My pet is skinny with diarrhea & sneezes, but still active. Worms?

Hi there. Weight loss in a puppy Bear's age is concerning. It could be the parasite but also diarrhea can cause weight loss quickly. I would recommend taking him into your vet for blood work and fecal testing to diagnose what is causing the diarrhea, and get him the treatment he needs. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bear! Diarrhea can be a sign of a vaccine reaction but since he was having abnormal stools prior to the Vet visit I think it is likely a continuation of his previous issues. I would still ask for deworming medications as adult worms do not always shed eggs that will show up in the stool sample. I would also change his food and get him on a puppy food that doesn't contain chicken. It is possible the weight loss and chronic abnormal stools are due to a food allergy. If that doesn't improve his weight and stools then I would do blood work and B12/folate/TLI/PLI testing for intestinal and pancreatic disease. Causes of poor weight gain/weight loss and diarrhea in a puppy are: intestinal parasites, food allergy/intolerance, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatic insufficiency. Good luck!

The best way to know if Lewis has parasites would be to have his feces checked for them by a veterinarian. Signs of parasites can vary from no signs to weigh loss, diarrhea/vomiting and lethargy. It depends on what type of parasites are present and how many are there. Some parasites can also spread to people. There are many reasons pets can be underweight and knowing the parasite status is important. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs and fecal analysis) may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor guy. Depending on his age, he could have intestinal parasites, kidney disease, diabetes, or even cancer causing his symptoms. It is very difficult to tell without having a vet nearby to run some diagnostic tests on your pet Beruang. You can certainly start with a broad spectrum dewormer on him, but beyond that you will need to get into contact with any nearby vet to have him looked at. I hope that Beruang's condition improves soon! Best wishes and take care.

Tapeworms or other parasites are definitely a possibility if your pup eats a lot and doesn't gain weight. However, there are other causes that may also cause failure to gain weight such as metabolic illnesses or other underlying conditions. Signs of parasites may include issues such as diarrhea, visible worms in the stool (tapeworms will look like grains of rice, while roundworms will look like spaghetti), vomiting, etc in addition. If you're unsure if Mika has worms, it is best to bring in a sample of her stool to your local vet. They can check it for parasites, let you know if any/which type are there and provide medication to treat it with. If no parasites are found, a complete exam with your vet to rule out any other issues is also a good idea.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry Bear is having problems. Worming puppies properly involves multiple doses to clear out as many of the parasites as possible. The wormers kill the adult worms but then over a 2-3 week period, the immature stages can migrate into the gut again, so repeated treatments are needed. So worms may be causing this problem or many other things including a food change (too rapid), dietary indiscretion (eating things he is not supposed to eat), foreign bodies, infections, etc. It's best to have your vet evaluate Bear again and decide what tests or treatment that he may need to help clear up the problem. I hope he gets better soon.