Why is my senior dog unsteady, not drinking, and not pooping?

This could be due to a bulging or ruptured intervertebral disc, causing pressure on the spinal cord resulting in ataxia and progressing to paralysis I recommend immediate treatment Your veterinarian will do a neurological assessment and perhaps an X-ray or blood tests to determine the diagnosis and will start treatment right away so hopefully Bubbas will regain the use of his legs. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bubbas.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly neck or back pain though it could also be due to arthritis. It could still be pain associated with a leg even if nothing seems wrong with them. I recommend that you have Sausage evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics include radiographs. Treatment would be based on findings. At the very least they can prescribe pain control medications to make Sausage feel better. In the meantime, reduce his activity as much as possible as that in itself can make a big difference. Good luck and have a good day!

This sign as you described it seems to be compatible with a neurological problem, most likely affecting the spinal cord at the thoracolumbar level. Intervertebral disc extrusion, spinal cord infarct and spinal cord tumor are all possible differentials and immediate check up and neurological examination should be performed as soon as possible to be able to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Further investigations like x rays may be immediately 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.

No, it is not just old age, it is a medical condition, because of the vomiting on Saturday i would suspect an internal condition, possibly a tumor, you need to take her to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Oreo. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian soon. It sounds like she is experiencing multiple issues. If she is painful, she will experience difficulty with her mobility. This can also affect her appetite. The veterinarian will examine her and determine the source of her mobility issues. Laboratory work may be recommended to determine if there is another cause of her decreased appetite and if she is healthy enough for pain medications. In the meantime, carry her as much as possible. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about Johnny. There could be several things wrong with him. It could be a problem with his joints, either at his knees or his hips. Dog can get severe arthritis, especially when they are older like Johnny is. They can also tear important ligaments in their knees which makes it harder for them to walk. This can also be associated with a back injury, or some sort of severe muscle pain, and this can also be a tick borne diseases. Ideally Johnny should be examined by your veterinarian to ensure he is not in severe pain and needs medications. Johnny may also be experiencing complications from heart disease or weakness from bleeding into his belly, these would be more concerning for an emergency and should be seen by a veterinarian today. Finally, even though he is drinking, Johnny may still be dehydrated or much worse, he could have something in his GI tract either a FB or a mass or something infectious that is causing him to feel quite sick. These potential causes also warrant a visit to the emergency veterinarian today. Best of luck and hope this helps.

She may have an underlying disease such arthritis or spondylosis in her hips or back causing her to not be very strong in the rear legs. These may also be signs of an infected uterus since she is not spayed. At her age, kidney disease and diabetes can occur and often start with drinking more and urinating more. Your vet can do a blood panel to check and an x ray to see what medications are best to keep her comfortable more.