Why isn't my dog gaining weight and shedding so much hair?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Part of her not gaining weight could be due to an intestinal malabsorption issue. Your veterinarian could consider further advanced diagnostics like an abdominal ultrasound and a GI panel to check for something like that. I do suspect that her skin issues are possibly due to allergies and that probably plays a role in her quality of life. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be several causes for no weight gain or weight loss despite eating normally. Intestinal parasites can be a cause as well as pancreatic problems, intestinal absorption issues, metabolic diseases such as liver or kidney disease and certain types of cancers. Hair loss from the ears likewise can have many causes such as fungal infections, bacterial infection, allergies, mite infection, or even autoimmune diseases. I think it would be a good idea if Hunter sees his veterinarian very soon for these issues. Your veterinarian may recommend blood work and a fecal test or other tests as necessary to help determine a diagnosis here.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Weight loss can be a sign of intestinal worms, organ dysfunction or disease (pancreatic insufficiency, liver shunts, kidney disease, liver inflammation/infection, etc.), food allergies or poor diet, and many other conditions. Hair loss can be due to parasites (mange, fleas, etc.), hypothyroidism, allergies (food or environment), immune diseases, etc. Given that Kalu is 2 years old, I would start by getting him dewormed and also get a product that treats for fleas, ticks and mange. See if his problems resolve. If they do not, then see your vet about testing. Best of luck with Kalu!

Excessive shedding of hair can be due to things like stress, certain endocrine diseases, primary dermatologic diseases, or natural loss due to seasonal changes. Based on her unusual cries for attention, she may be less comfortable / contented than she normally is for one reason or another. Pairing this with her inability to gain weight, I would say that it is certainly time to have your veterinarian examine her. While you do not seem to be able to appreciate any identifiable pain response, a thorough physical exam might reveal something less obvious. Reasons for failure to gain weight are usually related to the gastrointestinal tract and will typically include gastrointestinal parasites, certain types of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or generalized anorexia. Hope this helps and that you are able to figure things out for you and Mamas.

It may be related to her food. I would recommend a good quality puppy food until Bella is one year old. I have fed my 13 year old Cocker Spaniel Purina ProPlan for her entire life (puppy, adult, and now senior formulation). You may also discuss checking for intestinal parasites that can prevent weight gain or other nutritional supplements with your vet. Here is an article you may find helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/stool-eating-coprophagy/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not likely to be an infection. This amount of weight loss is quite serious and it could be due to many reasons such as gastrointestinal disease, inflammatory disease, pancreatitis, parasites, cancer, among other possibilities. This warrants a veterinary evaluation as soon as possible for further assessment. Further diagnostics may include abdominal imaging and blood work. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day!

I would start by worming Max and trying to increase his daily intake, buy him food higher in calories and add gravy to make it tasty. Give it a month and if he is still losing weight someting else must be going on so see the vet.