my dog iss ill and i cant afford a vet

[tsp48]

my 5 yr old ast hasnt eaten in three days and has taken in very little fluids.  no diarreaha no vommiting very lethargic please help

[Jaybay]

Hi there!  I'm a fellow Houstonian - always nice to see a neighbor on the forum.  :-)

tsp48 - It's heartbreaking how many stories just like yours are becoming so prevalent these days.  Unfortunately, your dog is very ill and needs medical care or he may die.  The symptoms are very disturbing.  

So what can you do?  el_em_en_oh made a great suggestion.  Even if you can't do an even trade, a large animal shelter may offer or refer you to a lower-cost veterinary clinic.  Some clinics will work on a payment method, but they're hard to find unless you're an established client.  Is there anything you can sell or cut back on to pay for vet care?  Have you checked out www.carecredit.com to see if you qualify for a line of credit with a vet clinic?

The worst case is that you either must surrender your dog to a shelter or rescue group so he can get the care he needs and deserves, or you have to consider euthanasia.  I don't mean to sound harsh, but that's the unfortunate reality.  What you can't do is nothing and stand by helplessly while your dog suffers and dies.

Start with the phone book or go online and check with local shelters, rescue groups and vet clinics.  Beat the bushes for as much information as you can get on low-cost clinics.  Some of them are vastly over-priced, and price does not equal quality when it comes to vet care.  My own vet is probably one of the cheapest in town and he's wonderful.  A flash clinic doesn't mean the best vet in the world operates it.

[el_em_en_oh]

I'm so sorry that you're baby is having these issues, and that you can't afford to take him to the vet (as those above have suggested you do).

I'm not sure about the town/city you live in, but here in Houston there are vet's around town that do a certain amount of 'pro bono' (free) work, if you volunteer with whatever animal shelter or animal rescue organization they're affiliated with.

For instance, my wife and I volunteer with a local animal rescue organization here in Houston, and the vet that the rescue organization is affiliated with donates her time to our personal animals, as we volunteer our home to foster-puppies (we have anywhere from 2-4 puppies at any given time awaiting permanent adoptive owners/parents).

The symptoms you describe could be MANY things, and unfortunately, a vet is the only person who's going to be able to give you any sort of definitive answer as to what it is that's wrong with your baby.

Try the rescue organization route (call and volunteer and ask if the rescue organizations vet would consider a "trade", so to speak). Can't hurt to ask, and if nothing else, you end up being a volunteer for a good cause.

Sorry again for your problems and issues. I wish you and your baby all the best, and a speedy recovery from whatever is wrong.

[Kaii]

you should probably get a checkup with the vet if ti gets any worse. the important thing is that your dog is getting fluids, because if your dog is de-hydrated it could pose an eaven bigger problem

[NotLime]

Unfortunately, not eating and lethargy are two VERY common symptoms in dogs that have numerous causes. Here's a website with some possible causes:

http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/why_isnt_my_dog_eating

I would suggest paying extra special attention to this part:

"Lethargy is also a common early sign of illness, as failure to eat leads to hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar, which can result in lethargy, weakness and trembling. “One of the simplest ways to combat lethargy is to boost blood sugar with honey or maple syrup, given every four to six hours. I recommend this for any pet who has stopped eating,” explained Dr. Levine, who added that rubbing the syrup or honey on the gums can help in instances where the pet will not lick it voluntarily."

While reading through the article and descriptions, you might notice some other symptoms that otherwise may not have been noticed.

Hope this is helpful!

[Kaii]

Hi
any other symptoms?
if there is high temperature, then take the dog to a vet, he or she might have menengitus,
in the meantime, put food at the back of the dogs mouth and lift, causing the dog to swallow, try and feed him/her some rice, and water with a dash of milk