your dog's condition and highly recommend a veterinary visit. There are a few general categories that fit with what your dog is showing at home. One would be weakness due to a nerve problem in the back end. This can happen if a disc has moved out of place in the spine and is pressing on the spinal cord. This can cause dogs to have trouble walking and placing their feet in an appropriate way. Some have the appearance of walking on their toes. Otherwise they are able to place weight on the back legs but stagger or sway when walking. This can be an emergency situation if the disc slips more into the spinal cord and causes paralysis. Another type of weakness that causes trouble getting up is if there is a lack of proper blood circulation. The lower level of blood in the body causes them to be lethargic due to the decreased oxygen circulating throughout the body. In an older dog, the most common cause of this is with a tumor or mass on the spleen that has ruptured. The spleen holds a large amount of blood and if it has a rupture, the blood leaks out into the abdomen. In addition to the lethargy, we often see pale gums and a pot belly appearance due to the pooling blood. An x-ray or ultrasound would help determine if this is occurring. These are the two most common reasons for such a dramatic change in her appearance. There is also the chance of her eating something she shouldn't. The best thing for her would be to have an exam as soon as you are able to determine what is causing her signs. The vet may recommend bloodwork or an x-ray. Unfortunately. older large breed dogs can lose nerve function in their back legs due to age changes. There is little we can do to help this aside from keeping them comfortable. Due to how sudden the signs showed up, this is less likely, as it is often a more gradual change.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Buffy is very sick, since she can't keep down water and is also having diarrhea, and is unwilling to move around. I highly recommend that Buffy be seen by a veterinarian. As a 15 year old dog, I am worried about a possible cancerous cause of her clinical signs. Diagnostics such as bloodwork and even an abdominal ultrasound would likely be necessary to determine the underlying cause. At the very least, your veterinarian can discuss possible palliative treatment options to try to get Buffy feeling comfortable again. It is also not wrong to consider the option of humane euthanasia, to help eliminate Buffy from suffering. I know this is a difficult choice, but from what you are describing I don't believe it would be wrong. I hope this is helpful.

Poor girl. She may have an internal illness that is causing her to not want to eat and have excessive drinking. Several things could be causing this including a bacterial infection, liver or kidney disease. I would recommend offering her some canned dog food or boiled plain chicken and rice to see if that entices her to eat. However, if she has not eaten after 24 hrs, or seems to be declining at any point, its best to get her seen by your vet for a proper exam and some diagnostic tests (i.e. bloodowork) to help identify the underlying problem so that we know how to best help her. I hope that your fur baby Minnie is able to make a full and speedy recovery from her illness. Best wishes and take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Kakes! Kakes is an older dog and it worries me when older dogs stop eating and drinking. Possible causes are: kidney or liver failure, cancer, bleeding in belly, back or neck pain (Dachshund's are predisposed), viral or bacterial infections, a fever, lyme disease, pancreatitis I think it is best to have her seen as soon as you can, today preferably, by a Veterinarian. After their exam they will recommend appropriate testing to figure out WHY she has stopped eating and is having trouble walking. I hope this helps and I wish you and Kakes the best!

There are many reasons why an older dog would stop eating and drinking. Ideally, Rocky should be physically examined by your veterinarian. Lab work (CBC, chemistry panel, urinalysis, fecal test, thyroid panel) may be submitted after an exam. Supportive care (IV or subcutaneous fluids, parenteral nutrition, etc.) can be administered until a diagnosis is reached. In the meantime, you can try offering a bland diet (boiled boneless/skinless chicken + plain rice) as well as a 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. Warm the food slightly or mix in some plain baby food to stimulate the appetite.

I am so sorry to hear that Blessy is so ill. Not eating for 3 days typically indicates an internal disease process is going on such as liver, kidney, pancreas disease or an infection. This needs to be treated by your veterinarian because at home remedies won't help in this case. I would recommend starting with some testing (bloodwork, urinalysis, x-rays) through your vet to determine what is causing this so that we know how best to help your sweet girl. Once we know the cause, proper medical treatment can help stabilize her condition. Until you can get her in try offering her some Pedialyte and/or Pediasure to provide some fluid support and nutritional support until she can get seen. I sincerely hope you can get her seen soon and I hope she makes a full and speedy recovery. Here are financial assistance resources also, if needed: Carecredit.com Redrover.org