Older dog losing weight?

Question

I have a 15 year old Beagle who has been losing weight lately. She eats, but has gotten pretty picky about what she will eat. She is acting fine, the same as always, but I worry about the wieght loss. She turns her nose up at her dog food but she will eat people foods, so I give her eggs and rice or chicken and rice, or I mix the chicken and egs in with her dog food (I soften it with water because she is missing some teeth). What else can I feed her that would be good for her system? (and, yes, I know - go to the vet. Since she is fine otherwise, I have hesitated to do this because she hates going to the vet. It really stresses her out. If it keeps up, though, I will.)

Answer 1

Older dogs should be on senior dog food, they need the extra calories.

I wouldn't wait to take her to the vet - she may seem 'fine otherwise' - you don't want to wait until she DOESN'T seem otherwise fine, that might be too late! Being old, it's fairly likely there is an underlying medical condition here. Blood tests will probably be in order, it's wise to perform these on older animals anyway. Once a cat or dog is officially senior, yearly vet checks become even more important even if nothing seems wrong. Something is wrong here! Less stressful for her and cheaper for you if you get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later.

Chalice

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Dog Losing Weight

Answer 4

You don't say how much weight she has loss, but involuntary weight loss is a bad sign. Dogs don't diet, and usually they gain weight as they get older because their metabolism slows down and they become less active. There are some possible explanations, though, such as the summer heat is just making her sluggish and she doesn't feel like eating. Also, good quality protein, like chicken and eggs, satisfies the appetite better than carbohydrates, so a dog can eat less and lose weight. So can people--this is the foundation of the infamous Atkin's diet, but there are health risks associated with not getting the proper balance of nutrients, so be careful. Also, I don't want to scare you, but weight loss is often the first sign of cancer in dogs. The bottom line is that you aren't going to know for sure unless you have her checked by a vet.

Answer 5

Many people love the idea of owning a dog but one thing that they have to keep in mind often times, is that the dog needs to be trained. While the pet may look heart-breakingly cute when it's in a shelter or at the pound, picking out the dog is only the first part of the relationship between dog owner and the animal. Many people don't understand that they have to put time and effort into socializing the dog.

An unsocialized dog will intimidate others, tear up the home, and will create an environment that can become so bad that the it will have to be returned. Many times when dogs have to be returned to shelters or to other resources, it will end up euthanized, which is very heartbreaking. All of this can be spared if a person learns the various techniques in order to socialize the dog.

One thing that they have to understand is that the he wants to be told what to do. It's in the canine nature to follow a leader. The dog will be more than willing to obey the leadership of its master. Here's a look at some common techniques that are used in dog training:

"Dog Whispering"

This is a technique that has been around for a while, but gained national notoriety over the last 10 years. Some people might hear this term and wonder how in the world whispering to a dog can train it! Whispering isn't meant to be taken literally in this case. As trainers have shown, whispering is a term that refers to connecting with a being or an entity on a very deep and almost spiritual level. When it comes to dog training techniques, dog whispering involves careful observation of the dog's behavior and actions.

It literally entails getting inside the mind and the behavior system of the canine. When a person uses dog whispering techniques, they interact with the dog on the canine level. Again, one the most common mistakes that people make is treating the dog like a small human being.

"Reward Training"

Reward training is very simple and it's one of the older tricks that works. This is a simple method of training the dog by positive reinforcement. Once he does what it is told to do, it receives a treat. How this works is that the dog owner must entice the dog towards the treat. Once the canine develops awareness for the treat, it develops a strong desire for it. When the desire for it is extremely strong, the dog owner pulls back. Then the dog receives a command and when the dog obeys the command, it receives the treat. The object is to make the dog associate a treat with the command.

"Clicker Training"

Other dog training techniques include one that is similar to reward training, which is called clicker training. How this works is that the clicker is incorporated to get the dog's attention. The clicker is clicked as a form of communication with the dog. It learns that there is a command or reward associated in conjunction with the clicker. Many people claim that this is fun, and they actually make a game with the dog by using the clicker for their dog training tasks.

"Ultrasonic Whistle"

Last, a relatively new form of dog training technique is called the ultrasonic whistle. This works because the ultrasonic sound is only heard by the dog. When the owner is trying to communicate a command, or stop the dog from barking, they will blow on their whistle when they want to communicate a command to the dog. The benefit of this is that the humans can't hear this noise, but the dog can hear it, and they will learn to associate the sound with a command.

Dog training techniques aren't hard to incorporate, but they are something that absolutely must be incorporated from the time a dog owner brings their new dog home. No matter how old or how young the dog is, they will need training. Once they are trained properly, they will be a wonderful addition to one's family.

Before You Spend MORE Money On Expensive Dog Trainers or Products,
Watch This Video First!

https://bitly.im/VZ6wg

Discover the powerful dog training secrets to eliminate over 30+ common behavioral dog and puppy issues with step-by-step instructions from one of the world's most skilled dog trainers!

Answer 6

Weight loss in an older dog is a definite danger sign - she needs to get to the vet. There's so many causes for weight loss and they need to be checked out. Softening her food with water likely isn't necessary nor is it good for her remaining teeth - I have a greyhound who's missing 7 teeth and he eats just as if they were all there.

Answer 7

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Older dog losing weight?
I have a 15 year old Beagle who has been losing weight lately. She eats, but has gotten pretty picky about what she will eat. She is acting fine, the same as always, but I worry about the wieght los...

Answer 8

it won't hurt her for you to call the vet and ask what is the best thing to feed your aging dog, and can you feed her people food.

She still needs hard food unless she actually only has about three teeth in her mouth.

My cat has lost most of her teeth and still prefers to eat hard food.

Try the smaller bitsize dry dog food and mix it with can dog food and alittle people gravy or sauce or some minced up leftover meat. All the salt and additives we eat are not good for us so try to refrain from feeding it to her.

Although if she is that old it might be nicer for her to have quality time then quantity and without any fun.

If I were you though you may need to bring her in. My 15 year old retriever/collie mix stopped eating almost altogether and lost all of his weight to practically skin and bone.

We did not feel the need to bring him in because we knew he was just getting old and this is what happends.

We were wrong, he had fluid in his belly and that made him feel full which of coarse not eating he lost all the weight.

He was in such pain he slept sitting up because laying on the floor was too hard.

We ended up putting him to sleep.

Answer 9

Weight loss could actually be a symptom of cancer which is something to consider at that age. If she were my dog, I would feed her anything she wanted, and keep her happy for her remaining days. She is near the end of her lifespan. No vet care can change that, so don't feel guilty about not running to the vet if she seems ok. Just enjoy her and keep her happy for your remaining time together. Spoil her with hotdogs, burgers and whatever else she likes.

Answer 10

I know what you mean about how taking your dog to the vet stresses her. My beagle shakes and drools nonstop on any trip in the car. Thank goodness our vet isn't too far away!

My beagle had digestive problems, and the vet put him on Prescription Diet. Perhaps your vet can ascertain if your beagle has a problem, and if there's a special food for her to be on. Prescription Diet is pretty expensive, but I'd pay anything for my dog's health - you seem as if you would also.

So far, the people foods you're feeding her sound okay, but (and here we go) take her to the vet, because people foods aren't supplemented with the nutrients dogs need.

Good luck to you and your girl!