My Old Dog Is Eating Well But Losing Weight

Dogs and humans can experience weight changes with age. Some dogs gain weight because they are less active and spend more time sleeping. However, other dogs lose weight with age.

Weight loss in senior dogs can have many potential causes. Decreased food intake often causes weight loss. Dental disease and cognitive dysfunction (like human dementia) can cause a dog to eat less, leading to weight loss.

In other cases, an older dog loses weight despite eating normally. Read on to learn more about how to help a senior dog that is losing weight despite a good appetite.

Physical And Mental Signs That Your Dog Is Aging

A small amount of weight loss can be expected in older dogs. Less activity can lead to a slight decrease in muscle mass. They may experience subtle changes in appetite and metabolism. If your dog loses over ten percent of their body weight, an underlying condition could be to blame.

Dogs differ significantly in their conformation and healthy weight, so it’s hard to determine how much a dog “should” weigh. It can also be challenging to weigh your dog at home accurately.

Instead, focus on your dog’s body condition. An ideal body should have a visible tuck at the waist and ribs that can be felt but not seen. If your dog becomes underweight, bony prominences (such as the ribs, pelvis, and spine), once covered by muscle or fat, may become increasingly visible. Your dog’s collar or harness may also become loose; this suggests that your dog’s weight loss could be problematic, and a veterinary visit is needed.

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You should be concerned if your dog experiences rapid unintentional weight loss. A five percent loss can be worrying if it occurs unintentionally, over two weeks. Any dramatic weight change with no known inciting cause warrants a visit to your veterinarian.

Failure to treat these diseases can have severe consequences for your dog. Untreated Cushing’s disease and diabetes can lead to severe infections and organ failure. Inflammatory bowel disease can cause life-threatening malnourishment and effects, such as delayed wound healing. Intestinal parasites cause malnourishment; some intestinal parasites can cause significant blood loss and anemia. Chronic kidney disease and cancer may also be fatal, but early and effective treatment can significantly prolong your dog’s life.

Your veterinarian will perform a comprehensive physical examination and screening laboratory tests. Depending on the results, your veterinarian may recommend more specific testing such as blood tests, imaging, and other diagnostics.

Weight Loss In Older Dogs: 12 Causes And Solutions |

Some causes of weight loss are treated with medication. Intestinal parasites are typically treated with two doses of dewormer, and your veterinarian will likely prescribe a monthly parasite preventative to prevent reinfection. This should cure your dog’s infection and prevent further problems.

Hormonal imbalances are treated with medication but not cured. Ongoing, lifelong treatment will be required. Diabetes mellitus is treated with twice-daily insulin injections to help regulate your dog’s glucose levels. Cushing’s disease is treated with oral medications to decrease overactive corticosteroid production. Both conditions will require continuous veterinary monitoring and care.

Inflammatory bowel disease and chronic kidney disease require more complex treatment. These conditions are treated with dietary changes, oral medications, and other interventions. Like Cushing’s disease or diabetes, these conditions are managed and not cured. Your dog will require ongoing veterinary care for the rest of their life.

Tips To Help A Senior Dog Losing Weight But Still Eating Normally

Cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer that is identified. Cancer treatments may involve palliative care (designed to keep your dog comfortable), surgical tumor excision, chemotherapy, or radiation.Your veterinarian will speak to you about treatment options and your dog’s prognosis, helping you make the best decision for your dog.

When no underlying disease is found, your veterinarian will shift their focus from treating a disease to supporting your dog’s overall health as they age. Your veterinarian may recommend a specific diet to increase your dog’s caloric intake. This may be a high-calorie prescription diet or over-the-counter puppy food.

Once your veterinarian has ruled out common conditions that can cause weight loss, consider dietary changes to increase your dog’s caloric intake.

The Truth About Weight Loss In Older Dogs

It’s common for dogs to lose weight as they age. If weight loss occurs slowly and gradually, it is not usually a cause for concern. Sudden or severe weight loss can indicate an underlying disease that requires treatment.

Ensure that your dog’s food is formulated to meet their nutritional needs. Look for a nutritional adequacy statement on the food label, showing it has been tested in food trials or developed to meet the needs of your dog’s specific life stage.Life stages in dogs include puppy, adult, and senior, with some foods formulated to meet the needs of “all life stages.”

The age depends on their size. Larger breeds have shorter lifespans, becoming seniors earlier. Typically, large-breed dogs are considered seniors at seven years of age. Small breeds are not considered seniors until they are ten to twelve.

Feeding Chart And Calories Guide For Feeding Your Dog

The signs associated with impending death vary depending on their underlying medical conditions. Everyday observations include dramatic loss of energy, decreased appetite, lack of water intake, lack of interest in social interactions, restlessness, and changes in consciousness.

Senior dogs’ weight commonly changes as they age. A senior dog at their ideal weight will have a thin covering of fat over their ribs; you should be able to feel the ribs but not see them from a distance.While it’s not uncommon for dogs to lose a few pounds once in a while, any sudden and unexplained weight loss is a huge red flag for all dog owners. If your dog is losing weight but eating, a visit to your veterinarian is in order.

Like people, dogs can lose weight for many reasons. Rapid weight loss can be a sign of serious underlying health conditions. But it may also be that your dog is more active and burning more calories than before.

Unexplained Weight Loss In Dogs: What You Can Do At Home

Weight loss that exceeds more than 10% of your dog’s normal body weight is a cause for serious concern and warrants a trip to your veterinarian.

Anything less than 10% isn’t considered clinically significant, but you should keep a close eye on your pooch and monitor their weight.

Keep on reading to find out the most common causes for sudden weight loss in dogs and what you can do about it.

My Dog Won't Eat: Common Causes And Best Solutions

It’s completely normal for your dog’s weight to change over the course of its lifetime. Factors such as diet, age, breed, and health problems can affect your dog’s weight and cause weight loss. However, if you have detected that your dog is eating well but still losing weight, then speak with your veterinarian as soon as possible.

While dogs can lose weight for many different reasons, getting slimmer is never normal unless your dog is on a planned diet. If your pooch lost a lot of weight suddenly, despite having a healthy appetite, don’t panic! Instead, take your dog to the veterinarian so they can identify the problem and offer your pup the necessary treatment.

Not all cases of weight loss in dogs are caused by diseases. You may be surprised to learn that changing your dog’s food is one of the most common causes of weight loss.

Why Your Old Dog Isn't Eating Anymore

You may think, this can’t be the case since I haven’t changed my dog’s food in years. However, while your dog may be eating the same brand of kibble, it doesn’t mean that the manufacturer didn’t change the formula in the meantime.

Not suspecting a thing, you continue feeding your pup the same amount of dog food as before, but alas the new formula has 10% fewer calories. At the end of the day, your dog ends up eating fewer calories than it needs and, as a result, starts losing weight sooner or later.

These changes are easy to miss since many dog foods are labeled in a very confusing way. So, before you jump to the conclusion that your pup is sick, check the food’s ingredient label and see how many calories it has per serving.

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If the food is the same as before, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. But, if it turns out that the formula was changed and has fewer calories, simply start feeding your dog more of it.

While most dog owners stay up-to-date with monthly deworming treatments, which offer protection against intestinal parasites and heartworms, , there are many different types of intestinal parasites, and not all deworming treatments are equally effective. For example, many treatments can’t kill whipworms, but your dog can get infected by ingesting the eggs from contaminated water or soil.

The main issue with intestinal parasites is that they consume all the food the dog eats, thus depriving it of all necessary nutrients. Intestinal parasites may be to blame if your dog is eating a lot but losing weight.

What To Do When Your Dog Won't Eat Their Food — But Will Eat Treats

Luckily, intestinal parasites are easy to diagnose through a fecal exam and are treated by a broad-spectrum dewormer. After a successful treatment, a monthly deworming medicine is the best preventative.

Unfortunately, diabetes is often diagnosed in older dogs, especially in females. Dogs with diabetes start losing weight rapidly since their bodies can’t get the energy from the glucose and instead try to convert fat or protein into energy.

If your older dog is losing weight but eating and is also drinking a lot of water, you should take

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