Why is my older rescue dog gaining weight and inactive? Is it thyroid?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If you have been having difficulty in getting his weight down, it certainly could be from a disease such as hypothyroidism. If you have not had a veterinarian examine him and test his thyroid level, I would suggest doing so to rule this out as a cause. If his thyroid level is normal then you may want to enquire about Hills Metabolic Diet. The vet would need to provide you with a prescription for this food as well. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Syn is a cutie! You are correct that there are common health issues specific to certain breeds of dogs, but that is found in purebred dogs due to inbreeding. She is a mixed breed, so there aren't really any breed specific health issues for her but that doesn't mean she isn't susceptible to health issues such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, or cancer among others. It certainly is possible she could be suffering from hypothyroidism if she is gaining weight, but that's usually occurring in middle aged dogs (4-10 years of age). It could be that she is getting too much food and not enough exercise leading to her weight gain. I would have her seen by a vet for this weight gain. The vet can do blood tests to determine if she is suffering from hypothyroidism, and can treat her if she does have it. If she is medically normal, then the vet can discuss a diet and exercise program for her. I hope this helps!

Hi there. If you think that you're feeding Sophie a normal amount of food for a dog her size, then it's possible that she may have a medical problem such as hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease causing her to gain weight - these problems are more common in middle-aged and older dogs, but can occasionally be seen in younger pets as well. Your veterinarian can do lab work to check for these issues, and get her started on appropriate treatment if a problem is found. If her lab work shows that she's healthy, then this means she's getting more calories every day than she needs. In simple terms, this means you need to feed her less. You could do this by decreasing the amount of her regular food, or switching to a prescription weight loss diet and following the feeding instructions on the packaging based on her target weight.

Daphne could have a slow metabolism or she could have hypothyroidism. I would recommend to make an appointment for a thyroid panel which is a blood test. This will tell you if she needs thyroid medication. Generally most dogs do well with treatment. If her thyroid is fine, then you may want to think about using a prescription diet dog food. Thank you so much for using Pet Coach.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If you want to rule out hypothyroidism 100% you should have a profile done that includes fT4, TSH, T3, fT3. I like the profile to Michigan State. With that being said, hypothyroidism at 21 months old is exceedingly rare. It occurs in larger breed dogs more commonly. These dogs have stunted growth, have retention of "puppy coat," orthopedic abnormalities due to delayed growth plate closure and many other obvious abnormalities. Dynasty looks very normal. I hope this helps!

I wuld recmmend a full physical exam by your vet to rule out medical causes for the lethargy and weight gain - thyroid disease can commonly cause such signs and heart and liver disease can result in fluid retention (often with some muscle loss and weakness). Bullying and intimidation from a new, dominant dog may also cause her to be reluctant to walk and a calming supplement may help if this is the only reason

I would recommend that Rex have a thorough checkup with a vet. Gaining weight and lethargy can be a symptom of hypothyroidism, which can be confirmed easily with a blood test. However, the shortness of breath has me a little concerned that there could be heart or lung disease also at play. Heart disease can cause fluid build-up in the lungs or abdomen, which can easily be confused for weight (fat) gain. After thorough examination, the vet may recommend bloodwork to check for internal medical illness, and x-rays or ultrasound to see what is going on inside the body. After your vet has a better idea of the cause of Rex's symptoms, then an appropriate treatment plan can be discussed.