Statistics show that five out of ten dogs across the country are overweight. The excess weight weakens their immune system and makes them less active, ultimately shortening their lifespan. Therefore, seeing your dog lose some weight may look like good news.
However, you should be worried if your dog unexpectedly loses significant weight over a short period. Fast weight loss could signify underlying problems for your furry friend. So, what causes weight loss in dogs? Your favorite veterinarian in Mansfield, TX, will discuss the possible reasons in this post.
Inadequate Diet
The most logical first stop on why your dog is losing weight is their diet. Your dog is most likely not consuming enough calories to meet their needs.
Have you recently changed your dog’s food? It’s highly likely that they don’t like the new one. Some dogs notice even the slightest change in food composition and may stop eating because of it.
You may also be feeding the dog inadequate calories unknowingly. If your dog eats a full scoop of their old food, you may need to give them two or more scoops of the new food to match the previous calorie intake. Check the feeding instructions to ensure you’re feeding your dog correctly.
If you haven’t replaced your dog’s food recently, confirm it hasn’t gone bad.
Intestinal Parasites
Various intestinal parasites can invade your dog’s digestive system and cause unexplained weight loss. While in there, they will absorb some of the nutrients that should go toward helping your dog maintain a healthy weight and live a normal life.
The most common intestinal parasites include hookworms, tapeworms, and roundworms.
If you suspect intestinal parasite activity in your dog, you need to visit the veterinarian for diagnostic testing.
Heartworms
Heartworms are aggressive parasites that can damage organs such as kidneys, liver, and heart in dogs. The worms cause these organs to overwork themselves to failure.
Mosquitoes spread heartworms. If you notice a sharp decline in your dog’s weight weeks after spending time in mosquito-rich areas, you need to schedule diagnostic testing with your vet.
Diabetes Mellitus
Dogs with diabetes often leave owners confused. They are more likely to research what causes weight loss in dogs in that situation. This is because dogs living with diabetes will show a significant drop in weight without any visible drop in their appetite (in the early stages).
They lose weight because the sickness makes glucose absorption more difficult. So, even though the dog still eats normally, the cells are starving. Increased appetite, more frequent urination, and higher levels of thirst are some of the earliest symptoms of diabetes in dogs.
If the sickness progresses long enough, the dog’s appetite will drop. Therefore, dog owners must treat diabetes as a life-threatening emergency.
Physical Pain
Your dog may stop eating if it’s experiencing any type of pain. For example, a dog with a broken tooth or sores in any part of the mouth may avoid eating because chewing worsens the pain.
Similarly, a blockage in a dog’s gut can make digesting food painful. Most dogs in that scenario will avoid food. Other causes of pain in dogs include tumors and allergies.
Some top signs to watch for to confirm that physical pain is the cause of your dog’s weight loss include drooling or panting, avoiding touch to the stomach, strange breathing sounds, vomiting, and more. If you notice any of these signs, book a checkup with your vet.
Kidney Disease
Kidney disease or failure can cause sudden weight loss in dogs. It’s a condition you’re most likely to see in older dogs.
Old age causes the organs to wear out. When the kidneys aren’t working optimally, the body may struggle to eliminate waste from the blood, causing a range of sicknesses that will trigger fast weight loss. Â
Some of the top signs of kidney disease include increased lethargy, an increase in water consumption, and more frequent urination.
Liver Disease
Many factors can cause liver disease in dogs. Some of the most common include genetic predisposition, untreated heartworms, diabetes, and excessive use of antibiotics. Apart from weight loss, other symptoms to watch in dogs with liver disease include:
- More thirst
- More frequent urination
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Yellowing of the eyes
- Bloody stool
If you notice these systems while monitoring your dog’s health, visit your vet for a definitive diagnosis. Your dog can make a complete recovery with consistent treatment and management.
Cancer
Cancer causes weight loss in dogs for various reasons. First, the cancer absorbs nutrients in the dog’s body, causing the loss of tissue and muscle fat. Secondly, the cancer causes cells in the body to burn more energy than usual, causing the dog to feel sick and lose weight.
Emotional Problems
Dogs battling stress, depression, and anxiety tend to lose interest in their food. Common stressors that cause emotional problems in dogs include the addition of a new pet to the household, neglect, and moving to a new house. Â
Exposure to too many stressors can weaken the dog’s immune system, leading to infections that can worsen the weight loss problem.
Thyroid Problems
If your dog’s thyroid glands produce thyroid hormones beyond the normal threshold (known as hyperthyroidism), their metabolism will increase significantly, making their usual calorie intake inadequate.
Other signs of hyperthyroidism beyond weight loss include hyperactivity and diarrhea.
Find the Cause of Your Dog’s Unexplained Weight Loss at Penny Paws Animal Clinic
The various examples of what causes weight loss in dogs make self-diagnosis difficult. The best way to confirm why your dog has lost so much weight is to book a professional diagnosis with a veterinarian.
At Penny Paws Animal Clinic, our veterinarians are always on hand to provide thorough diagnostic services for your dog. We’ll compare the physical changes, signs and symptoms, and testing results to find out why your dog isn’t eating and why it has lost weight before formulating a recovery plan.
We offer our services across Texas. Visit the contact page to find a clinic nearest to you.