My dog has diarrhea, no appetite, low energy. What to do before vet?

I am very sorry to hear that Roman is experiencing these problems, I am sure it is very unsettling for you both. There are a number of potential causes of such clinical signs, including dietary indiscretion ( eating something he shouldn’t have), pancreatitis, parasite infestation, infection, and ingestion of a toxin or poison. Because you have only noticed these signs over the course of a few hours I would continue to monitor Roman at home until your vet appointment this afternoon. Here is what you can do in the meantime; Rest Roman’s gastrointestinal tract by holding back food for a few hours. Then you can continue with a bland and easily digested food of the boiled chicken breast and white rice diet and provide plenty of fresh water. Low sodium chicken broth can help fluid intake if he won’t eat or drink. I also find that boiled, mashed skinless sweet potato is helpful for diarrhoea if he starts to have that, otherwise do not add in. Here are indications to call your vet back, try to locate an emergency vet, or post a further question here on the forum (feel free to use my name Dr. Macartney in the post so I can help you directly); If Roman does not improve or seems to worsen, has profuse vomiting or diarrhoea, you notice fresh blood, Roman seems increasingly lethargic, in pain or depressed. Roman starts to vomit and does not stop retching or seems restless and bites at his abdomen. This would indicate he potentially has something stuck in his gastrointestinal tract, like a sock for expample, and needs immediate medical intervention. Here are some links to helpful resources for you if h develops diarrhoea; https://www.petcoach.co/article/most-common-causes-of-diarrhea-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea/ I hope that answer was helpful and more importantly that Roman feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both and please keep us updated if you require further help. We at PetCoach are here to support you and Roman!

Poor Gambino! If he continues behaving normally then I would pick up his regular food and only feed him a very bland diet until your appointment - boiled skinless boneless chicken and white rice. Also I would bring a sample of his stool in for testing. If your vet is open this evening you may want to move your appointment so they can get him some medication to help with the diarrhea asap. If that is not possible and he has multiple jam-like bowel movements I would bring him in to an emergency clinic this evening. They can get dehydrated quickly with that much diarrhea. I really hope he is feeling better quickly !

Withhold all food and treats for 24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or an unflavored electrolyte replacement beverage. No more than 2-3 tablespoons every hour, less if she vomits. After she sees the vet, she may need a bland diet in small, frequent amounts until the vomiting and diarrhea resolve after which you can slowly transition her to the regular diet. You can take her temperature rectally using a thermometer and sterile lube. If it is 103.5 F (39.7 C) or greater, have her seen at the nearest veterinary ER tonight. Normal body temp for dogs is 100 F to 102.5 F (37.7 C - 39.1 C).

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Rudy. Yes, I recommend that he sees his veterinarian today. I worry that he is becoming dehydrated from losing so much fluid in his stool. The veterinarian will likely perform some fecal testing and possibly bloodwork to diagnose his condition. From there, treatment can be started to help him feel better. I hope this information helps!

Other causes of diarrhea include intestinal worms, eating something rotten, a foreign body, or a GI illness. I can give you a home remedy to see if that helps Suzi's diarrhea, but if it doesn't, you will need to take her into the vet. At the bottom of my answer, I can give you some resources that may help you afford a vet should you need to take her in. Home remedy: Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the diarrhea continues on the bland diet, she starts vomiting food, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away. Affording a vet: You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.
 The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.
 Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay.

Poor Rocky! If this has been going on for more than 1-2 days and he's also not eating, then yes - I would definitely recommend taking him to the vet, as these can be signs of a serious problem. Your veterinarian can do a fecal exam for parasites, and may recommend blood work or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem so he can be started on appropriate treatment.

Soft stool has multiple causes. It may be gastrointestinal upset or inflammation, intestinal parasites or due to dietary indiscretions just to name a few. As long as Remy is acting normally, you don't necessarily need to take him to your veterinarian. You should submit a stool sample though to diagnose intestinal parasites. Try withholding food for 24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet in small, frequent amounts until the stool is normal then transition slowly to his regular diet. If the soft stool does not resolve or if Remy develops lethargy, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or vomiting them have him examined by your veterinarian.