Why is my dog gaining weight, aggressive, and chewing her tail?

Poor girl. It is really common for dogs used only for breeding to not understand play and to not be very active. If she is gaining weight despite being on a diet then I would worry about thyroid issues. She doesn’t look like she is very heavy. Also remember if she was recently spayed she will gain some weight after that due to her hormones being lowered. As far as her gum disease, if she is healthy enough (heart sounds okay and blood work normal), I would talk to your vet if she is a candidate for a dental cleaning and extractions of any diseased teeth. I hope this helps.

I wuld recmmend a full physical exam by your vet to rule out medical causes for the lethargy and weight gain - thyroid disease can commonly cause such signs and heart and liver disease can result in fluid retention (often with some muscle loss and weakness). Bullying and intimidation from a new, dominant dog may also cause her to be reluctant to walk and a calming supplement may help if this is the only reason

That could be actually not a behavioural problem but due to a metabolic/endocrine disease especially if the weight is constant or decreased. I would recommend a check up at your local vets to determine and eventually rule out any possible disease.

Daphne could have a slow metabolism or she could have hypothyroidism. I would recommend to make an appointment for a thyroid panel which is a blood test. This will tell you if she needs thyroid medication. Generally most dogs do well with treatment. If her thyroid is fine, then you may want to think about using a prescription diet dog food. Thank you so much for using Pet Coach.

I am sorry to hear of your concerns for Athena. You could be dealing with any number of issues for her unfortunately, ranging from a skin infection (bacterial or fungal) to a condition known as demodectic mange. Without being able to perform and exam and some testing it is difficult to say what you are dealing with for her. I would recommend continuing with the Advantix each month, was her bedding and clean her kennel regularly, and consider trying an oatmeal based shampoo if there seems to be any itching associated with the hairless patches. Have you looked into a vet that makes house visits? This may be a good option for you if Athena is too strong for you to handle in a regular clinic situation. A house call vet would be able to come and do an exam, perform some testing on Athena's skin, and hopefully give you a better idea of what is going on.

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. I think I just answered a question about Aysha! The tail tip doesn't worry me, a lot of dogs get the hairless area. My own dog has it. The other picture of the moth eaten appearance to her fur is not normal. A lot of skin conditions looks the same unfortunately. The hair loss could be form a skin infection (bacteria or yeast), from demodex (a non contagious mite) or ring worm. Also I know we were discussing her being over weight and a low thyroid. A low thyroid can predispose dogs to skin infections. Also food allergies can also. I think you have a few reasons to see your Vet now! Good luck!

I would recommend that Rex have a thorough checkup with a vet. Gaining weight and lethargy can be a symptom of hypothyroidism, which can be confirmed easily with a blood test. However, the shortness of breath has me a little concerned that there could be heart or lung disease also at play. Heart disease can cause fluid build-up in the lungs or abdomen, which can easily be confused for weight (fat) gain. After thorough examination, the vet may recommend bloodwork to check for internal medical illness, and x-rays or ultrasound to see what is going on inside the body. After your vet has a better idea of the cause of Rex's symptoms, then an appropriate treatment plan can be discussed.