Why is my old dog losing weight, eating lots? Diabetes, food, pain?

Question

We have a 16 yo dog who has drastically lost weight since December, but eats and drinks all the time and has urinary incontinance. We are sure she has diabetes but with her age we are not wanting to start insulin treatments. My question is, what is the best diabetic dog food to feed her? She eats all the time and doesn’t seem to get full nor is she maintaining any weight with what we feed her now. Also, how can we manage her pain (i assume she’s is quite uncomfortable)? Can she take carprofen? Pet's info: Dog | Chow Chow | Female | spayed

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor girl! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. You're correct that the symptoms you describe could be due to diabetes, but could also be due to other problems such as chronic kidney disease or Cushing's disease. So we really need to get a diagnosis first, in order to know what kind of treatment she actually needs. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam and some basic lab work, as a starting point. He/she can give you specific treatment recommendations once a diagnosis is made. If she does have diabetes, then I'm afraid there is no way to control her symptoms or make her feel better apart from starting insulin injections - diabetic dogs do not generally benefit from diet changes alone, or from oral medications for human diabetes. Most dogs tolerate insulin injections very well, and this should not be considered an invasive or overly stressful treatment option in most cases. So I would really encourage you to go to the vet, get a diagnosis, and then make some decisions from there about what you want to do next. :)

Why is my old dog losing weight, eating lots? Diabetes, food, pain?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

Why is my mouse's eye swollen, cloudy, and has pus?

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

What's the best way to feed my hamster when I'm going on a trip?

Can chickens eat bell peppers daily and what about veggie salads?

Is Purina Layer Pellets good for chickens? What other feeds exist?

My newly adopted pet won't eat hay. What can I do to encourage it?

Share