My senior dog eats a lot but loses weight, won't come in, losing hair.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately, cancer is not uncommon in older dogs and can cause weight loss. Weight loss can also be caused by conditions such as IBD, diabetes, or be a normal part of the aging process. I recommend having Milo seen by a vet for blood work and x-rays to check if he has any masses and make sure his organs are functioning normally. I hope all is well with Milo!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Milo is having some issues eating and is experiencing some weight loss. There can be many medical causes for these types of symptoms including dental disease and tooth pain, pain from osteoarthritis, organ dysfunction, or other causes. My best advice to you and Milo would be to have Milo evaluated by a veterinarian to help pinpoint a cause so he can be treated appropriately and hopefully made to feel better around meal times. I hope this helps and best wishes to you and Milo!

Hello, thank you for your question about Milo. I would not be too worried about the position of his tail, if he is able to move it freely and is non-painful this is likely not a problem. Lethargy and lack of weight gain are nonspecific signs that can be indicative of many different underlying disease conditions. If you are interested in looking into this matter further I would recommend having Milo seen by your veterinarian. They can examine him and discuss the need for additional diagnostics such as systemic bloodwork. Hope this helps, Milo is very cute!

Hair loss and increased appetite are common causes of an endocrine disorder called Cushings disease. This is a common problem in older dogs and they usually are drinking more water then normal as well. I would highly encourage you to consider having Diamon evaluated by a veterinarian soon. They may recommend blood work to help determine the diagnosis. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

If you have a copy of Milo's medical record, you can choose a Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach Consult to discuss this fully. Hypothyroidism does not usually cause weight loss in dogs, and the test may be caused by euthyroid sick syndrome, meaning the thyroid hormone is low because of some other illness. There are confirmatory tests that can help your vet decide if Milo needs to be on thyroid therapy. If there are no other abnormalities on a CBC and complete blood chemistry, then additional diagnostics may be indicated, including intestinal parasite screen, GI panel, x-rays, abdominal ultrasound, etc. If Milo has a good appetite without vomiting or diarrhea, you could try feeding more calories. I like Purina ProPlan Sport. You could also try puppy food, which is higher in fat. If you do decide to switch food, mix them together slowly over 2-3 weeks to avoid an upset stomach.

This is pretty rapid weight loss, but if you were feeding quite a bit of table food it’s possible that he’s had a dramatic reduction in calories. There are a few other diseases hat can cause weight loss with a normal appetite however including diabetes and parasites. I would recommend having Mozzarella examined by your vet. If he does not appear to have a medical reason for his rapid weight loss your vet can help put together a weight loss plan to make sure he loses weight slowly to maintain muscle mass.

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.