Why is my dog losing weight, ribs showing, and has orange poop?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Stone is a little thin from the photos, and the amount of weight he has lost in the past 3 weeks is definitely cause for concern. The next steps after checking for intestinal parasites include blood work to make sure that there isn't an underlying infection present and that organ function is normal. It can also determine that food is being digested and nutrients are absorbed appropriately. X-rays and an ultrasound can rule out masses, obstructions, and inflamed bowels. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Losing weight could be a sign of many things and it could range from a poor quality dog food, to parasites to something unexpected in a young dog like kidney disease. I do recommend to be safe and have her examined by your veterinarian and have some basic lab work and a stool sample checked for worms. Pay close attention to her bowels for any loose stool, blood or any vomiting which could indicate something like IBD or pancreatic insufficiency. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

He definitely looks very thin. The biggest concern with a dog that eats well, but doesn't gain weight is that he has a disease or heavy parasite burden. There are some inherited diseases like liver shunts that can cause them to be unthrifty like this and there are some acquired infections like Babesiosis that can also cause them to look like this. The only way to know is to have him evaluated by a veterinarian. I recommend taking him soon, because he doesn't look like he has much left to lose. It's also good to bring a stool sample to the vet, so they can check for worms. I hope that helps and Wekko gets better soon.

Poor Tyson....he looks so thin! If the blood-work was normal then the next step would be abdominal and chest x-rays to look for organ enlargement and masses. Your vet can also submit a fecal panel to look for parasites and infections, as well as a TLI to make sure he doesn't have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. If your vet is not able to diagnose then you could take him to a specialist for more advanced testing, like an ultrasound, etc. Hope he gets better soon!

Hello, sorry to hear about Astro. Yes indeed he could have a decreased absorption of his diet causing him to have larger stools and also be losing weight. This may be called exocrine pancreas insufficiency (EPI), however other kinds of underlying issues may include liver disease, kidney disease, and pancreatitis. I would recommend having Astro evaluated and bloodwork submitted to ensure he does not have any of these underlying diseases. Hope this helps and best of luck.

According to the symptom of weight loss, otherwise normal and elevations on bloodwork, I would advise having your pet checked for Cushings disease (due to elevated ALP) via a specific test that your vet can go over with you. Also an abdominal ultrasound should be considered as well to check for any obvious masses since the Globulins were a bit high. Weight loss can also be caused by a change in diet as well, especially if your pet was once overweight, so its best to discuss this possibility with your vet as well. Also it is worth mentioning that none of the medications you listed would cause weight loss as an adverse effect. I do hope that things work out well for your pet moving forward. Best wishes and take care!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! A long illness that takes time for a dog to recover can cause weight loss. From your pictures I do think Timber is too thin. I am glad his appetite is picking back up. If he had appetite and weight issues BEFORE the flu then I would start a work up with your Vet. Things to consider are: fecal testing for parasites, blood work, malabsorption/maldigestion profile (measures B12, folate, TLI, PLI), test for Addison's disease (low cortisol), possibly X-rays of his belly but I would go right for the ultrasound to check for intestinal thickening (IBD vs lymphoma). If all this started after the flu then start bulking up his diet and watch his weight for healthy gain. I hope this helps. I attached a body condition chart to view. I wish you and Timber the best! https://oregonvma.org/files/Purina-Dog-Condition-Chart.pdf