My dog won't eat or drink. When should I take him to the vet?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Poodle | Male | neutered | 3 months and 18 days old | 15 lbs
Jack doesn’t seem interested in eating for the past two days and hasn’t had much water. He acts like he feels fine and is going to the bathroom fine. sunday we have him his first bully stick and he seems to go for that vs his food (we do two feedings a day). If I take the stick he still doesn’t go for his food, just waits for his stick. This has only been going on a couple of days but naturally I’m worried. When should I take him in for a vet visit vs just monitoring his food/water intake?
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 3rd, 2018
Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend taking Jack in to the vet. A puppy that isn't eating is cause for concern even if you aren't seeing him show any other signs of illness. 2 days is enough time to be concerned if he isn't eating/drinking normally. At 3 months old he is still at risk of dehydration and hypoglycemia if he isn't taking in enough water and food. I hope Jack feels better soon.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on June 22nd, 2017
I'm sorry to hear that Jack is feeling so poorly. Not eating or drinking for 5 days is a very long time, and my main concern is that he has become significantly dehydrated. Some possible causes of Jack's lethargy, loss of appetite and not drinking include a virus, liver disease, infectious diseases, pancreatitis, cancer, among others. At this point, the best thing you can do is to take Jack to his vet for an exam and diagnostic testing (likely CBC, chemistry, urinalysis, abdominal x-rays and/or ultrasound) to try to get to the bottom of things. From there, his vet will be able to formulate the best course of treatment. I hope that Jack feels better soon!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on July 5th, 2019
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Jack isn’t feeling well. I recommend taking him to a vet for an exam to determine why he isn’t eating and losing weight. The vet will need a full history on Jack- what vaccines has he had, when did he stop eating, how much weight has he lost, how old is he, etc. They may need to run blood work and take xrays to determine what’s going on inside his body. Once they find the cause they can discuss treatment options. Good luck and kisses to Jack!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on January 15th, 2019
Hi, Sorry to hear about Jack, I would recommend also to add anti emetic (anti nausea and vomiting meds) to the treatment -cerenia, dewormer and a change to a+-9 bland diet (such as gastrointestinal prescription diet or boiled chicken breast and rice no salt etc) if it hasn't been done .I have no information regarding how long he has been on the treatment but it will take 48 hours or so to show effect. if it has already been 48 hours after initiating treatment ia further investigation is warranted such as imaging -x rays +/ ultrasound for further diagnosis to rule out other causes such as pancreatitis, foreign body obstruction, liver /kidney disease and others. Good Luck I hope Jack will feel better soon
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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