My dog eats well but isn't gaining weight and seems depressed. Why?

Question

My Chihuahua Tibetan spaniel mix is having issues where she is eating fine but not gaining weight like she should. She is depressed all the time and even though she is 13 I have had $500 in testing done to her and everything came back normal. Could it be a liver shunt? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 12 years and 9 months old | 10 lbs

Emily Fukuzato, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi and thank you for reaching out about your sweet dog, Penut. I see all the fur loss in the pictures you have provided. If this is not due to shaving her, but has occurred on its own, I would be concerned about a metabolic or hormonal problem with Penut. If it had been shaved, then no concern there. In regards to her lack of weight gain despite a good appetite, a liver shunt is not very likely. You did mention that tests have been done, but did not mention which ones. I assume lab/blood work was performed. It is very common for a liver shunt to have at least some clues/abnormalities in the blood work to aid in that diagnosis. Assuming - everything came back "normal", this would make a liver shunt much less likely. If a fecal analysis has not yet been performed, I would recommend that to check for parasites as a cause of weight loss. Other very useful tests to look for reasons for weigh loss/lack of weight gain, would be imaging studies (chest and abdominal xrays). These can give you very valuable information. Even if the tests are normal, it is very valuable so that the doctor can help rule out diseases that are causing her problem. I would also have your doctor assess how much calorie intake she is having daily to make sure her energy requirements are being met. Best of luck to you and Penut.

My dog eats well but isn't gaining weight and seems depressed. Why?

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