Underweight Dog Care

Is the Dog Underweight?

• A dog classifies as clinically underweight when it loses more than 10 percent of its body weight, explains Dr. Ernest Ward of Austin Vet Care. Such weight loss must not be attributable to mere dehydration. In severe cases, veterinarians may diagnose a pet with cachexia, or severe weight loss characterized by muscle wasting. Dogs with cachexia may have an impaired or normal appetite, but are not getting the nutrients they need.

Causes of Weight Loss

• Many things may contribute to weight loss in dogs. Weight loss can be attributed simply to a dog being very physically active and needing additional calories to meet nutritional demands. Foods may also be a problem. The dog may not like its food, may not have enough food or the food may be rancid. Physical causes such as problems swallowing food, esophageal paralysis or neurological conditions that influence the ability to eat may also cause a dog not to eat. Cancer, infections, inflammation, diseases and parasites (worms) may cause nutrient malabsorption and increased caloric needs. Female dogs may also lose weight when they become pregnant or start nursing.

Diagnosis

• To determine the cause behind a dog becoming underweight, a physical examination and medical history must be performed. The veterinarian may also order tests such as complete blood counts that look for signs of infection, cancer, anemia and other conditions. If a vet suspects the dog may have intestinal parasites like worms, the dog's stool will be examined. Urinalysis and biochemical profiles look for signs that a dog's kidneys may be malfunctioning. Biochemical profiles also look for signs of poor liver or pancreatic functioning. To further look into organ functioning, the veterinarian may request chest or abdominal x-rays.

Underweight Dog Care

• The first step to caring for an underweight dog is determining and treating the cause. If the weight loss is severe, the veterinarian may choose to deliver vital nutrients through an IV. At home, you may want to place your dog on a high-fat and high-protein diet. For a mildly underweight dog, petMD suggests food with a fat content of at least 18 percent and protein content between 28 and 30 percent. Dogs that are severely underweight may need food with a higher fat content. A veterinarian may prescribe appetite stimulants for dogs that refuse to eat. During treatment, the caretaker should weigh the dog often to make sure it continues to gain weight.

Warning

• PetMD warns against a condition called 'refeeding syndrome," which is characterized by weakness, seizures, heart damage and respiratory failure. This condition is caused by overfeeding a severely underweight or starving dog, resulting in a shift in electrolyte concentration in the dog's cells. This shift may cause hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells. PetMD recommends feeding underweight dogs four small meals a day or every six hours. Dogs should not consume more calories per day than they would if at healthy weight. Sometimes the dog may refuse to eat enough. After two days, the dog should be consuming the same amount of a food that a normal-weight dog would. If the dog doesn't consume enough calories in that time frame, a vet should be contacted, as the dog may need to be force fed through an IV to get its weight up.