My Dogs Losing Weight & Eating: What Should I Do Now?

Okay, so, my dog, Buster, he's been looking a little… thinner lately. And it got me worried, you know? He's an old boy, a Golden Retriever mix, about 10 years old, and usually he's got a good, healthy weight on him.

First thing I did, obviously, was check his food. Was I feeding him enough? He gets two cups of kibble in the morning and two cups in the evening. Same brand, same portions, nothing changed there.

Then I started paying closer attention to his eating habits. He was still chowing down like normal, maybe even a bit more enthusiastically. That’s what made it so weird – why is my dog losing weight but still eating?

So, I played detective. Here's what I did:

• Kept a food journal: Wrote down exactly how much he ate, when, and if he finished it all. Confirmed, he was definitely eating.
• Checked his poop: Yep, gotta do it. Looked for anything unusual – diarrhea, undigested food, worms. Everything seemed normal, though.
• Increased his food slightly: Figured maybe he needed more calories. Added about half a cup to each meal. Didn’t seem to help.
• Watched his activity level: Was he suddenly exercising more? Nope. Same old Buster, napping most of the day, short walks in the morning and evening.

Ruling Out the Obvious

Next, I thought about the common culprits. Parasites are always a possibility. He's on a monthly flea and tick preventative that’s also supposed to cover heartworm, but maybe he picked up something else. Old dogs can get all kinds of crap.

So, I bit the bullet and scheduled a vet appointment. Couldn't put it off anymore. I described everything to the vet – the weight loss, his normal appetite, the lack of other symptoms. They did a full exam, took blood samples, and checked a stool sample.

The Diagnosis (and Relief!)

Turns out, Buster had a mild case of… exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Basically, his pancreas wasn't producing enough enzymes to properly digest his food. That's why he was eating like a champ but not absorbing the nutrients.

The vet prescribed enzyme supplements to sprinkle on his food. Said it was pretty common in older dogs, especially certain breeds. Started him on the supplements right away. They were a little pricey but hey, what else can you do?

Within a week, I started noticing a difference. He seemed to have more energy, and he wasn't looking quite so scrawny. I'm still monitoring his weight, but he's definitely improving. This is definitely a great experience that i would love to share!

So, yeah, that’s the story of Buster's mysterious weight loss. Lesson learned: When in doubt, get your dog checked out! You never know what's going on internally. Plus, now I know what EPI is, which is more than I knew yesterday!