My dog gains and loses weight, stomach changes. Should I worry?

The best way to know if Lewis has parasites would be to have his feces checked for them by a veterinarian. Signs of parasites can vary from no signs to weigh loss, diarrhea/vomiting and lethargy. It depends on what type of parasites are present and how many are there. Some parasites can also spread to people. There are many reasons pets can be underweight and knowing the parasite status is important. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there. Weight loss in a puppy Bear's age is concerning. It could be the parasite but also diarrhea can cause weight loss quickly. I would recommend taking him into your vet for blood work and fecal testing to diagnose what is causing the diarrhea, and get him the treatment he needs. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I’m sorry to hear Pup isn’t feeling well. I would be very concerned about parvovirus since a littermate died and the virus is extremely contagious and can be fatal. I recommend getting Pup to a vet as soon as possible to have her. tested for the virus. If she is positive, I recommend hospitalization with IV fluid therapy and medications because this virus can cause severe dehydration in a puppy that young. If she is negative, I recommend they test her stool for microscopic parasite eggs. Although she may have been dewormed, not all medications treat all parasites and she may have something that needs to be addressed. Good luck and kisses to Pup!

Weight loss can be caused by many problems. A few of these include parasites, diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer. I would certainly be worried about the lump on her side and whether or not it is associated with why she is losing weight. I would encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. They will likely recommend blood work to help determine why she is losing weight as well as sample the lump to find out if it is anything concerning. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Based on what you are describing I would be concerned that Ellie has either a heavy intestinal parasite burden or parvovirus. Both can cause weight loss, dehydration, vomiting and diarrhea. I would recommend taking Ellie to be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. She will likely need treatment (for either disease) to be started right away since she is losing weight already. Your vetnwill probably recommend checking a fecal sample and running a parvo test. At the very least she will need to be dewormed and, if healthy enough, start her vaccines. I hope this helps. Best of luck with Ellie. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Luna! I can definitely understand being worried - it's always scary to see blood or other abnormalities in your dog's stool. The good news is, if she is eating and drinking normally, active, and not vomiting, it's extremely unlikely that she would have parvo or any other serious illness - puppies with parvo are usually very lethargic, not eating, and vomiting frequently. So it doesn't sound like this is likely to be an issue with Luna :) There are lots of things that could cause a milky substance like this with some traces of blood. Colitis, or irritation in the large intestine, can sometimes cause mucus with streaks or flecks of blood to be seen in the stool. This could also occur due to eating something she shouldn't have, or with a minor intestinal infection of some kind. She could also potentially have an infection in her anal glands, which are two scent glands located on either side of the rectum. If she is acting normal apart from this, it's not likely to be an emergency - but if the problem continues, it would be best to call your regular vet or take Luna in for a recheck exam to make sure that everything is okay.

The clinical signs in combination with the age of your dog are causes for concern for the parvovirus. I would make sure she is tested for this immediately, because of how aggressive this disease process can be. It often requires significant hospitalization and therapy in order to make things right.