My dog is lethargic but eating and drinking: Will he/she die?

The dog is lethargic and always looks tired: possible causes and remedies: You happen to see your dog tired, sleepy, almost as if it were absent: here are the possible reasons that make the dog lethargic and how to solve the problem.

Lethargy represents a state of slowness, fatigue, drowsiness and lack of reactivity that can affect our four-legged friends for various reasons: a lethargic dog may not show interest in taking a walk, not wanting to play and even appear inappetent and refuse to go eat.

There are many possible causes behind a dog’s lethargy: some are not very dangerous, such as normal tiredness after a long walk, others can be worrying because related to the health and well-being of Fido. Lethargy, weakness and fatigue are in fact one of the common symptoms of some diseases of dogs, although rather vague: let’s see what can cause lethargy in Fido.

Lethargic dog: everything you need to know and how to intervene

Lethargy is a condition that can occur in dogs of any age: often older dogs suffer from diseases such as arthritis which can lead them to appear increasingly tired, suffering and intolerant to fatigue and exercise. In these cases, the dog is lethargic because of pain when trying to move.

However, if your dog is young and suddenly starts to look weak, tired, listless and lethargic, there may be some more serious health problems, especially if this symptom is added to the lack of appetite and the lack of thirst for Fido. In this case it is important to contact the vet as soon as possible to understand what is happening and how to behave.

Possible causes of lethargy in dogs

Between the most common causes of lethargy in our faithful four-legged friends we can count:

– infections of various kinds, including parvovirus, kennel cough and canine distemper;
– metabolic diseases, liver problems, diabetes and hypoglycaemia, heart problems in dogs;
– drugs never previously prescribed or new pesticides;
– anemia in the dog;
– poisoning with toxic foods for dogs;
– pain, trauma, diarrhea, hypothyroidism and tumors.

Lethargic dog treatment

Self your dog suddenly appears lethargic you need to contact the veterinarian, who will first perform a thorough physical examination and then ask you a series of questions about his recent behavior and his past medical record.
In many cases, the doctor will perform diagnostic tests including blood, urine and stool tests.

The vet could also perform other tests such as x-rays, ultrasounds and electrocardiogram to monitor cardiac activity: once identified the cause that makes the dog tired and lethargic, can then prescribe the most suitable treatment for the specific case.

How to tell if the puppy is tired or sick

Even puppies can suddenly seem tired, inactive and without any desire to eat, play and move: the fact is that young dogs need a lot of rest, enough to sleep even 15/20 hours a day depending on age. Sleep is essential for the correct development of the dog.

During waking hours, however, a healthy puppy should be a real concentrate of energy: if you see him tired and listless, contact the vet immediately because there is a high probability that there is some underlying problem.
In dog puppies lethargy could indicate parvovirus, pneumonia, anemia, fever, malnutrition or congenital heart disease as in the case of puppies with heart murmur.