# Dog Lethargic, Lost Appetite, Not Drinking, Stretching and Bowing



## Kayleigh0708 (Jan 18, 2013)

Hello,

I'm a newbie and could use some advice please.

I have two male Border Terriers x Patterdales both age 3 and a half.

One of them has been very lethargic, has lost his appetite, he isn't drinking water and is stretching and bowing more than usual and just generally seems quite uncomfortable. He has also been shaking a bit.

He's never normally like this, he is usually full of beans and is always the first to eat his meals. I took him for a walk earlier and he perked up a bit, but as soon as we got back he went down hill again.

He is going to the toilet but does not have diarrhoea and he hasn't been sick. He's been like this since yesterday. I'm snowed in at the moment and can't get him to the vets.

Just wondering if anyone has any idea what this could be 

Thanks in advance


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## demetris20 (Jun 27, 2012)

can be pancreatitis - can you maybe call the emergency vet and explain?


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## mollypip (Aug 17, 2011)

The stretching and bowing and shaking you describe (coupled with being under the weather) is either related to stomach pain or back pain. 

If he hasnt been sick or had the runs it could lean more towards back pain (the loss of appetite being due to pain) - on the other hand if he had an intestinal obstruction he might not necessarily vomit etc... Im not trying to alarm you but you really really need to get him to a vet asap.


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## hazel pritchard (Jun 28, 2009)

Not sure if your breed are prone to bloat but some of whet you say your dog has sounds like it ,i would go to vets ASAP
Hope your dog feels better v soon


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## The3DChis (Jan 17, 2011)

I agree with the others, even just call the vet and see what they say.
Poor boy, hope he feels better soon. xx


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Kayleigh0708 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm a newbie and could use some advice please.
> 
> ...


Lethargic, not eating or drinking, doing a lot of stretching especially if he has an arched back are usually a sign that there is something not right in the stomach or gastric wise. Shivering can be a sign of temperature or stress.
It can also be a sign of bloat, is his stomach bloated, hard and tight like a drumskin, thats often a sign of bloat, bloat can be serious and lead to gastric tortion. The signs he is having can also be signs of an obstruction too either complete or partial. They do often still toilet for awhile at least with a blockage as the food in the digestive tract behind the blockage can still more freely. Later they can still toilet especially if a partial blockage or depending where it is, but this usually becomes diarrhoea or watery like. Other classic signs that can start with bloat or a blockage is either vomitting soon after eating or trying to be sick and nothing coming up (unproductive vomitting) but if he isnt eating then this may not apply anyway.

There is another condition too called intussepetion where one part of the bowel telescopes on the another part which to all intense and purposes causes a blockage. Pancreatitis or stomach inflammation can also cause these symptoms.

In all honesty because it is a sign of somethings that can be serious and cant be left you should at least ring your vet for advice, some of these things its vital that they get urgent veterinary attention. If he is not drinking at all he could also be at risk of dehydration too, that can be serious and cause lethargy if it gets really bad.

Things you can do too, is check his gums to see if they are dry and sticky if they are that can be a sign of dehydration. If they gums are very pale and especially white thats a sign of annemia or bleeding. If the gums are yellow it can be a sign of liver problems as can the whites of the eyes if they are yellow. If the gums have bruised areas that can be a blood disorder. You can check the circulatory system too, by the gums with capillary refill. Press on the gum with an index finger it should blanche where you have pressed and then return to normal colour withing 1/2 seconds if it doesnt that can indicate a circulatory problem. Another test for dehydration is to pull up the loose skin on his back gently if it springs back like an elastic band then he is hydrated, if it goes back slowly and worse still it stays up like a tent before going back down then his dehydrated. Any signs of panting heavily or breathing very slowly too isnt usually a good sign. As said check his stomach too for signs of being hard bloated and tight like a drum, or sensitive or painful to the touch.


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

Sounds like it could be obstruction of stomach/intestines which can be very quickly fatal. You must get to a vet ASAP - this could be an emergency.


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## 912142 (Mar 28, 2011)

If you are snowed in it might be wise to take a video of your dog and email this to the vet so that he can see for himself the body language of your dog. 

The symptoms you have described could be one of few things but definitely needs to be dealt with and quickly I think.


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