Why is my rescue dog skinny, losing fur, breathing hard, and limping?

Question

We rescued our boarder collie from the farm that was babysitting her for a year. As soon as we got her back, she was skin and bones, most of her hair was gone, she's not panting but very heavy breathing. And sometimes it seems like her joins hurt. But she is only 2 yrs old... Pet's info: Dog | Border Collie | Female | 1 year and 8 months old | 35 lbs

Rebeccah Wood · Accepted Answer

Hello there! While Luna's weight loss and poor coat may be from malnutrition, the heavy breathing and joint pain makes me concerned about other potential medical issues that she may be facing. First, be sure that she was on proper heartworm and flea/tick preventative while she was on the farm. Dogs that spend lots of time outdoors will come into contact with mosquitoes and parasites, which could explain some of her symptoms, should she have contracted a vector-borne disease like heartworms, lyme disease, or rickettsial infections (rocky mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis). The symptoms Luna is exhibiting could be indicative of any or all of these diseases. I also worry about intestinal parasites potentially stealing some of her nutrition, which can cause weight loss and a poor hair coat. All of these disease processes can be ruled out at the vet's office. A small blood test can check for heartworms and tick-borne diseases, and a stool sample can check for intestinal parasites. I highly recommend that you bring Luna in as soon as possible to have her looked at. Good luck, and I hope Luna gets well soon!

Why is my rescue dog skinny, losing fur, breathing hard, and limping?

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