My dog eats a lot but stays thin. Why isn't he gaining weight?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Dog is eating but is not gaining weight
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 25th, 2014
If your dog is eating but not gaining weight it could be due to the amount your are feeding or the type of food you are feeding. If you look on the back of the bag it will have feeding instructions for your dog's weight. Also it could be due to how active your dog is. If your dog is very active and plays and runs a lot, it could be burning extra calories causing it to not gain weight. If this is the case you can try feeding an "active" formula food. It could also be due to a thyroid problem or even diabetes. If you think your dog is under weight and can't gain any weight you should have an exam done by a veterinarian to determine if the diet needs to be changed, or if some bloodwork needs to be done to be sure everything is functioning properly.
33Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 2nd, 2017
Hi there. Many dogs become thin and will not gain weight if they have parasitci infections, or other illnesses that do not allow them to gain weight. I’m not sure how old your dog is but I would start by having her examined by your vet to check her physical status and also run some parasite testing.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
Hey. Teddy is not gaining weight from a couple of months. It was summer here and he lost his appetite but now the weather is quite pleasant and he have his meal almost 4 times a day yet he looks so thin. What could be the reason?
If your vet has deemed him underweight, then he could have intestinal parasites, Addison's disease or even cancer has to be considered if he is an older dog. I would recommend starting with a vet visit for a fecal exam and baseline bloodwork to get things checked out and determine his current health status. I hope this helps and I also hope that Teddy is overall ok. Here is a website link also for a guide on determining your pets body conditon score. https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20dogs.pdf Best wishes and take care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My dog is eating a lot, as much as his brother and sister but he is losing weight or just not gaining weight and he is smaller than them. What could be wrong with him?
He definitely looks very thin. The biggest concern with a dog that eats well, but doesn't gain weight is that he has a disease or heavy parasite burden. There are some inherited diseases like liver shunts that can cause them to be unthrifty like this and there are some acquired infections like Babesiosis that can also cause them to look like this. The only way to know is to have him evaluated by a veterinarian. I recommend taking him soon, because he doesn't look like he has much left to lose. It's also good to bring a stool sample to the vet, so they can check for worms. I hope that helps and Wekko gets better soon.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog eats alot but her body shape dont get fat al her spin from the top is slightly visible and the bones of her two back legs also the same thing she eats her food plays and everything is ok with her a doctor told me we should make some analyzes t
Hi there. Yes, I agree that Soska needs some blood testing but I would also recommend some fecal testing and a test to check to see if the pancreas is producing enough digestive enzymes (here is a link about this issue). http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_multi_exocrine_pancreatic_insufficiency There are many reasons as to why a dog may eat well but not gain weight. You are going to have to have some testing done to figure it out. Hope this helps. Best wishes!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Atlas is a well bred boy, however he has an appetite that is insatiable, and cannot stay a healthy weight no matter how much he eats. We have had him on raw, honest kitchen, Iams. Rice/chicken cooked daily and he is always thin with protruding hip bo
He likely has inflammatory bowel disease or some type of malabsorption problem. Keeping him on lifelong steroids (prednisone) is not recommended. The first thing you have to do is get a diagnosis. I recommend he have an abdominal ultrasound and/or x-rays and some blood testing to start with. A fecal test is also a good idea to rule out any intestinal parasites. If you can't afford testing then speak to your vet about doing a trial of Tylosin powder to control IBD symptoms instead of steroids.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
is it possible for my dog to become thin after moving from a living situation where he had no daily exercise for 2 years to a situation with a large backyard. he runs around all day everyday now, has high energy, and eats the same if not better, alth
You are correct this could be due to the increase in exercise. If Tech is eating the same, but exercising a lot more than before, then I would look into increasing the amount of food he receives. In order to best know how much he would need, I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can weigh him, and advise you on how much he needs to gain, and a safe way for him to do that. I would bring a sample of his feces with you for the vet to examine. The reason being is that intestinal worms can cause a dog to lose weight despite eating, and if he's outside all the time running around and isn't up to date on his deworming treatment, that could also contribute to his weight loss.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My friends dog is getting skinny he eats so much. He is 2 years and 3 months.
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! From the pictures Jack doesn't look skinny, but if they are trying to make him gain weight and he isn't, I recommend taking him to a vet to rule out medical problems. Some possibilities are intestinal parasites, pancreatic problems, intestinal problems, and organ problems to name a few. Also, he may be on an inadequate diet. Once a vet performs a physical exam, they can discuss the testing recommendations. Good luck and kisses to Jack!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog acts like she is starving yet I am over feeding her. She is so thin you van see her backbone
This is obviously very abnormal, unfortunately this symptom is very general and could be caused by many diseases including intestinal worms, cancer, IBD, pancreatitis, kidney failure and many more. i recommend taking her ot the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 2 year old pitbull lab mix eats 2 times a day but has lost a good amount of weight. He looks unhealthy and way too skinny. He's been dewormed recently because I thought that could be the problem. Nothing seems to work help him gain the weight back
Every dog is different and not all foods will suit all dogs. It is also possible he could have a medical condition such as an underactive pancreas resulting in poor digestive capacity. I strongly recommend you change his diet to a high quality, sensitive version and monitor his weight gain over 4weeks. If this does not start to improve he will need a full health assessment by your vet to investigate underlying causes
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog doesn't seem to be gaining weight. He looks like a stray that hasn't eaten for days. He has good dog food and at times we give him table food. I feel so bad I don't know how to get himnto gain weight. Please help
If he isn't the appropriate weight then there is likely an underlying cause for this. Most healthy pets should be able to remove all the vital nutrients from their food and use it for energy; however there are certain disease processes that can interfere with this, including intestinal parasites, malabsorption/maldigestion issues, certain endocrine disorders such as Addison's disease, and pancreas disorders like Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. So I think the first priority here is to get Peanut examined by your vet to determine if he is ind Ed underweight to begin with. We achieve this by determining his current body condition score, where 3/5 or 5/9 is considered ideal weight. Then determine if the pet needs specific testing to look for certain disease processes that would lead to the weight loss, such as decal examination, pancreas testing and so forth. And of course generally speaking you should be feeding your pet a high quality adult small breed formula, such as Royal Canin,
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
She not putting on any weight , can you help me ?
Hi there. Many dogs become thin and will not gain weight if they have parasitci infections, or other illnesses that do not allow them to gain weight. I’m not sure how old your dog is but I would start by having her examined by your vet to check her physical status and also run some parasite testing.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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