My intact male dog is gaining weight and eating more. What's wrong?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Keep in mind that you may perceive him as being eating a lot but his caloric intake may not be sufficient for his body weight. This is easily calculated with the following formula: Trooper's body weight (in kilograms [which is his weight in pounds divided by 2.2]) multiplied by 30 plus 70. This total you multiply it by 1.8 and the result would be the amount of calories that he should be eating per day to gain and maintain a healthy body weight. You can always find the caloric intake of the food you are feeding Trooper online. If you have any questions regarding how to calculate his needed caloric intake per day, contact your veterinarian. Good luck and have a great day!

The pining for females and going on a search for females takes a lot of energy and many male dogs stop eating during that time. Having him neutered will stop this and also keeping him inside and feeding him good quality food may make him gain weight again. However, having him neutered will be best to avoid him getting skinny.

This could be due to several things like age and losing some muscle mass, he may need an increase nutritional requirements, liver or kidney problems, cancer or something else. You could get a baseline weight and increase the amount of food you are feeding as long as there is no other symptoms to see if he puts on some weight. I would reweigh him in 2-4 weeks. If he is still loosing weight or not gaining any weight or if you start seeing additional symptoms, I would have your vet take a look at him. Your vet will be able to do a fecal, blood work and even x-rays if needed to help determine the cause of weight loss. I hope this helps and he starts to gain weight quickly.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Physical activity would definitely help. However, a lot of it comes back to the diet that is fed. It is not necessarily about the amount of cups but it is more about the caloric content in each cup. You can follow the recommended amount of food in the bag (though they tend to recommend a higher amount than needed) or preferably have your veterinarian calculate the needed intake based on the most current weight. I recommend you try the Science Diet metabolic weight management diet which works great for weight loss. Good luck and have a good night!

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.

Most pets lose weight for an underlying reason that should be found out and treated for directly. In puppies that reason is often intestinal parasites, so I would suggest starting with a proper fecal exam through your vet. Most pets, even unneutered males, will still eat an appropriate amount of food, regardless of hormonal influence. At this weight, he should be eating around 2.5- 3 cups daily, and he should still be eating puppy food which is high in calories and ensures proper weight gain in an of itself. Some good food brands to consider for picky eaters are: Royal canin, Eukanuba, Victor, or Fromm. You just have to find a brand he likes. Appetite stimulants are only necessary for sick pets, and also arent' guaranteed to work on pets, especially ones that are just being picky. You can also try adding in canned wet food to see if that encourages him to eat better. : ) Post neuter, he should have limited activity for 10-14 days, wear an e-collar during his recovery to discourage licking of the incision site, keep the incision clean and dry, and close monitoring of the incision site for any discharge or opening of the incision. If you do feel that Leo is ill, then its best to get him seen by your veterinarian right away for proper care. However, most Siberian Husky breeds are on the leaner side, so it is very possible he is of proper weight already, check with your vet who can do a proper physical exam and determine this for you. Best of luck with your puppy Leo moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

You may want to have your dog neutered. He is likely smelling females in heat and wants to go look for them He likely is losing weight due to the hormonal stress, as smelling females would not make him interested in food. He will possibly need worming and a top quality food such as by Royal Canin, or Iams or Hill's. You may want to change to another veterinarian who will actually try to find out whether your dog is ill or not and does not just tell you to let him go (whatever he means by that).