Sudden weight loss in pets

Sudden weight loss in pets is a serious indication. Which calls for attention, as losing weight for no reason is a dangerous indicator,
while a controlled and planned weight loss with a veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist is useful, especially for pets that suffer from weight gain.

Certain forms of weight loss in animals can be of concern .
If your cat or dog is on a plan to lose weight due to obesity, veterinarians generally recommend a loss of one to two percent of their body weight per week .
But unplanned or sudden weight loss could be a symptom of something serious. Here are the most common causes of unwanted weight loss in pets :

p and hope cause weight loss 

 1- Internal Parasites (worms) :
Cases of weight loss due to parasites are not as common as they used to be because many pets take monthly worming medications.

However, not all products are effective against all worms .
White worms, in particular, are not killed by many human medicines.

It is more common in dogs than in cats, and this is due to eating spoiled food or contaminated water .
Among its symptoms is weight loss, and symptoms of intestinal parasites in pets are also:

Vomiting (intermittent or continuous), soft stools, diarrhea and decreased appetite .
Therefore, using a deworming medication is one of the first things veterinarians will do to help a dog who is experiencing sudden pet weight loss symptoms.

 2- Cancer :

Bowel cancer (lymphoma) is one of the causes of weight loss in both dogs and cats.

While it is more common in older dogs than in cats, it is a very serious diagnosis .
The tumor may appear in the stomach, intestines, or rectum, and other symptoms include vomiting, poor appetite, and abdominal pain .
in addition to,

Any type of cancerous process can cause weight loss, including cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder, and kidneys .
 

 3- Kidney disease :

Unlike some other conditions in which weight loss is a symptom, pets with kidney disease will not begin to shed weight right away .
Whereas, if they were only diagnosed after they had begun to lose weight,

It is possible that they have been ill for a long time .
The same goes for hyperthyroidism, a disease in which weight loss is a symptom in cats, not dogs .
The difference is:

Pets with kidney disease will drink and urinate a lot , while cats with hyperthyroidism will eat too much and drink too much (polyuria) .

 4- Advanced heart disease :

Like kidney disease, pets with heart disease will not start losing weight right away. In fact, some dogs may gain weight despite a loss of appetite due to bloating .
In general, anorexia is the easiest way to tell whether or not your pet’s weight loss is related to illness .
If you notice a small amount of unplanned weight loss, try adding calories to your pet’s diet. If they eat more and gain weight, they are likely to be fine .
In addition, be sure to separate your pet’s food from the food of other pets in the house. The experiment must be controlled, which also means being careful of leftovers or eating too much food .

 5  Dental disease :

Oral pain may lead to weight loss in pets, because dogs and cats will have difficulty chewing when they suffer from an abscess or other problem in the gums, and therefore the
problem of sudden weight loss must be treated by cleaning the teeth of dogs or cats periodically in the veterinary clinic,
so clean Your dog or cat’s teeth today and monitor your pet’s appetite closely to make sure it returns to its normal state .

 6- Changing food :

Not all cases of unexplained weight loss are explained by a specific disease. One of the most common explanations for weight loss is changing your pet’s food.
Many resort to asking about an appetizer for cats, and when we ask the owner of the cat, why?

It turns out that the cat’s food has changed and the cat is not eating well .
Upon examination, it was found that the new food had 20 percent fewer calories, so the cat eats the same amount, but loses weight due to the lack of calories .
If you plan to change your pet’s food, check the ingredient label on packages and choose based on calories .
 7- Stress : Although this is not a common cause like medical causes, stress can cause changes in the pet’s appetite and should not be ignored . Is your pet feeling anxious? Has something been changed recently in your house.. You had a new baby or you brought a new animal home. All of these reasons may lead to sudden weight loss in pets without you knowing .