dog illness

Question
i have 13 year old jack russel terrier, he always been bright and chirply but recently he loss all motor functions in his legs, he half responsive but he also stopped drinking, it worrying me and i wandering if you could help find what could have caused this

Answer

Hi Hayley,

Your dog really needs to be examined by a veterinarian. With the symptoms you've described, there's no way of knowing what the problem is, but it sounds serious.

Not drinking is actually more serious than not eating. In a surprisingly short time, a dog can become dehydrated, which (if left untreated) can lead to organ failure. For this reason, you need to get some fluids into your dog. You might be able to entice your dog into drinking some warm (not hot!) low sodium chicken or beef broth. You can see directions of how to "force feed" fluids to your dog, here: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/cliented/dog_oral_fluids.aspx

I urge you to have your dog examined by a vet as soon as possible. If you can't get in to see the doctor, you should at least call the vet's office so the vet or the office staff can advise you what should be done until you are able to have your dog seen.

Best of luck,

Patti