My 14-year-old dog is constipated, has bad breath, and eats dirt.

Lassie needs to see a veterinarian as soon as possible. With the symptoms you are describing she may have a serious illness going on with her. I highly recommend taking her to a veterinarian. There are many things that can cause these symptoms but with being 13 and breathing from her stomach it is very concerning. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry Poppy isn't doing well! She sounds like she is very sick at the moment, and it's important to look at her quality of life in determining if it's time to let her go. Given that she hasn't eaten or drank in five days, vomits, and can't walk, I would say that her quality of life is quite low. It wouldn't be fair to leave her in this condition, so I'd recommend taking her into a vet immediately to discuss if it's time to let her go. Best of luck, and I'm sorry you are facing this decision.

Oh no, your poor dog! It sounds like she is in really bad shape physically. I would have her seen by a vet first thing in the morning to see if there are any treatments possible for her symptoms. If there aren't, it would be time to discuss letting her go peacefully. I know that's not something you want to hear, but it may be best for her given her symptoms. I recommend making a list of five things she loved to do, and if she's no longer doing at least two of them, then her quality of life has declined to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. I work for a home euthanasia service, so if you'd like to discuss this further with me, I'd be happy to consult with you. Just click the "consult online" button under my answer. Otherwise, I hope this helps and you should take her into the vet in the morning.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. You need to seek veterinary care for her. Her symptoms have gone on long enough that they will unlikely resolve without treatment. The difficulty breathing is worrisome as well. She will need fecal testing and possibly laboratory work depending on her exam findings. Based on these results, treatment can be prescribed. I would discuss the probiotic with your veterinarian as well. There is a large variation in quality and some have actually been found to contain pathogenic bacteria. I hope this information helps and she is feeling better soon!

Poor Lucy, if her breath has very suddenly gotten worse then it would suggest to me she has either developed a bad mouth infection or is dehydrated. Considering she also has mucus in her faeces and s eating grass it sounds like she may have a gastrointestinal upset which makes me think dehydration is likely. There are always many possibilities for a gastrointestinal issues, cancer is a possibility but it is far down the lost when compared to more common issues such as indiscretion or infection. It does sound like she is pretty poorly though, to be honest with you aside from encouraging her to eat and drink you can do little for her at home. If she is unwell as an owner you have a duty of care to get her medical attention so I would encourage you to try and find a way to get her to a vet asap. Many simply treated ailments can become much more serious if left too long.

Poor Rosie. This foul odor around her mouth could be due to a broken tooth or an infected tooth, and that would prevent her from eating well. It would also make her lethargic. She needs to see a vet now, please take her into one immediately.

This is always a tough question to answer. I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face this question all the time with clients. I recommend making a list of five things Coco used to love to do, and if she is no longer doing at least two of them, her quality of life has declined to where euthanasia should be considered. Quality of life is very important in these cases. I would speak with her vet to see what they think about her quality of life. I hope this helps.