Our Dog is Losing Weight...

[Katy]

Griff (a cocker/schnauzer mix) used to be about 26 or so pounds. Last vet visit he was down to about 20 or so. The vet assured us that this was a good weight for him and that he's in perfect health (outside of his allergies and back issues). Well, I've noticed that both his harness and his collar seem to be much looser and you can both see and feel that he's thinner.

He still has good energy, he eats well and his coat is shiny. We're fairly certain that he's losing the weight because he's exercising so much. We go for an hour long (about 3 miles) 3-5 times a week. So I'm wondering, should I be upping his food intake? He was getting 1/2 cup of dry 2x a day but I upped it to 2/3 cup of dry food 2x a day a few months back because he always seemed hungry. He's not begging for extra food or trying to take food from our hands (like he does when he's on his steroid meds), so I tend to think he's fine, but I don't want him to be too skinny.

Any ideas?

[kemorr]

A drop of 6 or more pounds in a dog of his size is pretty significant, even if you have been exercising him more. It may just be the fact that he is off steroids (which I'm sure you know cause weight gain) and the greater amount of exercise, but I would still err on the side of caution and have some routine blood tests taken, to look at his major organ (including thyroid) function. Have you noticed any change in stool lately? Increased quantity, change in color, odor etc? It could also be an intestinal problem. Hopefully nothing to worry about, but I would check it out for peace of mind.