It is always a big problem when your lovely pal loses weight all of a sudden and you can only look at his torrid condition and cannot do much about it. But the question that needs to be asked is why does your pooch lose weight all of a sudden? It can be a red signal that something is wrong with him or he is eating less and running more. If your doggy loses in excess of 10% of body weight then it is a worrisome condition for you. You need to be aware of the bodily changes in your tyke including the weight loss. In order to make you understand the peculiarity of the condition we have highlighted some thought-provoking reasons for sudden weight loss in dogs:
Thyroid Problem
Just like human beings, dogs also experience hormonal instability due to thyroid problems. This can result in swift metabolism and transform into an extreme weight loss. It is much easier to manage thyroid problems in dogs once the disease is detected.
Diabetes
Diabetes in dogs is caused due to insulin deficiency which causes the inability in the dog’s body to absorb sugar from the blood. It generally causes an increased appetite in dogs, but still, dogs tend to lose weight. Diabetes can be caused due to genetic or weight factors and is prevalent in senior dogs.
Anxiety
Many times due to anxiety or nervousness dogs develop a lack of appetite because they are not comfortable in their environment. Hence, they may avoid eating food, resulting in sudden weight reduction.
Tapeworm / Other Parasites
If your dog has tapeworms or other parasites it can result in abrupt and speedy weight loss. For example; if a tapeworm resides in a dog’s intestine, it consumes all the food eaten by the dog which results in deprivation of nutrients from the dog thereby turning him extremely thin.
Liver Disease
Liver is an essential part of the dog’s body that provides essential carbohydrates and sugars. If it stops working, then the liver will not be able to provide these critical nutrients which will result in his body to consume fat deposits and muscle tissues to replace these nutrients.
With the dog’s age, there are lots of physical and mental changes that happen in their behavior. Hence, it is suggested to be prepared for such changes, including abrupt weight loss. Once you are aware of these changes you will be better prepared to get your furry pal treated sooner.
