please help me figure out what's wrong with my dog?

Question

this is long-thanks for your patience. 6 yr old male mix breed. up to date on shots, heartworm test, check up. recently on antibiotics for bad cut. cleared by vet,wound healed, no irritation by scar.this am, slight tearing at left eye. panting,shaking and walking around the table alot. can't seem to relax.pacing. not lethargic, but not himself.new food too. science diet for wt. loss. seems okay on it. vet's closed. anyone have any ideas until the vet opens tomorrow? ant info is appreciated. thanks

so many great answers so far. i thought maybe it ws a sign of pain as well. i'll keep watching him. you guys keep answering. you give good info.

forgot- he's not eating or drinking either.

i may have to leave the choice of best answer to you guys. you're all such caring and knowledgable people i can't choose.he is now very mopey and seems to have hurt his paw. no apparent stomach problems yet. no tenderness. he's a bit angry with me as i held him to look at the paw. thanks to all of you. i now know what to watch for.

Answer 1

First check his stomach to see if it is englarged more than normal and if he is dry heaving. Is he eating and drinking water. This could be a sign of bloat. If he has any of these signs rush him to an emergency vet. If there is not one nearby give him an Imodium AD, let him walk, and call a vet. If he doesn't show any of these signs then gently touch his stomach and see if he shows any signs of pain or tenderness. This could indicate he ate something he wasn't supposed to but if he is up and walking it doesn't sound like it. If he shows any pain then try to get him to lie day and call a vet. Finally, it may sound disgusting but check the feces for abnormalities. There could be an indicator such as blood, parasites, or mucus that could help the vet find out what is wrong. Also you could check the expiration date on the food or sift through it looking for anything unusual such as rat feces or yellow stains from rat urine. Also, did you switch the food rapidly or did you gradually mix it in with the old and then wean him onto the new. If you did it rapidly his stomach could be upset and he is trying to work the gas out. Either way I would contact your vet. If the vet determines nothing is wrong and he continues to do this it could be a sign of boredom. Try playing with him more frequently but not until the vet sees him.

Answer 2

My dog had the exact same problem. It happened on the weekend so I didn't want to have to take her to the emergency clinic so I watched her very closely for the whole day and she became less and less bothered by whatever was wrong. The swelling went down overnight and she is fine. I would not feed her for a while in-case the swelling spreads to her throat and she can't swallow. If it looks like it is having problems breathing or If it lasts for more than a day I would take her in. Some vets will let you pay later. You got a lot of grief for not having money to take the dog in which I agree you should be prepared just like with a child to spend emergency money to care for a sick animal. For the future you may want to check into pet insurance that will cover you in these situations. Good luck and take care.

Answer 3

Keep an eye on him! This may be nothing more than bad food or something that nees the vet. While you're watching him, have a telephone number for an animal emergency clinic handy just in case. Good luck and hope it's nothing more than indigestion

Answer 4

I would highly suspect the change in diet, unless he is on predisone.

Food allergies can do that. I know vets sell Science Diet, but I wouldn't give it to a rat.

the list of ingredients are:
Corn*
Poultry By-Product Meal*
Soybean Meal*
Animal Fat*
Natural Flavors
BHA, PPG, Citric Acid

All bad for dogs. Soy, corn and by product meal is all bad.

Good Luck

Answer 5

I hope I am wrong, but do you have a large breed dog? my sister-in-law went through this with her gsd/mix her dog was diagnosed with ''bloat'', which is deadly if not taken care of right away. the stomach produces too much gas and will actually turn on itself decreasing the blood supply to the stomach and the intestines. if you can try getting him to a vet asap. do you have an emergency vet clinic around you? they cost more, unfortunately, but if it is a life or death situation it is worth every penny!

Answer 6

These things describe a dog in pain. You should call an emergency vet. They are open after hours.
If he was recently injured, he could be painful from that, or there could be other things going on.
You cannot give him human pain medications. Human drugs can be very dangerous to dogs. Call an emergency vet before you do anything.

Answer 7

well, he's probably scared after getting a cut, going 2 the vet, & all those shots and whatever else 2 make sure he's healthy. i wood b freaking out! he should start 2 calm down, saying that they were good 4 him. if still like that, see a vet asap.

Answer 8

He ate something that he shouldn't have, not the science diet, but somthing else. Take him for a walk, give him lots of water, if not better by tomorrow take him to the vet. But it should pass soon.

Answer 9

not too sure, might have eaten something bad, keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't do anything without you knowing and definitely take him to the vet tomorrow if he doesn't improve

Answer 10

put him somewhere that is very safe and has no sharp oblesct that he could cut himself on and make sure he is laying down in your sight for all the time