My dog is losing weight ..worried.

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al shookup
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Joined: 23 Dec 2009, 16:39

My dog is losing weight ..worried.

Post by al shookup »

Louie is twelve in September and has just got over a bout of Pancreatitis and we are now feeding him senior food.
However, he is currently hungry all the time even though he eats more than he normally did but is losing weight and you can see his skeleton quite prominently.
His weight is now at 9.1 kg which is about the same as he was when a very young dog but he is still active even though he has spine and left leg problems causing him to shiver a lot..
We worm him regularly as per recommendations so it should not be the cause.
Has any other owners experienced anything similar and any ideas on what it could be?

thanks
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zeta1454
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Re: My dog is losing weight ..worried.

Post by zeta1454 »

Sorry to hear that Louie is losing weight - what weight was he previously as 9.1 kg is certainly a reasonable weight for a mini schnauzer unless he is quite tall?

It would need a vet to diagnose a health issue that may be causing the weight loss but a couple of comments regarding the food and worming. Senior dogs do need good quality protein and often more than they did as younger adults as their ability to absorb nutrients from their food declines with age. It is possible that the low fat ‘senior’ food that you are giving Louie does not have high enough quality protein to maintain his body weight and muscle mass. Dogs often struggle at any age to absorb grains and legumes in the diet and really need first class meat / fish as the main source of protein and many big name brands of dog-food do fill up their products with poor quality ingredients. This is from the American Kennel Club advice on feeding the senior dog

“ A study comparing protein requirements in 2-year-old Beagles versus 13-year-old Beagles found that the senior dogs needed at least 50 percent more dietary protein.”

The full article is on this link:

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutri ... enior-dog/

As regards the worming - has Louie suffered with worms as there should not normally be a need to give worming treatments unless a dog is diagnosed as having an infestation of worms. We periodically have our dogs’ poo tested via Wormcount and none have ever had worms present - our dogs range in age from 1 year to 14 years of age (12 dogs altogether) and they have not had any anti-parasite treatment as it has never been needed. The problem with many chemical worm treatments is that they can affect the efficient working of the digestive system in a dog if over-used, rather like continually taking antibiotics will damage the functioning of the immune system. Medications should be used as needed to treat a problem rather than ‘just in case’.

However, there are certain health conditions which can also cause weight loss in older dogs so, if you have any cause to think that Louie’s weight loss may be more than just the possibility of poor absorption of food or not enough quality protein due to his age, do have a blood screen done at the vets to check heart, liver and kidney function etc.
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

Magic - Silversocks Sharade at Darksprite
Trilby - Darksprite Rosa Bud


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al shookup
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Joined: 23 Dec 2009, 16:39

Re: My dog is losing weight ..worried.

Post by al shookup »

Thanks for responses. Louie was on the mend briefly but has slid back into Pancreatitis problem again. My wife has been a star with him and has tried numerous things to get him to eat. Been to the vets again and on tablets to give him an appetite and tablets to reduce acids in his stomach. Seem to be working a bit but the stomach tablets are also for depression and are making him slow and dreamy. The vet said Pancreatitis is quite common in older miniature Schnauzers.
Also he appears to be suffering with a bit of dementia (he is 12 in September) so a worrying time. He weighs 8.9 kg at the moment and is quite a tall mini.
Anyone have similar problems please?
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zeta1454
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Posts: 5136
Joined: 19 May 2011, 16:58
First Name: Leigh
Dog #1: Magic
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 20 Apr 2010
Dog #2: Trilby
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 15 Mar 2012
Dog #3: Pip
Born: 21 Feb 2014
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: My dog is losing weight ..worried.

Post by zeta1454 »

So sad to hear that Louie is still unwell.

If you are using dry food, I would try Louie with something more tasty. Would he eat home cooked food? Cooked chicken or turkey with a small amount of blended vegetables perhaps? You could also try Dorwest Herbs Tree Barks powder mixed into his food as this is excellent for supporting the digestive system through pancreatitis issues and convalescence. This link explains more:

https://www.dorwest.com/blog/soothe-dog ... ks-powder/

If the tablets from the vet are causing neurological problems this may make it harder to work out if Louie does have the beginnings of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (dementia in dogs ) or if he is just affected by the medication. Our 14 year old dog currently does have some age related symptoms - standing still for periods as if in a dream and at other times quite restless but I think the latter may be due to his mild arthritis which may be making it uncomfortable at times to lie in one place - nothing too serious however. It is really sad when our dogs do start to show signs of old age which comes on so fast compared to human ageing.

Just on a general note, we have never had any issues with our mini schnauzers over the years as regards pancreatitis and I do think it is more common with highly processed dry food diets which place too much stress on the pancreas and the digestive system as a whole. The fresher and less processed the food, as with humans, the better is their health. We have raised seven mini schnauzers over the past 20 years and two lived to 14 years old with no digestive issues and our current mini, Magic who was 11 in April has never had pancreatitis either. I think vets may have a skewed view as they only see sick animals for the most part and don’t know how many fit and well older minis there are who never come into the surgery.

I do also have reservations about vets who are continually prescribing medication and anti-parasite preventatives to dogs when they have not established either cause or need. The problem with overloading any creature with chemicals especially when they are unwell is the likelihood they will get worse. I know it is a difficult situation with reliance on vets as, obviously we want to trust they are advising and prescribing for the best welfare of our dogs but in an increasing number of cases nowadays it seems that many vet surgeries are more focused on selling products than caring for the animals’ welfare. This is why with our dogs I have taken the decision to concentrate on feeding them the best quality raw meat and veg. diet with natural supplements if and when needed and avoid chemical treatments altogether. They rarely need to visit the vet and none have suffered digestive related issues requiring medication.

However, I really do feel for you and for poor Louie too. It is a very sad situation and I am so sorry for you and your wife working hard to try and recover his health. I cannot advise any more than previously as not having gone through this situation with our dogs but someone on the Forum may be able to offer you some help or advice from personal experience.
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

Magic - Silversocks Sharade at Darksprite
Trilby - Darksprite Rosa Bud


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al shookup
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Joined: 23 Dec 2009, 16:39

Re: My dog is losing weight ..worried.

Post by al shookup »

Thanks for your very informative post Zeta. We have tried him with home cooked food such as Chicken / Fish /and Mince beef and he generally turns his nose up after a while. We take him for a walk every day and he gobbles up doggy treats such as Frolic, Gravy Bones etc. He is eating a bit better over the last 24 hours so the tablets must be kicking in.
He has slowed down a lot over the last few months so hard to tell if it is a case of old age galloping on or effects of Pancreatitis.
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