My dog eats a lot but is losing weight. Why is he so thin?

If your vet has deemed him underweight, then he could have intestinal parasites, Addison's disease or even cancer has to be considered if he is an older dog. I would recommend starting with a vet visit for a fecal exam and baseline bloodwork to get things checked out and determine his current health status. I hope this helps and I also hope that Teddy is overall ok. Here is a website link also for a guide on determining your pets body conditon score. https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20dogs.pdf 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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Stone is a little thin from the photos, and the amount of weight he has lost in the past 3 weeks is definitely cause for concern. The next steps after checking for intestinal parasites include blood work to make sure that there isn't an underlying infection present and that organ function is normal. It can also determine that food is being digested and nutrients are absorbed appropriately. X-rays and an ultrasound can rule out masses, obstructions, and inflamed bowels. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the pictures Jack doesn't look skinny, but if they are trying to make him gain weight and he isn't, I recommend taking him to a vet to rule out medical problems. Some possibilities are intestinal parasites, pancreatic problems, intestinal problems, and organ problems to name a few. Also, he may be on an inadequate diet. Once a vet performs a physical exam, they can discuss the testing recommendations. Good luck and kisses to Jack!

I am sorry to hear that Jengo isn’t feeling well. Being a young dog the possible causes that come to mind would be things like intestinal parasites, intestinal foreign objects, congenital organ disease such as the kidneys, diaphragmatic hernia, or even a liver shunt. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. An x-ray, fecal exam, and blood work may be recommended to help determine the diagnosis and the best treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

It would be hard to say without an exam. My first guess would be to parasites, but if she's been dewormed recently, that may be ruled out. It wouldn't hurt to have another fecal exam done just in case, as well as bloodwork to check for any health issues such as metabolic problems, illnesses, ingredient allergies, etc that may be causing the weight loss. Your vet can also perform a body condition score along with tracking Boots' weight to see if she is too skinny, or still at the correct size for her body type.

If your dog is eating but not gaining weight it could be due to the amount your are feeding or the type of food you are feeding. If you look on the back of the bag it will have feeding instructions for your dog's weight. Also it could be due to how active your dog is. If your dog is very active and plays and runs a lot, it could be burning extra calories causing it to not gain weight. If this is the case you can try feeding an "active" formula food. It could also be due to a thyroid problem or even diabetes. If you think your dog is under weight and can't gain any weight you should have an exam done by a veterinarian to determine if the diet needs to be changed, or if some bloodwork needs to be done to be sure everything is functioning properly.