My dog is losing weight suddenly. Could an infection be why?

According to the symptom of weight loss, otherwise normal and elevations on bloodwork, I would advise having your pet checked for Cushings disease (due to elevated ALP) via a specific test that your vet can go over with you. Also an abdominal ultrasound should be considered as well to check for any obvious masses since the Globulins were a bit high. Weight loss can also be caused by a change in diet as well, especially if your pet was once overweight, so its best to discuss this possibility with your vet as well. Also it is worth mentioning that none of the medications you listed would cause weight loss as an adverse effect. I do hope that things work out well for your pet moving forward. Best wishes and take care!

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! 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 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.

I’m so sorry to hear about Sargeant. Though your question focuses on the skin, I must insert that weight loss in any dog - but an older dog particularly- is very concerning. Liver, kidney, and heart disease, as well as cancer are the things I would want to rule out first. If you have not yet run a basic blood panel on Sargeant, I would highly encourage it. In terms of the skin, underlying allergies can cause repeated skin infections and hair loss. If Sargeant is itchy, talk to your vet about possibly pursuing allergy treatments. A trial treatment for mites is also a good idea. Finally ringworm, auto-immune disease, and others are possibilities. Best of luck to you and Sargeant!

Poor guy. Not every pet with a fever has an infection, so if the antibiotic isn’t working it’s either because there is no infection, the infection is internal, or the antibiotic is not the right kind of antibiotic for the infection. Your pet needs additional testing to sort this out and make sure we are on the right track with treatment. I would start with baseline bloodwork and a urinalysis. Best to take your pet back in to your vet or to another vet for a second opinion here so that we can get a proper diagnosis and tailored treatment based on your pets specific problem. I hope that your pet is able to make a full and speedy recovery soon! Best wishes and take care.

Infections in the testicles are not generally expected to result in weight loss unless it is some on-going, low grade, chronic issue that causes the appetite to be decreased for a long period of time. An acute infection will cause a pet to not eat for a few days but this is not expected to cause a significant weight loss. I have learned though, that pet's don't always follow the expected course every single time. A cancer in the testicles will cause swelling of the testicle and will cause weight loss as it progresses and metastasizes. If you are noticing swelling in the testicles and/or weight loss, I recommend to have Bear seen by his veterinarian right away. Weight loss can occur for many reasons - from parasites to cancer to kidney disease. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.