“How About You Do It”: Rachel Zegler Begs Fans For Help With Sick Dog, It Spectacularly Backfires
Rachel Zegler is swapping red carpets for vet visits after her beloved dog suddenly fell ill and traditional medical advice offered no answers.
Now relying on amateur pet doctors on social media, the actress shared an emotional update on her Instagram stories in hopes of finding a lasting remedy among her 2.5 million followers.
Online users, however, saw the posts as an opportunity to call out the actress.
- Rachel Zegler turns to Instagram for advice after her dog falls seriously ill, sparking backlash.
- Online users accused Zegler of using her dog's illness to seek sympathy amid the ongoing Snow White controversy.
- Some users jokingly blamed the dog's sickness on the actress's failed Snow White remake.
Snow White actress Rachel Zegler took to social media to ask for help for her sick dog
Image credits: rachelzegler
On Sunday, April 20, the Snow White actress posted a series of Instagram stories detailing her dog Lenny’s ongoing health issues. Saying that she’s already been to multiple veterinarians over the last few days, her dog is still suffering from bad stomach issues and no appetite.
Saying that everything else has been “a de*d end,” the actress decided to turn to Instagram. She wrote, “Folks, sweet Lenny has crazy diarrhea and a loss of appetite, and nothing is helping.” Saying that he has never been like this before, the actress shared that she is “really, really stressed.”
Zegler’s dog Lenny is suffering from stomach issues and loss of appetite
Image credits: rachelzegler
Zegler said her mom has been making chicken and rice to tempt Lenny, but it hasn’t helped. They’re now trying an appetite stimulant and anti-diarrhetic to ease his symptoms.
While Lenny is still playful and shows no signs of internal issues, the West Side Story actress is especially stressed with an overseas flight just days away. She added she’s ready to “pull [her] hair out” if another vet tells her to simply wait it out while Lenny is “spraying all over [her] apartment with such urgency.”
Online users slammed the actress, saying she is using her dog for sympathy
Image credits: rachelzegler
Following the Snow White backlash Zegler received for her controversial remarks, social media’s comment section wasn’t entirely kind to the actress.
One user said the actress is trying to get sympathy, saying, “She just trying to start a conversation because she knows everybody hates her. She probably doing this on purpose just so people sympathize with her.”
Image credits: rachelzegler
Another agreed, “Using a pet to get sympathy from animal lovers is wild.”
A third slammed the actress, saying, “Probably a side effect from the negative energy she’s always putting out- I’d be sick too.”
One user wrote, “Sounds like the dog could use a break from her. Wouldn’t be surprised to hear he’s doing better once she’s left for her trip overseas.”
Some users joked that the dog fell ill after watching Snow White
Image credits: rachelzegler
Others joked about the movie’s infamous ratings and box-office flop. One wrote, “Probably got sick from watching Snow White. Poor doggy.” While another agreed, “Poor dog, keep the dog away from watching Snow White.”
A third took another swing at Disney’s Snow White, saying, “Probably seen that movie.”
While one user added, “That’s because the dog is getting sick of her sh*t.”
There were others who wished Zegler’s dog a quick recovery
Image credits: rachelzegler
Among the spiteful comments were some who wished Lenny the dog a quick recovery. One user said, “You can hate her all you want. The dog does not deserve to be sick.”
To which another user agreed, “As much as I can’t stand her, the dog is a different story.”
While one asked, “The amount of absolute meanness people have even for a stranger needs to be studied. Why have we as a society, become so awful lately?”
Some users suggested that Lenny might be suffering from parvovirus, a highly contagious disease caused by canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) that targets white blood cells and the gastrointestinal tract in dogs. However, symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of appetite could also indicate gastroenteritis, a common stomach condition that ranges from mild to severe.
The actress has frequently shared her beloved dog Lenny on social media
Image credits: rachelzegler
Lenny, who recently turned two, is the apple of Zegler’s eye. The actress has long worn her love for him on her sleeve, even calling herself “Lenny’s mom” in her Instagram bio. In one post shared by a Disney fan page, Zegler is seen hugging and petting her pup, with the caption calling her a “real-life princess—kind-hearted, graceful, and an absolute dog lover through and through.”
In an interview, the actress also shared that Lenny loves watching the dog animation Bluey. In a Dog Date video posted by YouTuber Josh Horowitz, Zegler can be seen enjoying her time with Lenny.
The actress was in the middle of controversy throughout Disney’s Snow White press tour
Image credits: rachelzegler
Rachel Zegler was left at the center of controversy during Disney’s live-action Snow White remake’s press tour. The movie became a box-office nightmare after the leading lady slammed the original movie as “dated” and called the prince a “stalker,” fueling massive backlash from fans.
Controversy also exploded over casting a Latina actress as the traditionally pale princess, contributing to the film’s disastrous IMDb rating of just 1.7 stars. The backlash intensified when actor Peter Dinklage blasted Disney’s CGI seven dwarfs as “backwards,” fueling calls for boycotts and turning the fairy tale into a PR disaster.
Online users reacted to Zegler’s recent posts about her dog’s health
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Why do people hate her so much? Is it just because she plays Snow White? I mean yes she's not white, but it's the casting director's choice to have her play the role, and it would have been stupid, from a career pov, to refuse such an important role that could make her career.
She's 23 and had a lot of early success. Of course she's going to be an arrogant know-it-all. Most 20 year-olds who have never suffered adversity and have success have that problem. I know I did, I'm embarrassed by it, and I learned how hard life really can be when the adversity fairy taught me the error of my ways. RZ has been donkey-kicked by reality and will likely never get another big project. It's her time to grow-up and decide what kind of person she's going to be. Glad that her dog stopped shooting fecal Jackson Pollock's in her apartment.
Load More Replies...If you take away the who, what's left is "Help, my vet doesn't know what wrong with my dog, can anyone help?" How is this unreasonable?
I joined a FaceBook group for FIP when my kitten (now almost 4 years old) was diagnosed with wet FIP when he was 7 months old. Wet FIP was almost 100% fatal back then. The FB group told me about a medication called GS-441524 that was (at the time) not legal for veterinary use (eff you, Gilead Sciences!) But the FB group had contacts and a whole network devoted to getting a hold of the medication... ahem, off of the "black market", so people could save their cats' lives. Preacher would be dead now if it weren't for me asking the people of "FIP Warriors 2.0" for help. And, happily, GS-441524 was legally approved to treat FIP in 2024, so no one has to get it off the "black market" any more, and all our FIP kitties have a much better chance at surviving! Attached is a photo of Preacher in a little crown I made for him to celebrate his first week of treatment XD (The treatment protocol was twice-daily injections of the medication for 84 days. It was rough for all of us!) crowned_pr...6e2db4.jpg
It can happen. Our vet had given up on one of our cats, talking about it being the end, and my wife tried a thing called Oralade to help his digestion and hydration. He got better and lived another year (he got other issues), and the vets now have it on their list of remedies. There may be someone out there who's had success with something that the vets don't know about - I can imagine someone being desperate enough to try anything for a loved pet. She might be better served doing her own internet research though. Her reported salary for the film was $1 million, and I think that's what makes people suspicious about her motives - she can afford any vet.
When my dog Stilgar was diagnosed with distemper as a puppy, our vet literally said "There's nothing you can do. If he were my dog, I'd euthanize him." (He was fine with giving supportive care, as there's no cure for distemper, but he basically told us there was no hope.) We gave Stilly EVERYTHING - B vitamins, powdered colostrum, multivitamins - I even gave him an "immune support" powdered mix of Ayurvedic herbs (after making sure none of the plants were toxic to dogs.) I don't know what saved him or if he pulled through all on his own, but he turned 3 years old in January, and distemper has a fatality rate of 90%. My vet, and even the specialist vets, had never seen another dog survive distemper in their careers. Sometimes you have to ask other people for advice that isn't 100% "western medicine". I'm glad you and your wife got to share another year of happiness with your kitty :) Sometimes you have to go "outside" the bounds of traditional veterinary medicine.
Load More Replies...She IS being a responsible owner. She's asking other people if they have any advice/things she could try to get Lenny to eat/what could be wrong with Lenny. My oldest dog, Stilgar, had distemper when he was a puppy. Distemper has a fatality rate of 90% in puppies. I was ALL OVER the internet asking random strangers for advice and help on what to try, because distemper can't be "cured". It was the same for my younger cat who had wet FIP as a kitten - I joined a FaceBook group to literally ask random strangers for help on how to treat him/save his life. I'm not famous, so I only had the people in the FB groups/subreddits to ask for help, but you bet your patootie that if one of my pets is sick, I can't figure out how to help them, and the vets are all "::shrug:: we dunno" I'm going to ask the entire PLANET for advice/help on what to do. That makes me a responsible owner - willing to explore EVERY avenue of help/advice. If she *hadn't* taken Lenny to a vet, that would be different.
Load More Replies...True, the dog does not deserve it. He does not deserve to have such a terrible owner.
Is she really that terrible ? I heard people say it, but what did she do ?
Load More Replies...I have a cat who survived wet FIP as a kitten (which used to be 100% fatal) and a dog who survived distemper as a puppy (~90% fatality rate in puppies.) Both times, I asked EVERYONE I could for advice, things to try, etc., alongside traditional veterinary treatment/care. If I had a huge online following, I'd absolutely ask them for advice/help if one of my pets was sick and not getting better with veterinary care. You have to take all the advice with a grain of salt and do research before you start waving crystals over your pet or burning sage to rid your pet of "ill humours", of course, but if you have a sick pet and they're not getting better with traditional veterinary care, why WOULDN'T you ask anyone and everyone you could if they had advice or if they'd seen the same sort of issue themselves in a pet, etc.? I'm not a fan of her acting ability, but I want her doggo to live and be healthy and happy. IDGAF about her in regards to that. It's about Lenny, NOT his owner!
She did. The vet doesn't know what's wrong, so she asked Insta.
Load More Replies...As someone who could care less about snow white ....I don't get the hate. Is she asking for money or something? I'm confused. She made a comment about how not every woman wants to be rescued and now we all want her dog to die? What is happening with society? I have zero skin in this game I just don't understand the hate
I didn't watch the live-action movie but I guess (I honestly have no actual idea) people HATE the live-action remake for various reasons, including the fact that there were leaked "previews" that had the Seven Dwarves portrayed by actual human actors, but later on the producers/directors decided to use weird creepy CG dwarves (personally, I think they missed a massive goodwill opportunity to hire actual little people actors/actresses, but okay.) So (I think) people hate her for being in the live-action remake, period. Then I think she made some interview comments about the ORIGINAL Snow White cartoon (IIRC, she called it a love story where the prince where the prince "literally stalks [Snow White]" and called the film "weird" and "dated".) I think a lot of people got on the Rage Train at her because they loved the original animated movie. I don't think I've seen any movie she's been in, so I can't comment on her acting chops.
Load More Replies...Why do people hate her so much? Is it just because she plays Snow White? I mean yes she's not white, but it's the casting director's choice to have her play the role, and it would have been stupid, from a career pov, to refuse such an important role that could make her career.
She's 23 and had a lot of early success. Of course she's going to be an arrogant know-it-all. Most 20 year-olds who have never suffered adversity and have success have that problem. I know I did, I'm embarrassed by it, and I learned how hard life really can be when the adversity fairy taught me the error of my ways. RZ has been donkey-kicked by reality and will likely never get another big project. It's her time to grow-up and decide what kind of person she's going to be. Glad that her dog stopped shooting fecal Jackson Pollock's in her apartment.
Load More Replies...If you take away the who, what's left is "Help, my vet doesn't know what wrong with my dog, can anyone help?" How is this unreasonable?
I joined a FaceBook group for FIP when my kitten (now almost 4 years old) was diagnosed with wet FIP when he was 7 months old. Wet FIP was almost 100% fatal back then. The FB group told me about a medication called GS-441524 that was (at the time) not legal for veterinary use (eff you, Gilead Sciences!) But the FB group had contacts and a whole network devoted to getting a hold of the medication... ahem, off of the "black market", so people could save their cats' lives. Preacher would be dead now if it weren't for me asking the people of "FIP Warriors 2.0" for help. And, happily, GS-441524 was legally approved to treat FIP in 2024, so no one has to get it off the "black market" any more, and all our FIP kitties have a much better chance at surviving! Attached is a photo of Preacher in a little crown I made for him to celebrate his first week of treatment XD (The treatment protocol was twice-daily injections of the medication for 84 days. It was rough for all of us!) crowned_pr...6e2db4.jpg
It can happen. Our vet had given up on one of our cats, talking about it being the end, and my wife tried a thing called Oralade to help his digestion and hydration. He got better and lived another year (he got other issues), and the vets now have it on their list of remedies. There may be someone out there who's had success with something that the vets don't know about - I can imagine someone being desperate enough to try anything for a loved pet. She might be better served doing her own internet research though. Her reported salary for the film was $1 million, and I think that's what makes people suspicious about her motives - she can afford any vet.
When my dog Stilgar was diagnosed with distemper as a puppy, our vet literally said "There's nothing you can do. If he were my dog, I'd euthanize him." (He was fine with giving supportive care, as there's no cure for distemper, but he basically told us there was no hope.) We gave Stilly EVERYTHING - B vitamins, powdered colostrum, multivitamins - I even gave him an "immune support" powdered mix of Ayurvedic herbs (after making sure none of the plants were toxic to dogs.) I don't know what saved him or if he pulled through all on his own, but he turned 3 years old in January, and distemper has a fatality rate of 90%. My vet, and even the specialist vets, had never seen another dog survive distemper in their careers. Sometimes you have to ask other people for advice that isn't 100% "western medicine". I'm glad you and your wife got to share another year of happiness with your kitty :) Sometimes you have to go "outside" the bounds of traditional veterinary medicine.
Load More Replies...She IS being a responsible owner. She's asking other people if they have any advice/things she could try to get Lenny to eat/what could be wrong with Lenny. My oldest dog, Stilgar, had distemper when he was a puppy. Distemper has a fatality rate of 90% in puppies. I was ALL OVER the internet asking random strangers for advice and help on what to try, because distemper can't be "cured". It was the same for my younger cat who had wet FIP as a kitten - I joined a FaceBook group to literally ask random strangers for help on how to treat him/save his life. I'm not famous, so I only had the people in the FB groups/subreddits to ask for help, but you bet your patootie that if one of my pets is sick, I can't figure out how to help them, and the vets are all "::shrug:: we dunno" I'm going to ask the entire PLANET for advice/help on what to do. That makes me a responsible owner - willing to explore EVERY avenue of help/advice. If she *hadn't* taken Lenny to a vet, that would be different.
Load More Replies...True, the dog does not deserve it. He does not deserve to have such a terrible owner.
Is she really that terrible ? I heard people say it, but what did she do ?
Load More Replies...I have a cat who survived wet FIP as a kitten (which used to be 100% fatal) and a dog who survived distemper as a puppy (~90% fatality rate in puppies.) Both times, I asked EVERYONE I could for advice, things to try, etc., alongside traditional veterinary treatment/care. If I had a huge online following, I'd absolutely ask them for advice/help if one of my pets was sick and not getting better with veterinary care. You have to take all the advice with a grain of salt and do research before you start waving crystals over your pet or burning sage to rid your pet of "ill humours", of course, but if you have a sick pet and they're not getting better with traditional veterinary care, why WOULDN'T you ask anyone and everyone you could if they had advice or if they'd seen the same sort of issue themselves in a pet, etc.? I'm not a fan of her acting ability, but I want her doggo to live and be healthy and happy. IDGAF about her in regards to that. It's about Lenny, NOT his owner!
She did. The vet doesn't know what's wrong, so she asked Insta.
Load More Replies...As someone who could care less about snow white ....I don't get the hate. Is she asking for money or something? I'm confused. She made a comment about how not every woman wants to be rescued and now we all want her dog to die? What is happening with society? I have zero skin in this game I just don't understand the hate
I didn't watch the live-action movie but I guess (I honestly have no actual idea) people HATE the live-action remake for various reasons, including the fact that there were leaked "previews" that had the Seven Dwarves portrayed by actual human actors, but later on the producers/directors decided to use weird creepy CG dwarves (personally, I think they missed a massive goodwill opportunity to hire actual little people actors/actresses, but okay.) So (I think) people hate her for being in the live-action remake, period. Then I think she made some interview comments about the ORIGINAL Snow White cartoon (IIRC, she called it a love story where the prince where the prince "literally stalks [Snow White]" and called the film "weird" and "dated".) I think a lot of people got on the Rage Train at her because they loved the original animated movie. I don't think I've seen any movie she's been in, so I can't comment on her acting chops.
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