# Lethargic this morning



## brianne (Feb 18, 2012)

Maya_22 said:


> Hi everyone,
> I'd like to know if any of you have had experience with this, and if you have any advice. I might be worrying too much, but I always like to be on the safe side since dogs are so good at hiding their discomfort. Our golden is not quite a senior but is getting there (7 y.o.). This morning he gave me a big scare because he seemed to be lethargic and in some pain and/or having trouble with mobility. He was reluctant to stand, walk much or go down the stairs of our house. He was totally fine last night, and is eating, drinking, peeing and pooping normally. I was so worried I almost rushed him to the vet this morning, but then let him sleep for several hours to see if things improved. Come midday, I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk, and he was excited and showed no issues during the walk! (I kept it short nevertheless). I'm wondering if this could be arthritis or something else? He's a healthy dog otherwise. Any thoughts or advice are much appreciated!


If everything else is normal, maybe he just overdid it the day before? Chasing the ball too much or something like that. I agree that at age 7 he isn't quite a senior but it bears watching. It's not uncommon to develop some aches and pains as they age. At his next scheduled check-up, ask your vet to examine his joints closely to see if he shows any discomfort. Does he get a joint supplement? If not, ask your vet to recommend one.

Hope this is only a one-time thing. If it begins to happen more frequently then a trip to the vet would be in order.

Keep us posted and give him an extra ear rub from me.


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## Maya_22 (Mar 18, 2015)

brianne said:


> If everything else is normal, maybe he just overdid it the day before? Chasing the ball too much or something like that. I agree that at age 7 he isn't quite a senior but it bears watching. It's not uncommon to develop some aches and pains as they age. At his next scheduled check-up, ask your vet to examine his joints closely to see if he shows any discomfort. Does he get a joint supplement? If not, ask your vet to recommend one.
> 
> Hope this is only a one-time thing. If it begins to happen more frequently then a trip to the vet would be in order.
> 
> Keep us posted and give him an extra ear rub from me.


Thanks Brianne!! This is so helpful. There was nothing unusual in terms of physical activity yesterday. I do give him a supplement for joints, immune and digestive function. I will definitely ask the vet to check joints and give suggestions at the next check up in a few weeks. After we came back from the walk he seems better but not 100% himself. I'm wondering if it's something like a pinched nerve. Keeping my fingers crossed it's a one-time thing!


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Agree with above post but would also check his gums to make sure they are not pale. If they are pale that is a vet visit ASAP.


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## Maya_22 (Mar 18, 2015)

jennretz said:


> Agree with above post but would also check his gums to make sure they are not pale. If they are pale that is a vet visit ASAP.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you, good call – gums seem normal.


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## davmar77 (May 5, 2017)

Amber was like that a while back. Turned out she got a tick bite even though she has protection. She was on antibiotics for a month. Might be worth having your vet do a blood test if things don't improve.


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## Maya_22 (Mar 18, 2015)

davmar77 said:


> Amber was like that a while back. Turned out she got a tick bite even though she has protection. She was on antibiotics for a month. Might be worth having your vet do a blood test if things don't improve.


Thank you! Will definitely ask the vet for a full blood panel to be sure.


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## Maya_22 (Mar 18, 2015)

Update in case it's helpful to others: he spent the rest of the day yesterday still with low energy and motivation, but he's back to normal this morning! He even woke me up for breakfast and was so excited to go for a walk. I'm baffled. 

Our annual vet appointment is in a few weeks, so I'll make sure they know what happened just in case.


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## cassie2005 (Dec 13, 2019)

A few times Max would need a quiet day after having swam most of the day along with an hour's hike. We would have a quiet day especailly as he aged. My local vet is overwhelmed with all the new pet owners. She says it seems as if everyone has gotten a pet the last year. Before if I had an issue I could see my vet within three days now I must wait a week and pay for an " emergency visit" if I have a medical issue. Having had to deal with several dogs battle with " low energy" the cause was different in each case. 
Great idea to check the gums!
I would not wait until a health visit in a few weeks.
I would move this appointment up sooner. If this is a tick borne illness treatment will be more beneficial now then waiting weeks to diagnose.
There are several reasons for a lethargic dog. The key is not to pounce on all the possibilities but to diagnose sooner than later.


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## Maya_22 (Mar 18, 2015)

cassie2005 said:


> A few times Max would need a quiet day after having swam most of the day along with an hour's hike. We would have a quiet day especailly as he aged. My local vet is overwhelmed with all the new pet owners. She says it seems as if everyone has gotten a pet the last year. Before if I had an issue I could see my vet within three days now I must wait a week and pay for an " emergency visit" if I have a medical issue. Having had to deal with several dogs battle with " low energy" the cause was different in each case.
> Great idea to check the gums!
> I would not wait until a health visit in a few weeks.
> I would move this appointment up sooner. If this is a tick borne illness treatment will be more beneficial now then waiting weeks to diagnose.
> There are several reasons for a lethargic dog. The key is not to pounce on all the possibilities but to diagnose sooner than later.


Great points, thanks for the advice!! We're familiar with the quiet days after a swimming day, but this wasn't the case, so definitely need to investigate further with our vet.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

I’ve been thinking about your post and certainly don’t want to be an alarmist. Lethargy is different than tired and is usually a symptom of something bigger. I lost my boy earlier this year to cancer. His first symptom was lethargy without any noticeable change in anything else. It took a couple months to figure it out and his symptoms progressed to loss of appetite. I’m not saying your dog has cancer because there are other illnesses that can cause lethargy. For my boy, he had good days and bad days and we thought he had an infection. An ultrasound finally showed a tumor on his spleen. He was 8.


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

^^ I agree with Jennretz (and I think this is why others are telling you to check his gums). Hemangiosarcoma often presents as a day sick and then a few days well and then a day sick and then a few days well. This corresponds to the tumor rupturing and bleeding into the body cavity, and then resealing and the blood being absorbed and the dog feels better again.

I don't want to alarm you, and it could definitely be something else (tick born, bad dietary choices, etc.) but if it comes back a vet visit is definitely in order...


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## Maya_22 (Mar 18, 2015)

jennretz said:


> I’ve been thinking about your post and certainly don’t want to be an alarmist. Lethargy is different than tired and is usually a symptom of something bigger. I lost my boy earlier this year to cancer. His first symptom was lethargy without any noticeable change in anything else. It took a couple months to figure it out and his symptoms progressed to loss of appetite. I’m not saying your dog has cancer because there are other illnesses that can cause lethargy. For my boy, he had good days and bad days and we thought he had an infection. An ultrasound finally showed a tumor on his spleen. He was 8.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Wow, this is very illuminating, and I'm so sorry about your loss. Was there any indication from the bloodwork that led to the diagnosis, so I can make sure all the necessary tests are run when we visit the vet? Thank you!!


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## Maya_22 (Mar 18, 2015)

pawsnpaca said:


> ^^ I agree with Jennretz (and I think this is why others are telling you to check his gums). Hemangiosarcoma often presents as a day sick and then a few days well and then a day sick and then a few days well. This corresponds to the tumor rupturing and bleeding into the body cavity, and then resealing and the blood being absorbed and the dog feels better again.
> 
> I don't want to alarm you, and it could definitely be something else (tick born, bad dietary choices, etc.) but if it comes back a vet visit is definitely in order...


Thank you, I did not know about this cycle of the tumor bleeding and then healing, so this is so useful. No wonder then how this type of cancer sneaks up on dog owners!
Our dog has been back to his happy self since yesterday, even had the zoomies this morning, but I'm keeping a close look (benefits of working from home) and we're visiting the vet soon because he's due for his annual visit and shots . I'll make sure to bring up these concerns and get any necessary tests.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Maya_22 said:


> Wow, this is very illuminating, and I'm so sorry about your loss. Was there any indication from the bloodwork that led to the diagnosis, so I can make sure all the necessary tests are run when we visit the vet? Thank you!!


His labs were normal to start (when the lethargy started). We did a couple of rounds of Doxy (and he would start to do better for a bit) but then he tanked again. When he started refusing food (and it was subtle; leaving a few bites here and there) is when his labs started showing differences. This was about 4 months post the original symptoms. We did a splenectomy and he had 6 great weeks before he got sick again. By that time the cancer (multiple myeloma) had taken hold. We also did expanded tick panels because he was originally from Puerto Rico. He tested positive for bebesia which causes the immune system to turn on itself. So he had two things against him from the start.

To answer your question about specific labs they looked at, they looked at platelets and anemia. His kidney values were off as well (and we attributed that to the pain meds he was taking).


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## Maya_22 (Mar 18, 2015)

jennretz said:


> His labs were normal to start (when the lethargy started). We did a couple of rounds of Doxy (and he would start to do better for a bit) but then he tanked again. When he started refusing food (and it was subtle; leaving a few bites here and there) is when his labs started showing differences. This was about 4 months post the original symptoms. We did a splenectomy and he had 6 great weeks before he got sick again. By that time the cancer (multiple myeloma) had taken hold. We also did expanded tick panels because he was originally from Puerto Rico. He tested positive for bebesia which causes the immune system to turn on itself. So he had two things against him from the start.
> 
> To answer your question about specific labs they looked at, they looked at platelets and anemia. His kidney values were off as well (and we attributed that to the pain meds he was taking).


I'm so sorry, sounds like a very tough journey. I appreciate you sharing your experience and advice, thank you.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Please keep us posted on your boy[emoji177]


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