Why is my dog losing weight with ongoing diarrhea and no appetite?

Poor guy. He could have a number of things going on here that can cause chronic diarrhea and weight loss including: malabsorption, inflammatory bowel disease, an endocrine disorder, or even neoplasia (intestinal lymphoma) has to be considered. I would suggest starting with an abdominal ultrasound to evaluate the intestinal lining for any masses or abnormalities. I would also consider getting him on a hypoallergenic prescription diet such as Royal Canin hypoallergenic hp or Hill's Z/D. Many pets also respond to chronic antibiotics (Tylosin powder) to help manage their chronic colitis issues. Here is more information on Tylosin used for Chronic colitis in dogs. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A

I recommend to call your veterinarian. When pets don't respond to treatment as expected, it can mean that the real cause of illness has not been identified. The veterinarian may try a different medication or recommend further diagnostics such as a fecal culture, parasite testing or ultrasound. Mia may also need additional testing of the liver such as a bile acids or endocrine testing. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Remi. In the bloodwork that was run, did it include GI specific testing such as cobalamin, folate, PLI and TLI levels. These are values that will give information such as the location of GI disease (small intestine vs pancreas) and treatment options. I typically do this planel in conjunction with an abdominal ultrasound. This information with the ultrasound can give insight into conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, food sensitivities or as you mentioned cancer. The anti-inflammatory properties of the antibiotic she was on could help even with a tumor in GI tract, but there are so many other causes of diarrhea that would respond as well. I think it is worth pursuing further bloodwork and the ultrasound. If you can get a diagnosis, then a treatment plan can be developed. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Harrison. Your veterinarian ruling out parasites and instituting a diet change were great first steps. This will give an answer or resolve the diarrhea in 75% of cases. Unfortunately, it seems that Harrison is still suffering from intermittent diarrhea. I would recommend bloodwork next. Low cholesterol and/or low albumin levels can indicate serious GI disease. In this case, I typically perform an abdominal ultrasound (by a board certified radiologist) and run blood to check pancreatic function as well as cobalamin and folate levels (vitamins used in digestion). This will guide my treatment protocol as far as diet (I may consider a hydrolyzed diet which can have anti-inflammatory properties), medications (chronic antibiotics, steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs) and supplements (probiotics, vitamin B12, etc). There are lots of options to resolve his diarrhea, but will take a further work up since he has not fully responded to the common causes and treatment. I hope this information helps and I am available for a consultation if you want to discuss Harrison further. Good luck!

It sounds like your vet is very worried about Jake and is recommending a referral to help figure this out as quickly as possible. Family vets are able to run some base line tests, as you describe above, but your pup likely needs some additional diagnostics that a specialist (likely an internal medicine specialist) can provide. They would be looking for causes of extreme weight loss, dehydration, diarrhea, the obstruction event you report, and any other symptoms you report at home. Your vet is right that there are many things this could be and some cases are complicated by more then one problem. A specialist will review all the tests performed, perform a thorough physical exam, and discuss with you what tests are recommended next to get this figured out for Jake. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm sorry Diesel isn't doing well! If he had pancreatitis, you would see symptoms such as repeated vomiting, vomiting undigested food, a hunched pain, a painful abdomen, a distended abdomen, diarrhea, loss of appetite, dehydration, and lethargy. Diesel would be extremely ill if he had pancreatitis, and from what you are describing, I would be inclined to think he doesn't have it. It is possible that he does have cancer even if your vet didn't feel any masses in his abdomen. There can still be tumors even if they can't be palpated, and cancer would cause him to eat and lose weight. Cancer can also cause diarrhea. Certain cancers also do not show any changes in blood work. I recommend having further testing done on him, such as x-rays or an ultrasound of his abdomen. These would help visualize if he has any tumors in his abdomen, and further testing such as a biopsy of them can be done if any are found. Unfortunately cancer is very common in senior dogs. I recommend having him seen by your vet again to discuss further testing. I hope this helps!

Poor Rosemary. Unfortunately, there are several things that can cause these symptoms like parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, toxins, food allergy, bacterial or viral infections, and much more. I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to do a fecal, blood work and even x-rays if needed. Your vet will be able to get her started on a treatment plan to help her feel better. I hope this helps!