My 8 year..eskimo is weak and lethargic..his tail when excited…

Hello there.

I'm sorry to hear about your boy. I know how scary it can be when our pets become ill seemingly out of nowhere!

It's difficult to tell what could cause something of this nature, as his symptoms are fairly generalized and therefore could be the result of a wide array of illnesses. So I would take him to the vet as soon as possible, but in the meantime, there are a few things I would try to help make him a bit more comfortable.

The rather sudden onset of his symptoms are concerning. There's all sorts of conditions that have a sudden onset and they can turn acute and life-threatening. I've seen a dog with splenic torsion (where the spleen twists out of position, cutting off its own blood supply) appear okay in the morning and by the afternoon, he exhibited symptoms just like you describe. I've also seen dogs who suffer from undiagnosed chronic conditions suddenly fall ill. Addison's Disease is one example where you can have a sudden onset with very generalized symptoms.

But since we don't know what is causing these symptoms, I would recommend seeking help sooner rather than later. He could have something potentially deadly going on, and you don't want to take a risk. If we wait for more symptoms to arise, it could make a diagnosis easier, but treating the problem could be made more difficult and costly, so that's why I recommend acting now rather than later down the road.

On the less serious end of the spectrum, it's possible that some sort of minor soft tissue injury, like a pulled muscle, could be to blame. Different animals handle pain differently and a pulled muscle in the abdomen or back could cause just enough pain to make movements painful or uncomfortable. It's also scary for our pets when they're in pain, as they can't understand what's causing the discomfort. For all they know, this pain could last forever! They can't process pain like your or I can - we can understand what's causing our pain or discomfort and we can actively seek help and treatment and in the back of our mind, we know that it won't last forever. Our pets have no such assurance, so pain can cause a degree of anxiety.

In any event, I'm going to give you a few things to look for on your dog, just to be sure that there's not an emergency situation taking place.

Temperature can also be checked rectally with a bit of vaseline on the thermometer - this can give you an idea of general condition. It should be between 100-102. Anything below 100 or above 103 is a serious problem. A fever could also cause chills and shivering, so this is an important thing to check.

Checking the gums is an indicator of your dog's circulation. If there's internal bleeding, anemia, a disruption of normal blood flow, or serious illness, the gums will turn very pale, almost white in appearance. This means that the blood is not properly receiving oxygen or there's a loss of blood or red blood cells.

Normal gums will be bright pink to a pale pink. Abnormal gums are white with greyish, blue, or yellow.

Here is a link to a photo of normal gums:
http://www.petmed.co.nz/images/gum_healthy.jpg

Here is a link to a couple of photos of pale gums:
http://www.petplace.com/images-slide-show.aspx?id=3819&imageIndex=0
http://www.petplace.com/images-slide-show.aspx?id=728&imageIndex=0

I should note that I've seen perfectly healthy dogs with gums that are slightly paler than those pictured in the "normal gums" picture, but there's always a distinct pink tone.

For more information on checking your dog's gums, visit:
http://www.ehow.com/how_3028_check-gums-dog.html

The normal heart rate varies depending on the size and age of the dog. A puppy has a heart rate of about 180 beats per minute. And adult dog will have a rate between 60-160 beats per minute. Small toy breeds can have normal heart rates of 180 beats per minute. The rule is the younger the dog, the faster the heart rate (for puppies). And the smaller the dog, the faster the heart rate.

Normal pulse is between 60 and 120.

Also, you can check capillary refill time. If you apply firm pressure to the gums, the area should turn pale and then quickly return back to normal (you can try this on your own skin to see what I mean). If there's no difference, or if your dog's gums take a long time to return back to normal, there could be a problem. The gums should return to normal in no less than one second and no more than two 1/2 seconds.

You should also offer some bland people food if he becomes hesitant to eat. You can offer a bland diet of plain white rice with plain chicken or boiled hamburger. This will be more appealing than normal food, but it will also be easy on the stomach in case this is the root of his problem.

If he stops eating before you get to the vet, you can give a spoon of pancake syrup every six hours to keep blood sugar from dipping too low. If your dog won't lick it from a spoon, you can rub it directly onto the gums.
Hypoglycemia triggers all sorts of other parallel problems that you'll want to avoid and pancake syrup is a good way to to that.
For more info on hypoglycemia, visit:
http://www.gopetsamerica.com/dog-health/hypoglycemia.aspx

I would also try to get him to take in some extra fluids. You can do this by adding unflavored Pedialyte to her water in a 50-50 mix - this should help with hydration, as many pets don't drink and eat properly when they're feeling badly (which is when they most need the fluids!)

To determine how dehydrated he is, look at the skin. If you pinch the skin between the shoulder blades up into a "tent", ideally, it should flatten right out. The more dehydrated he is, the longer it will take the skin to return to normal. So I would monitor this several times a day to ensure that he's not getting worse.

Also, I would monitor her to see that he's urinating and defecating normally. Something like an intestinal obstruction could cause pain and discomfort, especially in the abdomen, so that's something to be looking out for. Any abnormalities in bathroom habits should be noted.

A heating pad on a low setting may also be helpful if you have a specific area that appears to be painful, but not swollen. Something like a pulled muscle or stomach pain would benefit from the warmth, and this may also help to relax your boy and make him more comfortable for the time-being.

I hope your dog is feeling better soon! Let me know how he does and don't hesitate to let me know if you have any additional questions!

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-Mia Carter
Pet Expert

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