Getting your dog to eat enough or stop eating so much can be a challenging situation. Obesity carries many health risks, and making sure your dog is eating properly can benefit several areas of his life. But what if your dog seems to be losing weight with a good appetite?
Sudden weight loss in dogs may signal that something is wrong, or it could simply be because they are running around more. If your dog is losing more than 10% of his total body weight, it should be cause for concern. To help you identify any potential problems, we've outlined six reasons why a dog loses weight if it has a good appetite.
Why does a dog lose weight very quickly?
There are many reasons for an animal to suddenly lose weight. Starting from the simplest to the development of pathological diseases.
- If your pet has suddenly lost weight, you may have reduced the amount of food you feed.
- Insufficient amount of vitamins and minerals in the animal's food.
- When a pet eats a lot and loses weight, perhaps the reason is the presence of a hidden pathology, such as gastritis or an ulcer. But in this case there are additional symptoms of the disease.
- When feeding your animal dry food, you must provide sufficient fresh and clean water. If there is not enough fluid, the dog may regurgitate food, and other signs of malaise will begin to appear, such as constipation and gradual exhaustion.
- Please note that during the summer, food intake may decrease and due to extreme heat, dogs' appetite may decrease.
- If you use natural food as food, it will spoil quickly in hot weather. Eating such food by a dog can cause poisoning or other problems.
Also, taking certain medications can affect your dog's weight loss. In this case, you should consult a doctor and change the medicine. If your dog has lost weight but is eating well, he may have parasites, so it is worth checking this fact with a doctor. Helminths can enter the body even while walking. Therefore, as a preventative measure, it is recommended to undergo regular examinations.
Oral injuries
Sometimes the reason why a dog is losing weight is not a problem with feeding, but the presence of injuries in the mouth, gums or throat. Therefore, the dog can consciously refuse to eat. This fact should be checked. One of the reasons may be an inedible item that he ate and is now suffering from pain. In this case, there are additional symptoms, such as constant whining, loss of activity and, as a result, weight loss.
The presence of infectious diseases is also one of the reasons for losing weight. Moreover, in addition to refusal to eat, there are other signs of illness: fever, diarrhea, vomiting, slight yellowness of the mucous membranes, loss of strength, lethargy. Perhaps your pet is in pain, so he refuses to eat, gradually losing weight. This reason is supported by additional symptoms:
- difficulty breathing;
- increased irritability, the once affectionate dog may growl or try to bite the owner, especially if he touches a sore spot;
- hunched back; the animal’s gait may change due to pain;
- the dog stops leading an active lifestyle, as it was before, preferring to lie down.
Loss of interest in food may be caused by an ear infection. Because when chewing, severe pain is experienced, especially if dry food is the main food. Sometimes the presence of any infections can provoke an allergy to certain components in a dog’s food.
Loss of appetite is often a sign of cancer. In some cases, the reason for sudden weight loss is surgery. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor. Any surgical intervention is stressful for the body. The doctor will tell you whether weight loss is normal during the postoperative period.
If your dog is losing weight but eating well, with no outward signs of digestive problems, you may have increased exercise while maintaining the same diet. It is important to know that in winter you should increase the amount of food your animal eats, since calorie consumption increases during cold periods.
You can check whether your pet's weight is normal by regularly weighing the dog. There are also special tables indicating normal weight for different breeds of dogs. If you notice the first signs of an imbalance in your animal’s weight, you should seek advice as soon as possible. If there are no obvious signs of serious pathologies, then all you need to do as treatment is take a vitamin complex.
Symptoms and signs of underweight
Body weight is closely related to overall well-being. A normal weight dog is active and playful. Her waist begins just behind her lower ribs and is clearly visible when viewed from above. Also, a healthy animal has a tucked belly and imperceptible, but palpable ribs. They must be covered with a small layer of subcutaneous fat.
With exhaustion or obesity, metabolism is disrupted and there is a high likelihood of developing arthritis. If you notice behavioral changes, carefully examine your pet. Depending on external symptoms, there are 4 deviations from normal weight:
- Obesity
. The dog has massive fat deposits on the chest, lower back and base of the tail. There is no waist. - Overweight
. The transition to the waist is almost lost. Fatty deposits are visible on the lower back and at the base of the tail. The ribs are difficult to palpate, as they are covered with a thick layer of fat. - Underweight
. The transition to the waist is sharply defined. The pelvic bones and lumbar vertebrae are visible. When palpating the ribs, subcutaneous fat is not felt. - Dystrophy
. Loss of muscle mass and lack of fat reserves are obvious. Protruding bones are clearly visible from the side.
In the first two cases, the dog is put on a diet and physical activity is increased. Despite popular belief, gaining pounds is much more difficult than losing it. To gain not only fat, but also muscle mass, you will have to work hard - both the owner and the dog itself.
The main mistakes made by owners
Often the main mistake of all dog breeders is the wrong approach to the diet of their furry pet. It is important to remember that the amount of food consumed should be proportionate to the physical activity of the animal.
If the dog leads an active lifestyle, then the amount of food needs to be increased; if he prefers more rest, then do not overfeed him. Obesity is a common problem in pets, so don’t be fooled by your pet’s puppy dog eyes. The dog will continue to eat, no matter how much it is fed. This syndrome in animals is called pathological greed.
It is important to control the animal’s diet; it is best to feed at certain hours, this will discipline the animal. There are times when your pet has had a very active day and needs an extra portion, so pay attention to the behavior.
Accustom your dog to discipline by feeding at certain hours, and it is necessary to remove the dog's bowl 15-20 minutes after adding food. And it doesn’t matter whether the dog ate everything or not.
Necessary elements for a dog menu
An important rule when feeding an animal with dry food is to drink plenty of fluids. Water should always be in an accessible place, especially during hot periods. Change the water regularly to keep it fresh. Lack of sufficient amounts of important elements in food such as:
- Calcium,
- Glycerophosphate,
- Bone meal and other minerals lead to imbalance and the development of a number of diseases.
- A lack of microelements disrupts the normal functioning of internal organs, reducing resistance to various diseases and infections.
But this does not mean that you need to be diligent; an excess of various elements also does not benefit the animal. An increase in the amount of minerals often provokes the development of bone fragility, and as a result, frequent bone fractures.
Experienced dog breeders know that some dog foods need to be excluded altogether, due to intolerance by the body or the inability to process them. Here is a list of such products:
- All sweets. Sugar is generally difficult to process, especially in animals, so various cakes, sweets and any sweet products are prohibited from being given to dogs. The required amount of sugar is already present in your pet's food.
- Restrictions also apply to the salt included in the diet. Its quantity must be minimized.
- There are some types of meat that are not recommended for feeding dogs: pork and lamb. The reason for this is the abundant amount of fats that are difficult for the body to process.
- Due to lactose intolerance, many animals cannot be given milk. Milk is only beneficial for puppies.
- It is necessary to exclude the consumption of fruits, especially pears and grapes, as they can cause diabetes.
- Various spices and chemical flavoring additives can cause a severe allergic reaction, including fainting.
Raw foods
There is also a lot of controversy regarding the consumption of raw foods. Of course, it is sometimes necessary to include raw foods like:
- Raw lean meat
- Fish,
- Vegetables.
To prevent raw foods from causing your animal to become infected with parasites, you need to douse them with boiled water before feeding. The older the dog, the more often it needs to be given bones to replenish calcium.
How and what to feed a losing weight dog
A dog that has lost significant weight is gradually returned to a normal diet, first by slightly limiting the animal’s activity. In this case, the following rules are adhered to:
- if the dog eats natural products, then the diet must include porridge and light soups;
It is recommended to flavor raw vegetables with vegetable oil or low-fat sour cream - this promotes better absorption of vitamins;- even an animal on dry food should be periodically given raw meat (excluding lamb and pork), but it must first be doused with boiling water to avoid infection with helminths;
- Boiled fish fillets are added to the menu 1-2 times a week.
To pamper your pet with a treat, give him a “sugar” bone to chew on as a snack. But foods high in carbohydrates (baked goods, sweets), spices, flavorings, smoked foods and fried foods should be excluded completely.
Milk is only good for babies; adult dogs have a low lactose tolerance.
What to do to prevent your dog from losing weight
To avoid weight problems in your dog, you must follow the recommendations described above. The right approach to feeding your pet will help eliminate a number of reasons for the animal’s sudden weight loss.
If you regularly feed your dog various fresh vegetable salads, then you should add a little sour cream to them, this will help to absorb the vitamins received well. Under no circumstances should you force an animal to eat. It is better to find out the reason for this behavior by consulting a doctor. You can check some signs yourself and rule out a number of reasons for your dog’s weight loss:
- Examine the animal's mouth yourself for various damage to the teeth and gums.
- Visually examine the condition of the animal's excrement for the presence of helminths. Whether a dog has diarrhea or constipation can be determined by the consistency of the stool: liquid or solid.
- Normally, dog excrement should not be very hard, but not liquid either.
- It is possible to prevent helminths, but first you should consult with a veterinarian which remedy is best and safest to use.
In custody
It is important for any dog owner to remember that gradual or sudden weight loss is a clear sign of problems in the dog’s body. Therefore, it is important to stop such a symptom in time in order to avoid serious violations leading to the development of severe pathologies.
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Proper nutrition
It is known that a dog should not be fed food from the table. However, many careless owners still cannot learn this rule. Proper nutrition is the key to the health and longevity of your four-legged pet. No matter how busy you are with your daily activities, you must find time to choose complete, high-quality food for your little friend. There are many options on the market today that you can choose from. If you don’t want to buy professional food, then prepare it specifically for your dog. You need to find time for this, even sacrificing your own rest and entertainment. The food should be of high quality, as for yourself. There is no need to save money on a dog, this is a big misconception. Subsequently, treating your pet will cost much more.
Viral diseases
We are talking about such serious diseases as hepatitis and adenovirus, which are always accompanied by changes in body weight. As a rule, such ailments require extensive treatment. Against the background of severe intoxication of the body, the pet can lose significant weight. For this reason, it is always recommended to seek help from a veterinary clinic. Viral diseases are life-threatening for animals. They cannot be neglected or pretended that nothing is happening. The owner must mobilize his strength as much as possible and help the pet recover to the required level.
Oncological processes
Malignant formations and metastases also lead to a sharp weight loss in the animal. The danger lies in the fact that in most cases it is possible to identify the disease only in the later stages. The initial stages of cancer are latent, without pronounced symptoms, so they are often discovered during diagnostics not related to oncology.
Late stage cancer is not curable, but stops. The animal is prescribed a course of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. These methods are quite harsh, they harm not only malignant cells, but also healthy ones, so the dog loses weight and feels unwell, both during treatment and after it. With the help of competent restorative therapy, it is possible to restore the dog’s strength and appetite.
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Wool condition
You need to monitor your pet's appearance. A skinny black dog will look very pitiful and will not make a very good impression from the outside. People around her may begin to feel sorry for her just because she looks unkempt most of the time. It is unlikely that a self-respecting owner would want such a development of events. The fur also needs to be looked after so that the pet looks neat and clean. The dog will respond with devotion and gratitude. The condition of the coat directly reflects the degree of well-being of the dog. The more the owner takes care of it, the better the animal looks. Long-haired cats need to be brushed regularly. It is best to carefully cut off any mats that appear, so as not to accidentally injure your pet’s delicate skin. The main thing is that animals must be regularly treated for fleas and ticks. These blood-sucking insects are carriers of many diseases that cause weight loss in dogs.
There are many reasons why a dog may lose significant weight. It should be remembered that a large, thin dog almost always looks sloppy and tired. Looking at it, it seems that the owner is simply saving on keeping the animal.
The skinniest dog in the world is William the dog in England. Being quite large in size, it weighed only 3 kg. It was in this condition that he was taken from the shelter. Now he is stronger, he even accompanied his mistress to the altar.
Every prudent person is obliged to take responsibility for the well-being of his four-legged friend.
Allergic reactions
Food allergies are another reason why your dog eats and loses weight. With this pathology, the animal’s body begins to function in emergency mode, which leads to increased energy consumption and a decrease in body weight. This condition is accompanied by certain signs: the dog begins to actively itch, the flow from the eyes and nose intensifies, and the appetite worsens. Irritated areas may appear on the skin, and hair may fall out in places.
If during the initial examination it was not possible to detect parasites that can cause such symptoms, you should give your pet an antihistamine. If the symptoms begin to subside, then it is still an allergy problem.
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Oral injuries
A dog's lack of appetite and weight loss may indicate possible damage to the oral cavity or foreign bodies in it.
Stomatitis is an inflammation of the oral cavity that often causes failure.
from eating. Signs of the disease are:
- Profuse salivation.
- Thirst.
- Very unpleasant smell from the mouth.
- Ulcers on gums and inner cheeks.
Poor condition of the teeth, the presence of stone on them or foreign bodies (bone fragments, remains of hard food) in the oral cavity can cause painful sensations when eating, and as a result, complete or partial refusal of it.
Breed Features
In some cases, lack of weight does not indicate a pathology in the body, but the normal condition of the animal. Tall, thin dogs can have enviable health. A person who understands these issues will definitely be able to tell the difference. It is worth remembering that some dog breeds naturally have a lightweight exterior.
These include: Greyhound, Dalmatian, Chinese Crested, Great Dane, Italian Greyhound. These animals are never well-fed, no matter how they are fed. Their elegance looks quite graceful. Only in this case can a long, thin dog look beautiful. Owners of dogs of these breeds should not force-feed their pets.
Gastrointestinal problems
Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach and its mucous membrane. Despite the fact that the cause of this disease is a certain type of bacterium, there are a large number of associated factors that aggravate the course of the disease. This includes an incorrect pet diet with non-compliance with the temperature of the food given, and infection with helminths, a lack of iron-containing components in the body, and even a stressful situation. Signs of gastritis:
- Decreased and then complete lack of appetite.
- Weight loss.
- Frequent profuse vomiting with elements of undigested food and saliva;
- "rumbling" in the stomach.
- Very unpleasant smell from the mouth.
- The coat is not shiny and dandruff appears.
