My dog lost weight, but his chest looks big. Is his heart enlarged?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know well what is going on without being able to evaluate this area. This could be just extra skin but on the other hand this could also be something like a growth. I recommend that you check in with a veterinarian who can examine him for further assessment and treatment. They can then decide if any therapy is needed if this is something significant. Best of luck!

An enlarged heart could mean that your dog is developing heart disease but it could also just be normal for your dog. Your vet could submit a blood test called a proBNP which helps detect heart disease. You could also have a cardiologist perform an ultrasound of her heart to evaluate the function of her hear and measure the size.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Fat can accumulate in other areas than just under the skin. It can also accumulate in the abdomen and chest. What you are pinching in the picture is just skin, not the fat underneath the skin. To assess fat, you need to feel the ribs. If you have to push and cannot readily feel the ribs then Krispy is overweight. You should also see an hourglass shape in the abdomen when looking at him from the side and the top. It looks like Krispy doesn't have an hourglass shape, therefore he is overweight. The assessment of weight isn't just based upon numbers on a scale, but 64 pounds seems excessive for a dog that size. I hope this helps! Kisses to Krispy!

It’s impossible to know without a physical exam but some reasons for an enlarged abdomen include weight gain, pregnancy, hypothyroidism and ascites. Some of these conditions are serious and require treatment. Since there is no obvious cause, I recommend to have Emma examined by her veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Opie looks pretty normal in the pictures. It may be that he's just getting a bit overweight. If he's breathing normally, not panting while resting and calm, has good energy and appetite, then it's probably ok to watch it and just keep an eye on his weight. If he's doing anything funny, or you just have a bad feeling about it, it's worthwhile to have a quick exam to make sure it's normal. Good luck!

Yes, that is all normal. His weight appears fine in this photo. The biggest problem in pet dogs is obesity so it is preferable for them to be their ideal weight or just a bit underweight. I would not be worried. Great question!

Jacko needs to see a vet. He is pretty skinny, and that combined with a distended abdomen means there may be something serious going on, such as heart disease or liver failure or heart worm disease. The vet will do an exam and may need to run x-rays or blood work to make a diagnosis so they can initiate proper treatment.