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My dog won't eat, has bad breath, and can't poop. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | 6 years and 2 months old | 35 lbs

My dog has loss his appetite, he has a terrible odour coming from the mouth and difficulty to stool

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on May 30th, 2017

I am sorry to hear about Chico's current condition. Based on the clinical signs you have described, two top differentials come to mind. The first one is dental disease. This causes a wretched odor to emanate from the mouth and when bad enough, will make a dog not want to eat anything at all. The pain can be quite severe in some cases. The inability to defecate may actually be a indication that Chico hasn't been eating and doesn't have to go. The other differential that comes to mind is kidney disease. When kidney disease becomes severe, dogs can develop something known as a uremic scent from their mouth. It also causes anorexia, and subsequently, lack of defecation. I would definitely have Chico taken to the vet sometime soon for both an oral exam and some blood work. Best of luck with him!

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 29th, 2017

    I believe I just answered in response to your last post. I would reiterate that this sounds like either an primary oral condition or kidney disease. A thorough exam followed by blood work to check out the kidney's condition. Hope this helps.

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