My dog won't eat or drink and has red spots. What's wrong?

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend that you take your dog to see a veterinarian. It sounds like he needs immediate care if he is not eating, he is lethargic and may have a fever. This sounds like a serious condition that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. Your veterinarian will perform a full physical exam and determine what additional testing may need to be done (xrays, bloodwork) to give you a better idea of what treatments are needed. Good luck.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The signs you are describing can be related to your dog's anal glands - these are structures that create lubrication for the feces and can become impacted or infected. You may be seeing redness around the anus because your dog has been scooting or licking/chewing the area. Another cause can be a bacterial or fungal infection. I recommend having your dog seen by a vet as soon as possible, they can perform a rectal exam to determine if there are any anal gland issues. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am very concerned about any dog that will not eat or drink and recommend Hurley see the vet as soon as possible. This could be anything from a simple arthritis flare up to organ failure to cancer. For the first, some pain medication is often all that is needed while the others may require other treatments. Best wishes to you and Hurley.

Bo's lesion looks most suspicious for a bacterial skin infection, but could also be due to ringworm, mange, or bruising. Since it does not seem to be bothering him, you can monitor the lesion for the time being to see if it changes colors, grows, becomes itchy, or spreads elsewhere. You can also try bathing him with an antimicrobial shampoo (here is one example: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27982 ). However, if the lesion worsens or seems to be causing discomfort, it is worth taking a trip to the vet for evaluation. I hope that all goes well!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. 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. This should not be causing him to not eat well as you describe so I am suspicious that there is something else going on like a gastrointestinal condition which may be affecting his appetite. Your veterinarian would be able to check on this. 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!

I'm not sure why Bunty was drinking his own blood, but it could be that the blood is upsetting his stomach. If he suffered from blood loss due to an injury, that could also cause him to not eat or drink. I would have him seen by a vet immediately, and the vet can diagnose what is causing him to not eat and drink and can treat him for it.

Those black spots look like comedones (aka: blackheads). I suggest you use this shampoo that contains benzoyl peroxide. Lather the affected areas (no need to do the whole dog), let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then rinse throughly. Do this every 2-3 days until they are gone. Then use this shampoo 1-2 times every month for maintenance. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-7130-oxiderm-shampoo-ps.aspx ) The loss of appetite is not related to the comedones. If she won't eat then you need to get her to your vet for an exam. If she is not spayed it may be due to her heat cycle. I would suggest spaying her.