Accepted Answer

Hello again,
If he is refusing to eat anything- than I would really recommend that you try to find someway to have him examined by a vet.   Most dogs will simple digestive upset will still take a bit of chicken. One possibility for not wanting to move around much is a back injury - this often presents with a dog that is having rather vague symptoms of not wanting to move around much, not jumping on furniture, etc. They may stand with their back hunched up or their tail carried oddly. If the injury is further up in the neck area they may not want to move their head a certain way. These injuries can be serious (disk herniations) and should be examined by a veterinarian. The normal treatment is steroids for inflammation, pain medications, and possibly muscle relaxants. You can sometimes get the dog to react by wincing by rubbing and pushing along the muscles that run on either side of the spine. Sometimes the dog does not want to eat because they are painful. Since there really aren't a lot of other digestive symptoms this may be a possibility. Other reasons a dog may refuse to eat are nausea due to liver or kidney problems, ingestion, of a foriegn object, or an infection of the intestinal tract. If he is feeling quite nauseous he may not want to move around because of this.
I would examine the dog for any pain in the neck and back region. If you are noticing any of the other signs of this - I would recommend getting him into the vet. If there are no signs of pain in these regions and he will eat the bit of chicken I would treat for digestive upset at home and see how he does for the next day or so. If he refuses to eat the chicken, I would again recommend getting him in to see the vet as there is more of a chance that there is something more serious going on in the digestive tract. I would also check his gums to make sure they are nice and pink. If they are pale or white - he should see a vet as well.
One other possibility I want to mention is that he may be getting a bit arthritic. The sporadic days of not wanting to move around much can be due to such things. If they move around a bit too much one day they may pay for it the next and be quite lethargic. Trying supplements like glucosamine/chondroitin (takes awhile to notice difference)and asking your vet about pain meds may be a good idea as well. This could be an explanation if this is happening along with mild digestive upset for another reason.
Donna P.

Expert:	Donna P.
Pos. Feedback:	99.7 %
Accepts:	1229
Answered:	2/21/2009

Veterinary Technician

Veterinary Technician with 15 years experience. Boston Terrier Breeder