My dog eats a lot but is always thin. Why can't he gain weight?

Question

Atlas is a well bred boy, however he has an appetite that is insatiable, and cannot stay a healthy weight no matter how much he eats. We have had him on raw, honest kitchen, Iams. Rice/chicken cooked daily and he is always thin with protruding hip bones and little tissue on his head too. His current vet put him on prednisone daily for some issues he was having with heavy mucus buildup and he is currently tapered down to half a tablet a day. If I stop the predator he looses weight quickly. Pet's info: Dog | Doberman Pinscher | Male | neutered | 78 lbs

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

He likely has inflammatory bowel disease or some type of malabsorption problem. Keeping him on lifelong steroids (prednisone) is not recommended. The first thing you have to do is get a diagnosis. I recommend he have an abdominal ultrasound and/or x-rays and some blood testing to start with. A fecal test is also a good idea to rule out any intestinal parasites. If you can't afford testing then speak to your vet about doing a trial of Tylosin powder to control IBD symptoms instead of steroids.

My dog eats a lot but is always thin. Why can't he gain weight?

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