My Jack Russell eats more but is losing weight. Worms or exercise?

This is pretty rapid weight loss, but if you were feeding quite a bit of table food it’s possible that he’s had a dramatic reduction in calories. There are a few other diseases hat can cause weight loss with a normal appetite however including diabetes and parasites. I would recommend having Mozzarella examined by your vet. If he does not appear to have a medical reason for his rapid weight loss your vet can help put together a weight loss plan to make sure he loses weight slowly to maintain muscle mass.

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!

You are correct this could be due to the increase in exercise. If Tech is eating the same, but exercising a lot more than before, then I would look into increasing the amount of food he receives. In order to best know how much he would need, I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can weigh him, and advise you on how much he needs to gain, and a safe way for him to do that. I would bring a sample of his feces with you for the vet to examine. The reason being is that intestinal worms can cause a dog to lose weight despite eating, and if he's outside all the time running around and isn't up to date on his deworming treatment, that could also contribute to his weight loss.

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.

Poor guy. Check his stools and make sure he doesn't still have worms. If he does then he will need a second treatment. In most situations puppies need two deworming treatments anyway, done 2 weeks apart. If he doesn't have worms and the stool is abnormally loose or soft, then talk to the vet about checking for bacteria and other parasites. In most cases of puppy weight loss it is a parasite issue. Some other uncommon causes are a malabsorption problem, endocrine disorder or pancreas problem. These disease processes would require bloodwork to be done on your pet to properly diagnose and treat. Also make sure you puppy is on a high quality dog food such as Royal Canin, Hill's science diet, Evo, Merrill, etc. And keep in mind that a few ounces difference day to day may be abnormal fluctuation for your puppy, especially after recovering from a worm infestation.

Poor Max! Losing weight despite being fed can be a sign of a medical illness, such as diabetes, intestinal parasites, or an inability to properly digest nutrients. I would make sure Max is up to date on his deworming treatment, and if he isn't, you will need to get one from the vet. The constant scratching could be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, he will need a spot on treatment such as Advantage or Revolution. You will need to disinfect the environment as well. I recommend taking him into your vet for an exam. The vet can do a physical exam, routine blood tests, and a urinalysis to see if there is a medical cause behind him losing weight. The vet can also do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm if he is up to date on his flea treatment. I would take him into the vet tomorrow for an exam.

Sorry to hear Daisy is unwell! If Daisy is losing weight despite having a good appetite it suggests something is going wrong in her digestive tract meaning she can't get the goodness from her food. Because she is a young dog there could be a condition from birth causing this or a problem she has developed. However what I suspect is the problem is a high worm burden. You say she passed a lot in her faeces, so she will have many inside. Because she is weak and has lost a lot of weight I would take her to the vet because it may not be a case of simply worming her, she may need more treatment if her gut is damaged by the worms. The vet will also be able to give you a good worming product which you should use regularly.