Why is my dog underweight, losing hair, and eating so much food?

Question

I have a rescue German Shepherd from a puppy mill with severe allergies. She can not keep weight on (eating 6 cups of dry food and a can and a half of wet food a day), she weighs 50 lbs or less. She is losing hair, skin is flaking and smells like a barn yard. She gets lab work 3 or 4 times a year and allergies are the only thing that show up, please, I need answers. Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | spayed | 46 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

It sounds as though you have been through a lot with Jordan. The amount of food that she is eating is quite large for a dog her size, making me concerned that she may not be absorbing the nutrients appropriately. Possible causes of this could be due to inflammatory bowel disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, intestinal parasites, among other issues. Changes in the skin and hair coat can occur secondary to other health conditions, so it is quite possible that Jordan's hair loss, scaling, and odor are related to an underlying gastrointestinal issue. I don't know which lab tests have been run on her, but consider discussing further testing with her vet, such as B12/folate levels to check vitamin absorption, TLI to evaluate for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, fecal testing for parasites, as well as baseline CBC, blood chemistry, and urinalysis to evaluate overall organ function and blood cell counts. It may also be worth considering an abdominal ultrasound with a veterinary radiologist to see if any changes are apparent. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Jordan!

Why is my dog underweight, losing hair, and eating so much food?

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