My senior dog is vomiting, coughing, and struggling to walk. Help!

Poor Blanket. It could be he has a respiratory infection, but at her age, it could be something more serious such as heart disease. I think it would be a good idea to take her into a vet today to get checked out. Best of luck.

Poor pup! From your description, it sounds like something is seriously wrong. Trouble walking could be caused by arthritis, a neurologic problem like a stroke or herniated disc in the spine, or generalized weakness due to a severe illness of some kind. A bloated abdomen can be caused by GDV (gastric dilatation volvulus, or "bloat"), which is a life-threatening condition where the stomach fills with air and twists on itself; other possible causes would include congestive heart failure, an abdominal tumor, liver failure, or internal bleeding. These signs are indicative of a severe, possibly life-threatening problem that needs immediate veterinary care, so I would recommend taking your dog to an emergency vet right away. He/she can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what can be done to help her.

These signs could be compatible with a respiratory tract inflammation/infection or potentially could be related to heart disease. Considering the lethargy, a systemic sign, I would recommend a check up as soon as possible to determine the underlying cause and establish appropriate treatment. Antibiotics may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I recommend bringing him to a veterinarian and having them listen to his chest. This may be respiratory or heart related but having a veterinarian auscultate them is the first step. It may require x-rays to determine what it going on also. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I’m so sorry Chibbu is sick. It sounds like the cough and limping are better but now the concern is vomiting, diarrhea, and not wanting to move much. The vomiting and diarrhea could be due to antibiotics If he is still on them, it could be due to the diet change (milk can cause upset stomach as most dogs can’t digest it well), or it could be due to whatever is going on. I am particularly worried for organ disease or failure (liver and kidney) and possible cancer. With his age and signs, I would definitely get into a vet if possible. Blood work and X-rays/ultrasound would be a good place to start to find out what’s going on.

I am sorry to hear about Bruno! With his symptoms going on for several days and his age, I would recommend bringing him into the vet for an examination as soon as possible. There are MANY possible causes for vomiting in dogs https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/vomiting-1/ ranging from ingesting some food that starts a bout of pancreatitis (which can result in decreased appetite and vomiting) to infections to tumors to other internal diseases such as liver or kidney issues. The vet will perform a physical examination and will likely recommend diagnostic testing such as x-rays and bloodwork to try to determine what is causing Bruno's illness and how best to treat it. Treatment will depend on the cause but often includes injectable medication to help with vomiting/nausea and fluids with an IV to help with dehydration.

Hi. It sounds like he is having respiratory signs. This could be from many things such as....upper respiratory infection, cardiac disease, primary respiratory disease, cancers, or other infectious causes. With his age, he needs a full exam, labs, and chest x-rays. If he is in respiratory distress, you will want to go to the ER.