Why is my dog ​​losing weight?

Your dog may require a change in his diet to gain weight

Having a pet in our life equates to many benefits, in addition to the fact that if we know how to take care of them and make them feel happy, we will be able to receive unconditional love. For this we must know and be aware of if your body changes, as this will be an indicator that your health is not in the best situation.

One of the changes that are most relevant to our eyes as owners and caregivers, is weight gain or loss, which can be noticed little by little. In the event that this occurs for no apparent reason, it is advisable to attend the veterinarian so that he can perform the necessary tests for a correct diagnosis, in such a way as to send a treatment indicated for the case. On the other hand, throughout this article we will inform you of the possible reasons why your dog may be losing weight, its causes and possible treatments.

Causes why your dog may be losing weight

Your dog can lose weight for several reasons

Start to be alarmed if you see that your dog has begun to suffer a alarming weight loss, that you can see the ribs or spine. It is important to take him to the vet immediately, however we will discuss the possible causes of weight loss.

Your dog may suffer from a gastrointestinal illness, which is characterized by inflammation of the intestines or food allergy, two of the reasons why your dog may be very thin.

You may think “my dog ​​is very thin but still eats a lot”, Be careful, this is very normal and more so when it comes to a parasite. It may also be observed some type of pain in the stomach of the animal or that the stools are not very consistent and even observe some parasites in them.

We must also highlight dental problems, because of these mouth pain they can cause you to stop eating or eat very little, generating a notable loss of weight. Either excess tartar or the presence of an abscess and even a broken tooth.

In this case, the one who will have a better decision about what to do will be the vet.

Liver diseases, some malfunction of the liver, which is in charge of digesting and absorbing food and nutrients well, can cause the dog not to maintain its weight in stability, during these cases a change in skin color, vomiting and lethargy may also be observed.

Other major causes of weight loss in dogs is that there is a malfunction in the kidneys. Here we will also observe vomiting, polydipsia or great thirst, lack of appetite or even increased urination. So if you visualize that your dog is very skinny and does not want to eat, it may be because of this case.

Causes of sudden weight loss in dogs

For a dog to lose weight suddenly is not a good thing. But do not be too scared, since many of the reasons can have an easy solution. In these cases, it is always better to take him to a veterinarian to do the relevant tests.

However, it is not a bad solution to know more causes why it can happen, not only the ones we have talked about, which are the most common, but others that will also influence your pet.

Stress

Do you think that a dog cannot be stressed like a human being? Then you are wrong. They also suffer from periods of nervousness that cause them to lose weight, and even hair, due to this situation. The causes can be very varied, from a move, a new pet, change in the home (new furniture, new arrangement ...), etc. Remember that they are animals of habit, and any change you make they notice (in a negative way).

Cancer

Weight loss and cancer They are two terms that are closely related, especially when it comes to sudden weight loss. In addition, the tumor may be in an internal area, so unless it has symptoms, you will not really know that it is sick other than doing a periodic check-up on your pet.

Hence the importance of visits to the vet (once a year or even every 6 months).

Heart problems

Before we have told you that one of the reasons why your dog can lose weight is that it has kidney problems, and that may be the case. But what not many know is that a heart problem can also cause sudden weight loss.

Now, unlike the kidney, in the case of heart problems, this loss is more gradual, and more dangerous because you won't realize it unless you experience symptoms like stopping eating.

One option that many use to see if everything is okay is, if he continues to eat, increase the calories in his diet (give him more food) and watch his weight. If it rises, then there should be no problem, but always checking that your weight does not skyrocket.

Change in diet

Another option that can cause a change in a dog's weight is to change its diet. You have to bear in mind that each feed has a different label and nutrients, so a change will affect your pet's weight to a greater or lesser extent. That is why it is recommended that, if you are going to change your diet, it be done gradually so that you get used to it and also to see if it is the right feed.

Now, since we have given you some of the causes of weight loss in your pet, we will highlight the solutions to face them.

Treatments for your dog to eat more

To start fattening your pet we must be very clear what is the triggering cause of weight loss and on the other hand planning a new diet based on the cause. In all cases it is important to follow all the veterinarian's instructions so that we can help our pet.

Here, we will give you some indications that foods and vitamins you can give your dog to get him back to his ideal weight.

You will need to give it a diet that is full of nutrients and take into account all the needs of the dog's body and of course, that it provides a lot of protein and energy to it. Keep in mind that to make your dog fat can be very useful the supply of canned food or homemade food suitable for dogs.

Vitamin supplements for dogs that help them gain weight

Your dog can take vitamins to gain weight

First of all, we want to let you know what to use These supplements that we are going to tell you about without first talking to the veterinarian who treats your dog is very counterproductive. Keep in mind that we are talking about a "doctor" trying to find and fix the cause of your pet losing weight. If he prescribes a treatment, follow it to the letter, and, if you also want to use something else, before doing so, consult it. Sometimes medication can conflict with other treatments and make none of them work.

That said, you should know that, for a dog to gain weight, it needs a greater supply of nutrients. And these are achieved, as we have talked to you before, through foods and vitamins. Now, what are the best supplements to help you regain those lost pounds? Here are some examples:

Multivitamins

The multivitamin complexes for your dog They will not harm you, on the contrary, they can help you meet your needs, or have a greater supply of those nutrients, vitamins, minerals ... that you are lacking.

In the shops You can find them in pills, in liquids… The best? Consult with your veterinarian because surely he has some brands that he can recommend, or even sell them in the clinic itself. Of course, they are temporary, so they should not be taken for a long time, only for a short period.

The specialist will be the best person to tell you how much to give, for how long, and the number of times a day (although in this sense they are usually given only once a day).

B vitamins

Like people, B vitamins are very important for dogs. Are help your appetite and gain weight. In fact, these vitamins are obtained from the diet itself (from the feed), as well as naturally. For example, beef or chicken liver has a lot of vitamin B. And if what you need is vitamin B12 (which is one of the most important), then bet on eggs (you can mix it with the feed).

Like the above, too you will find it in capsules, liquids, or even, in severe cases, the vet may tell you to inject vitamin B every month.

Vegetable enzyme

This is not something they often prescribe, but it is actually very good for dogs that have lost weight. What it does is restore digestive health of the dog but, in addition to that, it helps it absorb more nutrients than normal, so you get a meal from which they get much more than if they did not take this supplement.

Like any vitamin supplement, it is also temporary since, in the long run, it can cause you to have an excess of nutrients (which is not good either).

Omega 3

Omega 3 is actually a fatty acid. But among its many properties, it has the ability to better absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from food, thereby you will be giving him an extra so that he better assimilate the "good" in the food he eats.

It can be taken in capsules, but it is almost better to give it in food, such as salmon, fish oil ... In fact, dogs love fish, and they will eat it much more palatable than if it were just a pill. Here you can find salmon oil with Omega 3.

There are many causes why a dog loses weight

With all the indications given above, you can prevent your dog from losing weight or know the reasons why this is happening to your pet. Keep in mind that having a pet is a lot of responsibility and you must ensure its care.


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  1.   medal said

    Doctor, thank you for the opportunity to receive your advice.
    I have a 6 year old puppy. He is a German shepherd. He was very well until 3 months ago, in October, he began to lose weight, now his ribs and spine are showing; and to drink little water.
    He has deep breaths (he looks very agitated at times) and his hind legs began to shake. Seeing me in this situation, my aunt confessed to me that when she was cooking, he would come and as she looked at him a lot, she would give her a chicken head, but uncooked and with its beak. This saddened me a lot because I always give him his cooked liver and his ricocan, but I don't know why my aunt did that. I've already taken him to three vets but I don't see any improvement. One told me it could be a kidney disease, another a liver disease and the one I'm seeing now tells me that it could be a viral disease. Doctor, I am very worried, he is a very sweet and good dog. And he knows how to recognize when bad people approach us, let us know everything. I don't really know what it could really have. Doctor el: now he is very thin that you can see his ribs and his little colomnita, his back legs tremble at times that make him fall or bend his body, so that you can see him walking crooked; you have deep breaths; He sleeps and is calm normally but at times he wakes up and is restless that he climbs on all the chairs (a vet told me that this was due to the fever he was getting from the viral disease); his breath and skin pigmentation are normal. Drink little water and eat more or less. It does not have ticks.
    Doctor, I hope you can guide me to heal my little dog; and in advance I thank you for the help you can give me.