A couple of days ago our technicians alerted the veterinarians that they were concerned about a 10yr old dog who was staying a few days but wasn't acting herself. She usually ate well and was active during her boarding visits, but she was lethargic and not eating. The preliminary exam didn't reveal much, she was given some tempting food and ate that.
The next morning she was not eating anything, was very weak, and her gums looked very pale, even white. We drew blood for testing and found she was extremely anemic. She had developed an autoimmune problem where her body was rapidly destroying her circulating red blood cells. We began treatment for it at once. Our alert staff has given her a chance to recover from a very dangerous condition.
Pet owners are very familiar with the habits of their companions. If your pet behaves in ways that don't fit their own personality please don't delay in checking it out. Sometimes they just don't feel right that day, or ate something out of the trash. Other times it is the only clue something more serious is happening.
Dr. Chase