My dog gained weight and is less active. Is this normal? What to do?

Hello. It is possible that the neutering has slowed Jack's metabolism allowing the weight gain. Feeding less, increasing his exercise, switching to a senior diet, or weight reduction diet will all help him to feel better & lose weight. But also consider having Jack examined by your veterinarian. Some metabolic conditions common in older pets, such as hypothyroidism may be at play here. I hope he is feeling better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rocco! I do not think him being neutered 6 months ago has anything to do with a poor appetite and lethargy. the heat can make dogs slow down but it doesn't make Labs not eat! Labs love food. I am worried and recommend you have him seen by your Vet for an exam, blood work and belly X-rays. Possible causes are: kidney problems secondary to Lyme disease (huge issue in US with labs, even young ones), ate something causing a blockage, cancer and many other things. I would take him in since it has been a few weeks. I wish you the best!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. As long as Jacky is not sick and is otherwise normal, I would recommend switching to a different food altogether and consider canned food as well. If you still find he has a picky appetite, I would recommend adding chicken breast or broth to his current diet and see if this helps increase his appetite. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. In bad weather, just do the best you can. Walking in the snow actually burns quite a few more calories then an easy stroll in the grass. Even just walking around the house or up & down stairs is great exercise ( if Simba has no problems with his hips ). Just like in people, it is not what you eat, but how much. You can easily control how much he eats, but you can also switch him to a weight control diet. There are many available, some you can just pick up, others like Hills w/d or r/d require a prescription from your veterinarian. Cut out all treats & table scraps & if Simba begs for treats you can give him a couple of baby carrots, or a few tablespoons of salt free canned green beans. With time, the weight should come off. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! His recent weight gain is likely unrelated to his intact status. It may be a good idea to contact your veterinarian who knows him and can tell you how many calories he should be eating daily based on his weight to avoid further weight gain. You can also consider a weight loss diet such as Hill's metabolic diet. That diet you can get at your veterinarian's office. Good luck!

I think the main thing you will need to do in this case to get him on the path to weight loss is caloric reduction. 4.5 cups of food is a very large amount for this pup. I would go ahead and start by reducing it by about 25% to start and see how things are looking after a week or two. Once he sheds some of that weight, he may want to be a bit more active and willing to do things he wasn't doing previously.