Why is my senior dog pacing, staring, scared, and not eating?

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 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.

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.

I am sorry to hear about your chihuahua. Because of her age and her symptoms (lethargy and decreased appetite) I would definitely recommend an examination by a veterinarian. We can certainly see medical problems in older dogs that can cause these symptoms such as kidney disease, infections, liver disease, and more. An exam by your vet and some bloodwork may help to be sure there isn't a treatable medical issue. If there are no abnormalities found, then they may recommend some over the counter products that can help with anxiety such as Adaptil which is a pheremone product available as a plug-in or collar, Zylkene or Composure which are calming supplements, a thundershirt which is a compression vest that calms some dogs. And in some cases prescription strength medication may be necesssary from your veterinarian.

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.

Hi and thanks for posting! It is hard to say what the cause may be without examining Ruby first, but I can offer a suggestion. The symptoms you describe may be caused by a thyroid disorder (hypothyroidism) or an adrenal disorder. I would recommend a check up and blood work first to check her thyroid and adrenal function. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I am so sorry to hear that Ruby is experiencing this issue and I am sure it is upsetting for you both. I would suggest trying a bland but appetising diet such as boiled boneless chicken breast with steamed white rice. This diet is bland and easily digestible, while also hopefully enticing Ruby to eat with chicken. Provide plenty of fresh water as well. If Ruby doesn't anything in the next 24 hours, becomes lethargic, depressed, collapses, vomits or has diarrhoea profusely, or you notice any blood, then I advise taking her in to see her vet. I hope this answer was helpful and that Ruby starts to feel better soon.