Hello. Can anyone help? My five month old male shih tzu is lethargic, not eating, drinking very little and gnawing his back end. We recently changed his dog meat and this has happened since. We have tried feeding him boiled chicken and white rice but he wasn't interested.

Any change in behavior requires a trip to the Vet. If he's lethargic I'd be very concerned.

What do you mean he's gnawing at his back end?

He is like niblling it just above his tail.

The nibbling part could be a skin issue common in Shih Tzus, or fleas, or anal glands. However; the part you need to concentrate on is the lethargy, not eating and not drinking. I would suggest a visit to the vet soon. At 5 months he is just a little guy and can't go on that way for long.

A visit to the vet is a must. The itching is a concern, but the loss of interest in food, and the lethargy is the bigger concern and needs to be addressed immediately.

I am just going to echo what the others have mentioned here. A vet visit is in order. It could be anything from allergies, fleas and worms to an illness. You mentioned that he has started doing this gnawing and not acting well when you changed his dog meat. Do you feed a raw diet? If he is eating raw bones or meat it could be a blockage.

When ever your pup stops drinking, it's a bad sign. Have him checked over. Please keep us posted.