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Old dog not eating, vomiting, lethargic, and limping. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 11 years and 7 months old | 75 lbs

Hello, I have a male silver Lab, 11 years old, neutered, all shots, had a good appetite up too a couple of weeks ago, so changed from the Diamond brand food, to "Taste of the Wild" brand, grain free, single source protein, still no appetite, he would eat wet canned food, for a week, now not interested in even the top shelf dog food, he vomits a clear mucous, often when I watch for it, lethargic and limping more, hes also been getting Glucosamine Chondroitin, MSM added to diet for a couple Months

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Mara Howard, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 7th, 2017

I'm sorry to hear Cyrus is having issues. Based on the combination of signs you are seeing, I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian. We would be concerned about exposure to tick borne disease (such as Lyme), an infection, an underlying medical issue (diabetes, kidney disease, liver issues), cancer, or an underlying GI issue. I would have him evaluated, have any necessary testing done (X-rays, bloodwork), and start on any treatment that may be needed. Good luck!

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I am sorry to hear about Cyrus. In a dog his age there are many different possible causes for a decreased appetite and vomiting. If he has a history of eating things he shouldn't (like toys, rocks, socks) we worry about a partial intestinal blockage or foreign body. We would worry about primary gastrointestinal disease such as inflammatory bowel disease, stomach ulcers or tumors of the stomach or intestinal tract. We would also worry about systemic disease causing nausea and vomiting such as liver or kidney disease, or chronic pancreatitis. At his age with this problem going on for so long, he truly needs a work-up at his vet's office which will start with a good physical exam and then involve diagnostics such as bloodwork, x-rays and possibly ultrasound.

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