Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

What to feed my senior dog who won't eat and has lost weight?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | neutered | 13 years and 11 months old | 5.4 lbs

Hi. My Senior Chihuahua has lost his appetite and has lost weight. Been to the vet and waiting for blood work results. He's in heart failure and on meds (in bio). Any suggestions on what I can feed him to stimulate his appetite? I've tried all kinds of things... Mashed potatoes & chicken. Ground beef & rice. He ate some scrambled eggs this morning. I'd like to keep him eating and he won't touch his own food :(

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 21st, 2018

I'm sorry Memi isn't doing well at the moment! You did the right thing by taking him into the vet, and I hope you get some answers with the blood work. If he ate scrambled eggs this morning, I would feed them to him again. Add in some boiled white meat chicken (no bones) as well. At this point in time, it's fine to feed him whatever he will eat to keep nutrition in him. Try some turkey (again no bones), maybe some steak but cut off the fat. You want to avoid fatty food because that triggers pancreatitis in dogs. You can also try soaking his food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth. That may tempt him to eat it. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
Hi I have a 13 yr old lab that's now not eating any dog food, canned or dry, I want him to eat so I'm thinking about giving him hamburger rice and eggs, just how much should I give him so that he gets what he needs for his nutrition? Thanks
You can try giving Lucky a cup of boiled white meat chicken mixed with half a cup of rice. If you give him eggs, make sure they are fully cooked with no salt, pepper, or seasonings. Just the eggs only, and I would only give him one at a time. He really needs to see a vet as he may not be eating his dog food because he's sick. He could have dental problems, liver disease, kidney failure, an infection, systemic illness, or even cancer causing him to not eat. Please take him into a vet as soon as possible.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 17 year old Scottie is reusing to eat, but still drinks a lot of water. Vet thinks she has Cushings disease. When she was eating she would vomit every thing up. She is on Famotidline to control the vomiting. She is also on Mirtazapine to increase
Any calories at this stage are welcome so boiled chicken and rice, with some vegetables, would be a good option if she is willing to take it. Vitamins/minerals such as the nutritional gel or a tonic would also be recommended whilst she is undergoing investigations for the cause of her poor appetite (kidney, liver or cushings disease would all be possibilities)
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How do I get an elderly dog to put on weight, he has had blood work done and all that picked out was his protein level was slightly low, vet didnt suggest anything regarding this, also had a faeces analysis done, came back all normal. I'm feeding Mr
Provide food that is high in calories, like puppy food or a food that’s designed for active, athletic, or working dogs. Higher protein and fat pet foods are best. Underweight pets should be eating foods that are around 30% protein and 20% fat if they’re eating dry kibble; 7% protein and 5% fat (or higher) if you’re feeding a wet food. Intersperse your pet’s diet with small amounts of high-calorie supplemental canned food or canned products made of 100% meat sources. These will have a high protein and fat content, like 100% pheasant or bison, for example. They won’t say “complete and balanced” but rather “for intermittent or supplemental use” because they’re not meant to replace regular feeding. Some moist foods may be easier to digest, so your pet may retain more nutrients, and more importantly these products tend to be more palatable and tempting to a pet who isn’t eating enough. Any diet changes should be done gradually over a week's time as to not cause any GI upset. Hope this
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, my partners American Staffordshire X is 13 years old & over the past few weeks has lost a lot of weight & strength in his back legs & does not eat as much as he should. I realise that he is quite old & i think he is missing his dad (my partner)
I am very sorry to hear that Thor is not doing well. First, I would recommend taking him into your vet to have some blood work and x-rays performed to see if they can figure out what is going on. With such drastic weight loss I would be concerned that it is something more than just depression from his dad being away. In the meantime you can try offering him puppy food because this has more calories than regular dog food. You may want to also entice him to eat by adding some broth to his food or adding some plain boiled chicken to it. However, as mentioned before, I'm concerned that something more is going on and I would recommend getting him in to be seen as soon as you can.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
(Already sent this same note with no response, here it is again) - Our 13yr old dog (30 lbs, on insulin, drinks water ok, neutered) has not been eating the last 2 days. Eats only people food (since puppy). Any suggestions as to what to do to make him
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Joey. I am sorry to hear that he is not feeling well. It is challenging when a diabetic dog does not eat as they then cannot recieve their insulin properly. This will lead to high blood sugar levels making them feel worse. He will need to see his veterinarian to determine if the cause of his decreased appetite is related to his diabetes or another disease. You can offer canned dog food or warm water to try kibble to entice him to eat. However, if he is accustomed to human food, he likely will not eat it. In that case, try healthy human good options such as boiled chicken, steamed vegetables, cottage cheese or tuna. I hope you are able to have him seen soon. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
i have a 10 year old terrier mix (Jack Rustle / Rat Terrier), she was recently diagnosed with an enlarged heart and fluid on her lungs, we've been giving her meds as prescribed by the vet, but she wont eat, she will only drink water... what should i
I'm sorry that Princess is so sick! I would try to tempt her to eat by offering her small amounts of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice. You can also soak her dry food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth. Should she refuse to eat any of these choices, I would take Princess back into the vet who can give her a medication that may stimulate her appetite.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
snoop is 16 healthy dog, but he has no teeth and does not seem to eat much. he does not act like he starving. i feed him 2/3 cup of fresh pet soft dog food at night and an 1/2 or 1/4 of an egg in the morning. he doesn't eat all of the egg anymore or
Oatmeal is not recommended and most dogs do not like it anyway. I would recommend you try proteins like turkey or chicken. Going off of his food at his age (even just a bit off) is concerning. It may be an early sign that some underlying disease process is going on. Remember at his age, he is over 100 years old in human years! He should really be checked by your vet and at least have some bloodwork run to check his organs (mainly liver and kidneys) to be sure they are functioning correctly. Going off food can be one of the first subtle signs of a problem. I hope this helps. Best wishes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog is a Pomeranian and Chihuahua mix that is 9 to 10 years old. He has been having diarrhea, doll coat, slow heart rate and weight loss.
Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Based on the history and his age, I would recommend having boo examined by a veterinarian and having his blood tested to see if there are any systemic changes that would explain his symptoms. I would also recommend starting a bland diet as outlined below. The sooner Boo is seen the better. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastri
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Our dog has stopped eating...He was diagnosed with pancrianitus last year..We have him on a rice and turkey diet, but he has stopped eating...HELp
I'm sorry Shadow isn't feeling well. At 14 I would be concerned he has stopped eating. However, dogs can go several days without eating and it's ok. He does need to continue drinking however. If he's not drinking too, I recommend taking him to a vet for an exam, blood work and X-rays. They may need to give him fluids and they can also give him medications to make him eat. The biggest hurdle is to find why he's not eating. Good luck and kisses to Shadow!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog is a 14 years old Chinese crested. He has been diagnosed with beginning kidney failure and episodic pancreatitis. He is on 100% human food (lean protein-rice-veggies) He is doing really good but extremely skinny- his bones show. The thing that
I would be concerned that his diet is lacking in the micro nutrients, minerals and fatty acids. Lean meat, veggies and rice do not contain significant amounts of calcium, fatty acids...etc. This could contribute to his low weight. Dogs who have kidney disease will also commonly lose body condition as well. I would recommend to reach out to a veterinary nutritionist who can formulate a complete and balanced diet for Bingo that will meet his body calorie needs as well as address the vitamins/mineral/other nutrients. The diet will also address his pancreatitis and kidney disease. The kidney disease needs to be controlled by having low Phosphorus and low protein so this can be tricky. You veterinarian may have a recommendation for a nutritionist or you can look online. May nutritionist offer online consultations or phone consultations making the process easy. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Food Senior Dog Food Dog Health & Wellness Wet Dog Food Weight Management Dog Food Premium Dog Food Veterinary Diet Dog Food Dog Vitamins & Supplements Limited Ingredient Diet Dog Food Dog Food With Grain Science Diet Senior Dog Food MedalSeries Senior Dog Food Lil Plates Senior Dog Food Veterinary Diet Healthy Aging Dog Food Hill's Senior Dog Food Ultra Senior Dog Food WholeHearted Senior Dog Food Natural Choice Senior Dog Food Veterinary Diet Weight Management Dog Food
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored