Lethargic Dog

[BG and Gavin]

Nervous momma here, just looking for input.  Gavin has never been sick before so I have no prior experience.  This morning he was very lethargic.  Had to pull him along during his morning walk and no energy since.  He is drinking and taking ice, but not eating (which in itself is not entirely unusual), peeing regularly but no poo.  His nose is moist but warmish.  His ears are warm.  He still responds when we call him.  It has been very hot and humid here, but he is inside in the air mostly.  Do dogs get "bugs" occasionally and if so how long do I wait before seeing a vet.  He received his flea/tick treatment on Monday.  Thanks in advance.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dogs can definitely get flu-type "bugs", but I think you would see symptoms other than lethargy. I would watch him carefully and call the vet if this continues. I hope he's just having an off day.
The weather here has been unbearable, rainy, hot & so humid you can't breathe outside. Jack hasn't gotten any exercise over the past couple of days and is very mopey. This a.m., for the first time in the entire 4.5 years I've had him, he did not get excited about going for his a.m. walk. In fact, he continued to lie there with his head between his paws even when he saw me getting his leash. This is the first time he wasn't already at the door, raring to go, before I even had my shoes on. I don't think he's sick, but I am going to watch him. Maybe this is just what they call The Dog Days of Summer.
Hope Gavin's fine!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri is not eating as much. This morning she only ate 1/2 her food. She is lethargic also. This is one of the hottest summers in history. I soak through my outfit if I walk a block in the heat. I would worry if he goes another day without eating (or whatever you think is abnormal). It sounds like he is staying hydrated.

The biggest signs of health issues are WHITE GUMS. The nose thing is not very accurate. If the gums lose color, take him in.

[Anthony & Lori Jacobs]

Make sure he did not swallow something Sammee had a sock stuck in his stomach /colon and had to have it removed 3 weeks ago. He was just so not him self after day two I called and said I know something is wrong because he never acts like that.Sammee would not eat a thing but would take little drinks. They can just feel real quick or take a xray.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Hopefully, it's just the humid, hot weather. I think we all feel the same way right now. Although it isn't humid in Southern Oregon right now just HOT! On the other hand I wouldn't discount a possible reaction to the flea/tick treatment. I have read that lethargy can be a symptom. Here's a link if you would like more info. Scroll down to the section entitled "Are "Spot On" Flea Killers Safe?"


http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petallergies.htm#toxic

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

HI Nervous Mom,
A couple of months ago Sasah was a little lethargic on a Sat. I did not think much of it because it was very hot and humid. On Sunday, she was a bit more lethargic, did not eat much and was kind of depressed. Again I did not think much of it because it was 95+degrees outside and thought it was just the weather. On Monday she was again even more lethargic and not her happy, goofy self, no I was getting alarmed .... she vomited on Monday evening and by Tues. a.m. she could not even get up to go out without help. At 8am when the vet opened I immediately brought her in. The vet took her vitals and said her temp. was 104 with a very weak heart beat. Needless to say I freaked ... at that point he could not give me a diagnosis and said I had to leave her so he could run a battery of tests. Sasha was only months old at the time. By the end of the day, x-rays, a full blood panel, lyme diseases test was done with nothing conclusive and temperatue did not break. My vet put her on IV and said she had to say until he figured out what was wrong... his exact words were "she is a very sick little girl". I was in panic mode at this point. He suggested a trach. wash to biopsy her lung because one of her lung was colapsed and her heart beat was still not very strong. He said either she has autoammune disease or pneuomia. If the fever did not break with sterioids and antibiotics he was leanding towards auto. disease. Trach. wash/biospy was done on Thurs. all tests came back fine - thank God. By Friday the fever broke and he let me take her home :) His diagnosis was pneuomia !!!!! It took her about another week to get back to her goofy, energetic self. Please don't be alarmed by what happened to Sasha . . . it could just be the weather with Gavin (BTW - he looks so much like Sasah). My vet also checked the gums and I know from expierence with all my other dogs that when their gums get whiteish/gray color there is a problem. With Sasha her gums were always that healthh pink color, so I thought she was just exhauste from the heat. Another way to tell if he is sick is to get a rectal themometer, the digital kind that takes them temp. in a few seconds and see what his temp. is .... that is always a good indicator of something more serious. I purchased my themomether in Wal-mart for $12 (it is Sasha's personal themomether now-LOL). Sasha's nose is always hot, plus her ears are always on the warm side.... I mentioned this to the vet and he said that she just runs on the hotter side. If he gets progressively worse by tomorrow I would contact the vet...... For piece of mind, take a rectal temp. just to see where he is at. Normal K-9 temps run from 100-102. Good luck and Sasha's and I hope your baby is feeling better real soon - keep us posted.

[Adrienne Shapiro]

Not to get you nervous again, but I wouldn't wait. I would go right to the vet BEFORE the weekend and the emergency room costs come into play. My friend's dog, also on flea/tick meds always, was bitten by a tick, she took it off, but as it turned out, he was also lethargic. Turned out he got sick, very fast...the tick carried a virus.(Anaplasmosis)..the dog's platelets dropped dangerously low!!!!...and much more...he then coinicidently caught an oddball something in his intestines from poop from a puppy's worms somewhere, somehow ??? she can't begin to imagine...and he got sicker as he was suppose to be getting better!!! Now it is almost 3 months and we are still checking his blood and maybe?? he is turning a corner....Message is Don't wait..you know your dog, if he seems off, if your gut tells you he is...he IS...
Prayers and Hopes and Wishes for the the best...just to let you know, I am NOT a nervous nillie type..Also I hope we all know NOT to buy these tick/Flea meds on Line unless from a Dr....lots of others are bootleg...as my Vet showed me the other day.

[BG and Gavin]

He is on Revolution (from the vet). It is for heartworm too which is a major concern in the area where I live. This is his 5th dose of this, with no reaction any other time.

[BG and Gavin]

Update: He came to greet me at the door when I got home from work (not on a dead run mind you). We spent some time outside padding around he even nosed my pocket for the ball, but I only tossed it a couple of feet. Also DH got him to eat a couple of liver treats and a frozen bone filled with canned food this afternoon. I sprinked some cheese on his food which generated some interest (in the cheese only). He seemed like he had a bit more energy, but has been lying around and sleeping mostly this evening.

[Valarie]

It's so hard to know what to do in these situations. Sophie had a couple of episodes of very minor vomiting over the course of three days. She was drinking and eating and when I called the vet. he said give it a day and see how she was doing. She began eating and drinking less and less and the next day I took her in to the vet. She had an explosive episode of diarrhea in the office and they did a fecal test. The vet said she was a very sick girl. I was so shocked to hear that she had two types of worms. She had been on a vet recommended preventative for several months. We left her overnight so they could get fluids in her as she had stopped drinking. The next morning when I picked her up she was like a new puppy. I wished I had taken her in sooner - I agree with Adrienne - get him to the vet. Worse case scenario is that it's nothing serious and you wasted a little time and money. It's well worth the peace of mind and the possibility of catching something before it progresses. Good luck and keep us informed.

[BG and Gavin]

Update 2: He asked to go outside and threw up some yellow slime, but nothing else. He seemed to have a little more pop in his step after that but still not quite himself. Right now he is eating another frozen bone with canned food (want to keep some calories in him). He seems to be attacking it with some enthusiasm. Fingers crossed that we turned a corner. I really thank everyone for their input. If I don't see significant improvement in the morning, we will be off to the vet.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Hope you are feeling better soon Gavin. If you have to go see the vet don't be scared he just wants to make sure you are alright.

[shelly]

Hi BruceGirl... I know how you feel... Tori was sick a few months back too...She too was feeling lethargic and wasn't eating. She had bouts of lethargy and then some playfulness. It lasted a couple of days, then "seemed" fine....I took her to the vet for her annual visit and I mentioned how she was acting and mentioned she kept licking herself after urinating. They checked her temp and she had 104. They took blood, stool sample, and gave her meds... nothing came up in the blood and they said she may have a UTI. After finishing her meds, she still was not quite 'right'... they gave her another round of meds... and finally she was better. They said she could have some type of doggie bug. I wouldn't try to entice him to eat as they can regulate that themselves. My vet said sometimes they may try to eat to settle their stomach, but end up causing more upset. I would keep the water coming and ice to prevent dehydration. The yellow is probably bile from his upset stomach. I would also definitely take him in tomorrow to be checked - if not for anything else but to put your mind at ease and also to avoid a costly ER visit if he worsens over the weekend. Good luck!!!! Try and get some sleep, but I am sure your worry will be with you all night! I'll be watching to see how he does! {{{HUGS}}}