My senior chihuahua lost a bit of weight. Should I be concerned?

Hi. For weight loss, we would want a CBC checked, a full chemistry to check liver/kidneys/electrolytes/and glucose, a thyroid, and a urine test. If those are all normal, xrays will need to be done in weight loss cases. Good 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!

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!

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, this unexplained weight loss in Mia definitely worries me. 2 lbs of loss in a large dog wouldn't be too alarming, but in Mia's case she's lost 25% of her original body weight and that should absolutely be investigated. It is never normal for a dog to lose this much weight and almost certainly indicates a medical problem. I recommend bringing Mia to the vet for evaluation. Anticipate that your vet will likely start with an exam, then will probably recommend checking a fecal sample and running bloodwork. Dramatic weight loss in young dogs can be due to problems with digestion (such as inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatic insufficiency), congenital issues (such as a liver shunt), intestinal parasites, and (less commonly) cancer, among other things. I hope this helps and you can get to the bottom of Mia's weight loss soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. Based on these symptoms I would recommend having Leo examined by a veterinarian so he can have testing performed to rule out the possible causes. I would want to see what his kidneys, liver and everything else are doing to ensure that there is no systemic illness leading to the weight loss. I would also recommend having his urine tested to ensure there is no urinary tract infection. With the difficulty urinating, I would be concerned that there may be a bladder stone, crystals in the urine, bladder tumor or other disease of the urinary tract. A urinary stone can cause a urinary obstruction which can cause many other problems, which is why it is best to have this looked at sooner rather than later. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have other questions.

This is quite worrisome in an older dog. She could have an abdominal mass or fluid causing the enlarged stomach. I recommend a veterinary exam and X-ray, and blood panel to see if there are any abnormalities. Once they find the reason for the weight gain then they can discuss treatment options. PleSe take her in soon to find the cause. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

It sounds like Chachi has a lot going on! What I am understanding Is that Chachi is lethargic (just lying in bed all day), he has gained about a pound and a half over the last 6 months despite eating less. He has symmetrical hair loss and is aways cold, and his vision in the dark is getting worse. You were told that the cause of the hair loss was CDA (color dilution alopecia). While this could cause the hair loss, CDA does not cause other symptoms in addition to hair loss; CDA does not explain the lethargy or weight gain. Melatonin has not helped his symptoms. I am a little confused on his T4 results. Was a whole thyroid panel run, including a TSH? Were there any abnormalities on general bloodwork? (cbc and chemistry profile) All of this information can be helpful in piecing together what the problem is and how to best manage it. An abdominal ultrasound may also be recommended to more fully evaluate what may be causing the lethargy and weight gain. It may be worth considering a consultation with an internal medicine specialist. Their advanced knowledge and experience managing complicated endocrine cases can be extremely helpful in cases that are difficult to manage. Find one near you here: https://find.vetspecialists.com I am sorry that I don't have any specific answers or recommendations for you and Chachi, but I don't really have enough information to fathom a guess at what may be causing his issue. You can request an online consultation for a "back and forth" exchange of information that may be more beneficial to you. Again, I encourage you to consider seeing a specialist with Chachi. Thank you for using PetCoach!