Dog is eating but not gaining weight

[Anonymous]

We don't exactly know how old our dog is because she is a recuse. But we adopted her in 2009. She was always a thin/small frame dog. She is a mini pin mix with Basenji. She's been eating, drinking and going to thr bathroom fine. She has had Its before but have been treated with meds. But noticed lately she's not gaining weight.

Is it typically for older dogs to be like this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We don't exactly know how old our dog is because she is a recuse. But we adopted her in 2009. She was always a thin/small frame dog. She is a mini pin mix with Basenji. She's been eating, drinking and going to thr bathroom fine. She has had Its before but have been treated with meds. But noticed lately she's not gaining weight.

Is it typically for older dogs to be like this?

She shouldn't be gaining weight. Do you mean that she is losing weight?

[Anonymous]

It is typical for old dogs to lose some muscle mass and appear skinnier because the bones are more prominent, and lose a few pounds overall. If there's marked weight loss, I would check with your vet. If her weight is stable and her appetite and digestion are normal, I wouldn't worry.

[Anonymous]

Is she underweight? She might need to be enticed with yummier supplements on her regular food.

Please don't compare her with other dogs. Sadly, the majority of dogs and humans are overweight in the USA today, and it becomes a vicious cycle because since the "norm" is now to be overweight, people don't realize they are overweight!

The fast method of checking weight in dogs is to feel for the ribs. If you can easily feel even the ones near the pelvis, the dog is underweight. If you can just feel the ones around the chest, while touching lightly, the dog is perfect. If you can hardly feel them, the dog is overweight.

[Anonymous]

I’d take her in and get blood work done. My dog started losing weight in her old age and it turned out her liver was failing.

[Anonymous]

In older animals, weight loss often occurs because of kidney disease. Perhaps time for a check up?