AllDogsWorld

Weight Loss in dogs

If your pet is eating its usual amount of food but is losing weight, that’s a signal that something may be wrong. Since it can be difficult to judge an animal’s weight visually, it’s good to weight your pet once a month and keep records. A loss of one pound in a cat or small dog or two to three pounds in larger dog is reason to consult your veterinarian.

Weight gain in dogs

If your pet is eating normally but gaining weight, that’s a reason to call the doctor too. A sudden increase in weight may indicate fluid accumulation and may mean that your pet has underlying kidney, heart or liver disease.

Or if your pet is gaining weight and seems especially lazy, it may have hypothyroidism, a common canine disease. Try to feed your pet only high-quality pet foods instead of high-calorie junk food.

Loss of appetite

Appetite loss, or anorexia, occurs in a wide variety of diseases. If your pet doesn’t eat for more than a day, call your vet immediately.

Excessive appetite

Overeating can occur in diseases that prevent the absorption and utilization of nutrients. Diabetis and gastrointestinal problems are examples. An increase in appetite also occurs when an animal needs more food, such as in pregnancy or when intestinal parasites compete for food it has eaten. If your pet overeats for more than a day, consult your veterinarian.

Viral disease, intestinal obstructions caused by hair balls, tumors or strings, or even kidney and liver disease can all cause vomiting. However, something simple such as an abrupt change in diet can cause vomiting too. Vomiting can be very debilitating and can quickly lead to fluid imbalances. Call your vet if your pet vomits more than twice a day.

Diarrhea

The most common cause of diarrhea is a sudden change in diet. This type of diarrhea is usually short-lived and is not serious (although preventing it is a good idea). Intestinal parasites also cause diarrhea, especially in puppies and kittens. Have your pet’s stool checked regularly.

Other common causes of diarrhea are infectious diseases (such as parovirus), allergies, digestive disorders, kidney and liver disease and intestinal cancer. Whenever diarrhea lasts for more than a day, take your pet and a sample of its stool to your vet.

Constipation

It is very important to monitor your pet’s feces on a daily basis, so you know what is normal for your pet. Note any changes in the color or consistency of the stool. Any change in bowel habits, fecal color or consistency that persists for more than one day is of concern.

Blood in stool

When the blood is bright red and on the surface of the stool, there is a good chance that something sharp, like a bit of bone, scraped the lining of the large intestine and made it bleed.

The bleeding may continue for a day or two, but it probably won’t last much longer. Even small scrapes can cause a lot of bleeding, so don’t be surprised when the stools appear quite red. When the blood looks dark, dry, or tarry and is mixed with the stool, there may be a problem in the small intestine.

Some viral infections can temporarily irritate the walls of the small intestine and make it bleed. Blood in the stool can also be a sign of colitis, an inflammation of the large intestine. It’s wise to notify your vet whenever there is blood in the stool though