My dog was hit 6 days ago, not eating. Should she exercise or rest?

You should get your dog to a vet immediately for a thorough examination as there may have been some serious damage done that is not obvious. Hopefully not and it is just the development of some muscle pain etc but at the very least the vet will be able to give some pain relief, alongside peace of mind.

it sounds like she either hurt one of her front legs (and by lowering her head it puts less weight and pressure on the affected leg) or she has a slipped disk injury (cervical slipped disks can affect the head and the limbs at once). If you can't take her to an emergency center or out of hours services let her rest and minimize her movement as much as you can until you can get her to your vet.

I would be concerned that Bell hasn't returned to normal after 12-24 hours. While heat injury is possible usually dogs have issues sooner than now such as seizures, diarrhea, bruising and/or collapse. She could have a problem with her GI tract, something stuck in her esophagus or even a respiratory issues causing her changes. If she continues to cough, seems lethargic/lack of energy, or has any vomiting, diarrhea or continues to have a decreased appetite today she needs to be seen by a veterinarian. I would try calling your veterinarian today as they sometimes have an oncall service or an emergency veterinarian on call to answer questions as well.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Dogs can get tired to the point when all they want to do it sleeping. However, most of the time they get more energy after 2-3hrs of rest. Please, give Tadashi 3-4 hrs to rest and then try to feed him and offer him some water. He should be brighter and should have a drink and eat some food. If he remains lethargic, sleepy and off food, it could be a sign of muscular of joint pain from excessive exercising. In that case, you should get him checked by your local vets in the morning.

The lethargy is the most worrying sign in my opinion and should be ideally checked as soon as possible as could be secondary to the presence of head trauma. Neurological and physical examinations are necessary to confirm or rule out this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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.

It sounds like Velvet went on a very long hike (good on you for doing it too!), and it could be that she is very tired from such a long hike. It is concerning that she is very lethargic and won't eat or drink. I would try to tempt her to eat by soaking her food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth, or by offering her small amounts of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice. Should she refuse to eat this, then I would have her seen by a vet for a health check.