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My dog won't eat and sometimes hides or acts scared on walks. Why?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 11 months old | 25 lbs

Our Maltese/Yorkie 2 yr old 25 lbs named Reilly hasn't been eating for two days now. When we try to walk him, he will cower down and even hide from us, but only half the time. The other times we try to walk him, he is happy and ready to go. We have no clue what's up. Please help.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 12th, 2018

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Reilly. Inappetance can be a sign of many underlying conditions. It can be a sign of underlying things such as pancreatitis or back/neck pain, or something else. It could also be due to something related to the GI tract such as inflammation or infection. I would recommend having Reilly seen by your veterinarian so that they can examine him and discuss further diagnostic workup such as possible systemic bloodwork or x-rays. Hope this helps, good luck!

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on

    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. I recommend that you have Reilly 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 great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

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