My dog is shaking, tired, and won't play. Is something serious wrong?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. The shaking could be a sign of discomfort. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If she is unvaccinated for distemper, I would potentially consider this as a possibility but in older animals, distemper is not commonly seen. She may be uncomfortable from something (painful) or an infection / systemic disease. If adjusting the temperature to keep her warm does not help, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Oh I am sorry to hear Fido is not feeling well today. He is very cute! There are a wide variety of health problems that can cause shaking/crying and decreased appetite. Pain or discomfort from a number of health problems could cause the shaking and crying. Decreased appetite may be due to pain or can be due to nausea from any number of health issues such as orthopedic conditions, organ dysfunction, infections, autoimmune diseases, toxins, or certain types of cancers. Due to the variety of possibilities in this case, I would highly recommend Fido be seen by his veterinarian right away for an evaluation. He may need blood work and/or x-rays to help determine a cause so he can get appropriately treated. I hope this helps and best of luck to you and Fido!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lethargy is a fairly non-specific sign of illness. This could be a sign of many things that go from discomfort or pain to anemia. I recommend that you have Tippy evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further diagnostics would be based on a thorough physical examination performed by your veterinarian. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly neck or back pain or pain of a different source. It could still be pain associated with a leg even if nothing seems wrong with them. I recommend that you have Pari evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics include radiographs. Treatment would be based on findings. At the very least they can prescribe pain control medications to make Pari feel better. In the meantime, reduce her activity as much as possible as that in itself can make a big difference. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Bella isn't behaving normally. Non-specific signs like you are seeing are a little difficult to pinpoint the source of; shaking can be due to pain, nausea, anxiety, or another underlying issue. I would recommend having her evaluated by her regular veterinarian to see if they are able to find anything that could explain what is going on, and if any further needs to be done for her. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This behavior could be due to older age and brain senile problems but also shivering and lethargy could be caused by arthritic pain. A visit at your local vets is recommended as Carly will probably benefit from medications to treat chronic pain or from medications that help for dementia.