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Why is my dog trembling, panting, drinking a lot, and losing weight?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog is a 6 year old male Boston terrier named Gunnar. Something had been wrong with him for 1.5 months. He has been trembling, panting, and very recently urinating frequently and drinking large amounts of water. He has also been steadily losing weight and his appetite is decreasing with the exception of treats. We have taken him to the vet twice in the last 2 months but the vet cannot pin point an illness and only says he had high protein levels in his urine. Any suggestions what’s going on?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 4th, 2020

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without knowing Gunnars full history and tests that have been performed it is difficult to say what is going on. I would recommend starting for scratch even if you have already had labs done. I would have a complete blood panel and chemistry panel with thyroid testing preformed. I would test for heartworm disease and tick born diseases. I would also recheck a urine sample and check a blood pressure. Things can change over 2 months so while there may not have been abnormal results then, there may be now. There are many diseases that cause the signs you are seeing so without new labs there is no way you can rule them out for sure. If everything is still normal I would have an abdominal ultrasound done to see what’s going on inside his abdomen. Good luck and kisses to Gunnar!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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