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My dog won't eat, is lethargic, and has pale gums. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | unspayed | 9 months and 11 days old | 10.5 lbs

My dog hasn’t eaten in about 4 days and she seems a little dehydrated and down. She still has energy (not as much as she used to) but refuses to eat. we saw a vet and said she might be anemic because she hasn’t thrown up but does have pale gums. What other reasons may be the cause?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on September 26th, 2018

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. This could absolutely be due to anemia given her pale mucous membranes. I recommend that you have Snow evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Steve Popish, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 7th, 2017

    Thanks for the question and pictures. So gum color can vary a lot from day to day based on activity. The best way to evaluate perfusion and red blood cell numbers is with a test call packed cell volume, very easy to run. Regarding appetite, hard to say baed on one decreased episode, so best to continue monitor and evaluate over next couple of days. If your dog continues to be off, please contact your local veterinarian for an exam and evaluation for possible causes including a packed cell volume and blood work if indicated. Hope this is just very transitory and will back eating normally in the next day or two. Be sure keep your dog's feeding and watering schedule the same so that you will know if things are off. Please feel free to check back or schedule a consultation if further questions arise. Thanks, Steve Popish, DVM

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