While some dogs could stand to lose a little bit of weight, sometimes weight loss can be excessive and is usually a sign of an underlying disease. Most weight loss in these cases is gradual, so attentive monitoring of your dog’s weight changes is essential. Changes of more than 10% of your dog’s weight is considered clinically significant.
In addition to monitoring their weight, also pay attention to their diet and other behavior, such as activity and drinking habits. The earlier a veterinarian is able to diagnose these conditions, the better the prognosis.
Learn more about weight loss:
Pro tips for visiting the veterinarian:
- Contact your veterinarian if your dog loses 10% or more of their body weight
- If you suspect your dog is losing weight, weigh your dog every day and make note of how much food your dog is eating.
- You can encourage your dog to eat (in the short term) by feeding a diet of plain chicken and rice.
- If your dog lost a lot of weight suddenly, contact your veterinarian right away. If the weight loss is gradual, you should still contact your veterinarian, but it’s less urgent.
- Generally, you want to keep a monthly log of your dog’s weight and BCS.