My american pitbull terrier has been looking skinny latly i wanted to hear any suggestions before i take her to the vet friday. I have 2 pitbulls who eat the same amount but she is looking skinny. They only eat purina and alpo cans 2 cups each a day of purina puppy chow and 2 cans each of alpo prime slices can food this is the only food they can eat without getting the runs
2007-12-25 18:07:19 · 10 answers · asked by Aaron D 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
She does eat 2 times a day and they do eat seperate so i know she is eating also she has been chewing on here tail to the point of bleeding and acting strange (not her self)
I have checked her stool and do not notice any worms. She did have Diarrhea.
2007-12-25 19:30:17 · update #1
Need more information..
How old is your dog?
Has been examined by a veterinarian?
Has it had any vaccinations?
Have you had a stool sample checked at your vet?
Any vomiting?
Most likely an intestinal parasite. Most commonly you will not see any parasites with the naked eye. Most parasites are diaganosed using a microscope and looking for the eggs of the worms. Tapeworms can be seen by the naked eye but not for 2-3 weeks after being infected with them (usually by ingesting a flea). Tapeworm look like small pieces of rice crawling around your dog's rectum.
There are other protozoa that can live in your dog's digestive tract and can cause diharrea. Worms typically do not cause severe diharrea. Protozoa like Giardia or Coccidia are common in puppies.
Recommendations:
See you local veterinarian to have the pup examined and the stool checked.
Keep puppies seperate until then to prevent passing anything back and forth (however at this point what ever one has the other probably has). Keep stools cleaned up immediately after it happens.
Some intestinal parasites like roundworms and hookworms are Zoonotic, which means humanes can get them too. Especially if small children are in the house proper hygenie is a must.
Getting your puppies on a monthly preventative like Heartgard, will drastically prevent the chances of spreading or getting rounworms, hookworm or even heartworm (which live in the blood stream and are carried thru mosquitos).
Over the counter dewormings will likely waste your money. This is highly discourgaged. It's like putting a band-aid on a problem. The effectivicy is very low of these products.
If not vaccinated other canine diseases could be a concern, but usually more serious syptoms are present.
In any case getting him checked out is best. A puppy losing weight is NEVER normal.
Good luck with your puppies!
2007-12-26 07:11:51 · answer #1 · answered by Vettech/trainer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only worms visible with the naked eye are tape worms so you cannot rule that out. In addition, exocine pancreatic insufficiency (mal-absorption syndrome) is a possibility but that takes a microscope to see the fat bubbles in the stool. Nothing to really add before the vet visit - just bring a fresh stool sample on Friday.
2007-12-25 22:18:44 · answer #2 · answered by Caninelegion 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are so many things that could be happening with your dog. There is a condition ( usually in younger dogs ) where the intestines overlap, and even though the dog is eating, nothing is getting absorbed. Also if your dog likes to chew on things, we see many foreign body's where I work ( dog ate something now its stuck in digestive track ) . Your dog could have HGE ( but will usually passes some blood in the stool with HGE ). Or Irritable Bowel Disease, all of these conditions are very serious. You need to have the dog seen by a Veterinarian soon. It may turn out to be nothing but don't risk it.
2007-12-25 19:18:41 · answer #3 · answered by Amelia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Worms is a big possibility, if your dogs have had fleas, I'd be worried about tapeworms too. Recurrent diarrhea is common when dogs have worms. Have the stool checked. If they live outside, they'll need more food this time of year as they have to burn more calories to stay warm.
2007-12-25 18:25:38 · answer #4 · answered by lizzy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like he might have worms..., Either that or the others are not letting him eat as much. You can get a dewormer over the counter and make sure the dog is getting to eat. Maybe feed him separately to make sure.
Hope your puppy gets better!
2007-12-25 18:11:40 · answer #5 · answered by backpackwayne 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, can they eat more puppy chow and have you forgotten to feed them recently? If not, then have they experienced any recent changes in life such as bleeding or growing? It could be that it doesn't have enough sugar in it's cells. If the cells do not have the right amount, there could be problems.
2007-12-25 18:28:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
she might have some kind of disease or a bug of some sort. is she old? my dog is very old and we feed her several times a day because she is getting very skinny and is always hungry..picky eater too. i wouldn't worry too much until you see the vet. but if you can feed her twice or three times a day if she'll eat
2007-12-25 18:11:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could be any one of multiple things........viral infection, depression, something more serious. Take to the vet as soon as you can. Better safe than sorry.
2007-12-25 18:13:33 · answer #8 · answered by Amy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They need a balanced diet and more exercise. Take them out for walks in the park. feed them more Good luck merry late christmas! good luck:)
2007-12-25 18:28:06 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
IT might have any worm......
2007-12-25 18:15:59 · answer #10 · answered by ielle 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋