Lab not eating.

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for your question. It sounds like you are doing all of the right things when it comes to Dylan's care. However, I'm concerned by some of the symptoms that you have described.

When a lab loses her appetite there is almost always something going on. The loss of appetite is a clue that she is not feeling well. The problem is that dogs will do all they can to hide their sickness and so it is often hard to know what the problem is.

You mentioned that she is drinking more water than usual. This can be a sign of a problem with her kidneys. There are other possibilities as well including a liver problem, cushing's disease (however dogs with cushing's usually eat more) and others.

Sometimes I can see labs have a declining appetite as they get older because they have arthritis pain. However, this is usually a very gradual decline.

I'm concerned that there is a serious medical issue with Dylan. Unfortunately, any guesses at a diagnosis would be just that - guesses.

I would highly advise having your vet take a look at her. They can do a good thorough exam and also some blood and urine tests. This really should tell us what the problem is. It's possible that there is a problem that we can fix easily such as an infection somewhere. But, I think we need to prepare that there could be bad news.

I wish I could give you better (and more hopeful) advice. :(

Dr. Marie.


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