If you notice your dog losing weight and not just because they’re on a health kick, it may be down to an underlying health condition. There are many reasons why your pooch might be shedding the pounds, but today we’re going to discuss five of the possible reasons behind a dog losing weight. If your pup is ever losing weight without an obvious cause, get them checked by their vet as soon as possible to get to the bottom of it and devise a treatment plan.

1. A Problem With Their Food

Our pooches can be picky eaters, so a dog losing weight may be down to something as simple as they’re now not as excited for their usual dinner as they once were. A dog’s nose is pawesomely strong, being up to 10,000 times more sensitive than our own. With this, even the slightest change to their dog food either from small ingredient changes by the manufacturer to changing their food entirely, can be enough to turn their noses up and refuse their food.

 Inadequate nutrient content in a dog’s food can also cause weight loss. Every pooch is different so it’s impawtent to be feeding your pup the correct diet for their age, size and activity levels. An easy way to do this is by using a feeding calculator to correctly determine how much of their dog food they should be eating at every meal. Always look for dog food that is nutritionally dense and highly digestible with adequate levels of protein to maintain a healthy weight.

2. Digestive Issues

A dog losing weight may be a sign of an underlying digestive issue. Digestive issues can range from food intolerances to allergies or even inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Symptoms of these issues include vomiting, nausea and stomach pain which can turn your dog off their food and reduce their appetite thus leading to weight loss. 

If your dog is showing any of these signs it’s important to get them checked over by their vet. In some circumstances, they may be prescribed medication or a short period of eating hydrolysed dog food to reset their gut. However, most of the time all they will need is to change their diet to a high-quality or hypoallergenic dog food to eliminate common allergens or food intolerances.

3. Dental Disease

Periodontal disease or dental disease is all too common in our furry friends, with eight out of ten pets suffering in silence with this condition. Dogs see the world through their mouths, chewing, licking and biting so oral trauma can be commonplace causing chipped or loose teeth. 

Poor oral hygiene such as not brushing your dog’s teeth every day, leads to plaque buildup along the teeth and gumline. If this goes unchecked, the plaque can harden into tartar which can irritate the gums leading to gingivitis and in severe cases tooth loss. 

All of these dental conditions have one common trait, oral pain. When your dog’s mouth, teeth or gums are hurting they are less likely to enjoy tucking into their dinner which can lead to a dog losing weight. If you notice any signs that your dog’s oral hygiene isn’t in top condition such as smelly breath, swollen or bleeding gums, slow eating or pawing at their mouth, schedule a dental checkup with your vet to get them back on the road to recovery.

4. Parasites

 Have you ever watched in horror as  your dog rolls in the most disgusting thing you come across on your walk? Or, maybe they’ve even swallowed down a piece of dried-up dog poop at the park. 

Although these practices sure are yucky, they’re not that uncommon. Nevertheless, if your dog comes in contact with, or even worse eats something that’s rancid, it predisposes them to picking up a variety of parasites. 

Parasites such as intestinal worms can leach nutrients from your dog and irritate their stomach lining leading to bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and even a dog losing weight. Luckily, most parasites are easily treated with medication prescribed by your veterinarian.

5. Cancer or Other Health Conditions

 If your dog’s losing weight rapidly, it can be a sign of a more concerning underlying condition. Although it is less common in dogs, cancer can cause dogs to lose weight rapidly. Other conditions such as diabetes and hyperthyroidism can also cause your dog to lose weight. 

With this, it’s best to get your dog checked over by your vet if they are experiencing unexplained weight loss for peace of mind and to pick up these conditions early so that an effective treatment plan can be initiated.  

Have You Tried Scrumbles Nutrient Dense Dog Food?

Sometimes a dog losing weight can simply be down to poor nutrition. So, if you don’t think your pooch is getting all the nutrients they need from their dog food, or if they’ve started turning their nose up at dinner, why not make the switch to Scrumbles?!

 All of our food is made with only 100% natural and high-quality ingredients making it a top-tier complete dog food, pawfect for feeding your pooch every day.

 We never use any artificial additives or preservatives and leave out added sugar and salt which we know isn’t healthy for our furry friends.

 All of our dog food and dog treats score 100% in palatability testing, meaning even the fussiest of pooches drool over them. 

Plus, with gut health at the forefront of our mission, we add either prebiotics or probiotics to all of our dog food to support digestion and reduce painful bloating and diarrhoea.

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