Why is my older dog losing weight and having trouble urinating?

These signs are usually related either to urinary tract infection, or to kidney problem (failure) or to urinary incontinence. A blood test and urine analysis can rule out kidney failure and urinary tract infection. Urinary incontinence usually derived from a weak urinary sphincter (quite common in old age females). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If you are noticing a loss of weight, especially at this age, I would recommend having his blood tested to make sure that there are no changes on his bloodwork that might indicate a systemic disease or infection. If blood work is normal then an abdominal ultrasound would be my next recommendation to find out why he is losing weight. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and weight loss can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. He may be so weak that that is why it seems like he is urinating and defecating in his bed and laying on it. I recommend that you have Rooney evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. He may have something that he can get over and be fine after. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery! 

Poor Kobe! From your description, I would be very concerned that he has a medical problem causing him to drink and urinate more than normal. In an 11-year-old dog, the most common causes of this problem along with the weight loss you have noticed would be diabetes or Cushing's disease, but liver or kidney problems would also be possible. There is nothing you can do to fix the problem until you get a definite diagnosis, so I would recommend taking Kobe to the vet as soon as you are able to. He/she can do some blood work and a urinalysis to help diagnose the problem, and will get him started on appropriate medication to treat it depending on what is found. In the meantime, please make sure that Kobe has free access to water at all times, even if he is having accidents in the house. Dogs with these problems can very easily become dehydrated without access to water, as you have noticed, so it isn't safe to restrict their water intake.

Oh my. Poor guy. The weight loss and his body condition score is very concerning. Gradual weight loss in older pets is highly suspicous of cancer unfortunately. Other possible causes are intestinal parasites, diabetes mellitus, etc. There is also possible arthritis which is causing Blue to become debilitated and unable to move around well; however, generalized weakness could also be a cause. You can try to feed Blue a high calorie diet (ie puppy food) to help with his muscle tone and try over the counter joint supplements (ie Dasuquin) to help with his mobility. Here is a website link with more financial resources to help you get him seen by a vet for further care because he really needs medical attention and testing to determine if this is something serious or not, and to pursue medical treatment. http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html Best of luck to you and your pet Blue. I really hope he will be ok. Take care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucky. His increased thirst and urination are worrisome. He needs to see his veterinarian for an examination as well as blood work and a urinalysis. His weight loss can be documented as well. I worry that he has developed diabetes as this can be common in his breed. Other causes of his symptoms could include kidney disease, liver problems or an adrenal gland disorder. Once the cause of his symptoms is discovered, treatment can be started. If one of these diseases goes untreated, then the condition can worsen and severe complications can develop. He should be seen sooner rather than later. In the meantime, do not deny him access to water. I hope this information helps!

Poor guy and sorry to hear about your mom passing. The weight loss was good for him and his health: however, his symptoms of increased drinking, urination and loose stool with accidents in the home are suggestive of possible diabetes or a urinary tract infection. His behavioral changes indicate he doesn’t feel well. I would highly recommend taking him to your vet for bloodwork and a urinalysis to check things over. Once we know what is going on internally then we know how we need to treat Elvis to get him wel again. I hope he feels better soon. Best wishes and take care.