14-year-old Shih Tzu fell, wobbly, won't eat. Is he in pain?

Unfortunately these are very general signs of being unwell and it is not possible to tell you what might be wrong with your dog. However, the reluctance to walk and the fact that Ryder is nearly 13 years old, is a good indication that he may be suffering from serious arthritis which now is paining him so much that he cannot hide the pain anymore. This, of course, may also be the cause for not eating. You should make an appointment with your vet for an exam of his hips and legs, a small NSAIDs panel (blood work) and pain medication.

Poor guy. He certainly sounds like he may either be in pain or has some underyling neurological disorder going on here. Your vet should know where to start looking once a complete physical examination is done, because much more information can be gathered here. They will certainly want to start with some baseline bloodwork and possibly some x-rays if he seems to have any musculoskeletal issues as well. Some possible causes for these symptoms would be an underlying neurological disorder (i.e. IVDD), Addison's disease (disease of the adrenal gland), a toxin ingestion, or just pain from something internal. I do hope that your pet starts to feel better soon! Best of luck tonight at the vet. Take care.

I would definitely recommend some blood work, if this hasn't been done recently. Older dogs are prone to a number of health issues that can cause decreased appetite along with being less active - chronic kidney disease and hypothyroidism are two possibilities that are both very common. In many cases, these issues are treatable (at least to some extent) once a diagnosis is made, so it's well worth checking for them if you can - hopefully, there are some things you can do to make him feel better for as long as possible, even though he's getting older.

I am sorry to hear that Junior isn’t feeling well. Those symptoms are pretty vague and can be associated with many different problems. I would be suspicious about neck and back pain, but nausea and abdominal pain could be possible as well. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and I hope they find the answer and he is improving quickly. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

That's not good,. Unfortunately a loss of appetite is a common sign of many illnesses. I wish it could narrow it down, but I can't without seeing Riko in person. I would take him into another vet for a second opinion as well as blood work and a urinalysis.

These are very unspecific signs of being unwell. You can observe her for a while, fast her for 24 hours and then offer her some boiled white rice and boiled white boneless chicken. If she has a tummy ache this should clear that up. If you suspect that she is in pain somewhere else of if she is deteriorating and or getting lethargic, you need to take her to a veterinarian for an exam.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian right away if at all possible. The symptoms you have described can be the result of an intoxication, orthopedic pain such as arthritis or a neurological problem. An examination will be performed and x-rays may be needed to diagnose the problem. From there, appropriate treatment can be prescribed. I hope this information helps!