Sheltie stopped eatting and drinking

Question
Our sheltie stopped eating his dog food and will not drink water.  We have been back and forth to the vet.  Blood work, x-rays and physical examination reveals that nothing is wrong. He is 6 years old and has been in excellent health  Any ideas?  

Answer
Tessy,

First, I am not a vet.  I have found time and again that people who ask me medical questions this serious are not getting good vet service and should quickly seek a second opinion.  It is ok to do that!

Second: how long has this been going on?  This is a symptom of several different bad infections that would make him refuse to eat.  If your vet has not done more than some X-rays get in the car tomorrow morning and go see a new vet.  There needs to be a thorough examination including blood work to eliminate any possible related diseases with this symptom.  

This will be expensive.  A smart vet will be through in the physical exam to try to narrow down the possible culprits and focus on the right tests to try or eliminate.  

Be prepared to tell exactly everything you feed the dog and a potty history (urination?  consistency of stool?  odd smell to stool?  blood or strange color in stool?).  Think about any seeming muscle pains or limping like a cramp or pull.  Try to remember any pain reaction to gentle attention.  This information is very helpful to the diagnosis.

Depending on how long since last drinking, I would use a syringe or dropper and force him to take plain water.  Dehydration is far more dangerous than not eating.

I hope this works out for you!

Dave