Why is my dog drinking lots, losing weight, and has dry, shedding skin?

These signs could be compatible with a metabolic or possibly endocrine disorders. Diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, renal failure, liver problems can be all responsible for those signs. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Blood tests and urine analysis would be ideally needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.

There are many, many illnesses which can cause weigh loss and weakened skin and there is no way we can diagnose this accurately from the history here. A full physical exam and possibly blood tests and ultrasound scan./xray may ve required to investigate this fully.

With the weight loss as well as the skin condition I would recommend a blood test to rule out internal diseases such as liver disease as well as a skin scrape and possible biopsy in order to fully investigate the underlying cause and to guide the most appropriate treatment

I would be very concerned about that amount of weight loss and I doubt it would be related to fleas alone. Kidney disease, diabetes or certain types of cancer could cause weight loss and an increase in water consumption. I would recommend seeing a veterinarian- they may recommend checking some blood work after a physical exam.

Regarding her itchiness and bald patches, I do worry this could be a skin infection. Skin infections can be caused by bacteria, yeast, or both, and need long courses of oral medications as well as frequent medicated shampooing. Regarding her increase in thirst, that could be related to things like diabetes or kidney disease. In older unspayed females, if the uterus becomes infected and needs surgical removal, increased thirst can be one of the first signs. I would take Storm to see a veterinarian for a full physical exam when possible.

Poor Trixie! That is very concerning that she is losing weight and she should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. She could have an infection, parasite, kidney/liver disease, endocrine disease, etc. Your vet can run some lab-work to help diagnose and then determfine the best way to treat, depending on the cause. She may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or other medications to help. You could also bathe her with a medicated dog shampoo and see if that helps with her skin condition.

I'm glad to hear that Charlie is still playful and eating well despite these changes. With his excessive drinking and urination, hair loss, and skin discoloration, my main concern is that he may have Cushing's disease, which is an endocrine disease in which the adrenal glands produce excess quantities of steroids. Other possible causes of his increased drinking and urination could be related to diabetes, kidney disease, urinary tract infection, among other issues. At this point, I strongly recommend taking Charlie to his vet for an exam and blood testing to try to get to the bottom of this issue so that treatment can be started. I hope this helps and that all goes well!