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What's wrong with my senior dog? Weight loss, bad breath, ear issues.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male

Hi there, my friend has a dog named Bear, and he's 10 years old they say, and super sick. He's getting thinner, his breath smells bad, smells like rotten flesh, not as active...there's this thing in his left ear, he scratches at his ears alot and shakes his face, do you happen to know what's wrong? We're all worried. Thank you.

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 26th, 2019

Wow, poor Bear. It sounds like he has an ear infection, severe dental disease, and getting thinner could be caused by the severe dental disease or an illness like liver failure, kidney failure, heart disease, or cancer. Your friend needs to take him into a vet now.

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