Why is my dog too skinny?
There are many factors why dogs lose weight. Some of the more common ones include lack of nutrition, the presence of parasites, and old age. While weight loss in dogs can be healthy, too much of it can be a sign of a deeper health issue, especially if they frequently eat food that is high in fat.
How to know if my dog is too skinny?
Each canine has a different body structure depending on their breed, age, and several other factors.
Hence, there’s no one-size-fits-all test to see if a dog is at an unhealthy level of thinness. However, there are some indicators that you can check which can be symptoms of your dog being too thin.
You can try and check the following:
|
Body Part |
Symptoms of Being Too Thin |
|
Ribs |
Run your hands along the side of their chest. You should be able to feel them without too much pressing. However, if they’re easily visible, your dog might be too skinny. |
|
Waist |
Looking from above, the dog’s waist is too pronounced and tucks very sharply. |
|
Muscle mass |
Run your hands along their hind legs. If you can easily feel their bones with little muscle, they’re too skinny. |
|
Spine |
The dog’s spine appears to be sharply protruding and doesn’t have any muscle covering it. |
Remember, these are all just indicators and not a diagnosis of your dog’s health. There are also dog breeds that look skinny because they’re bred.
Hunting and other farm dog breeds tend to be skinny. These canine breeds include:
- Salukis.
- Borzois.
- Greyhounds.
- Ibizan Hounds.
- Afghan Hounds.
- Dobermans Pinschers.
What to do if my dog is too skinny?
The best course of action if you think your dog is too skinny is to go to your vet and have them checked. Have your vet do a routine check-up so they can see if there are any underlying health issues.
Clean their immediate environment
One of the most probable causes of your dog losing too much weight is the presence of parasites in their stomach.
If this is the case, then you can start by cleaning their living space to keep ticks, fleas. This is because dogs usually get infected with fleaborn parasites such as tapeworms.
You can do this by changing their bedding at least once a week.
Buying anti flea collars can also help lessen the chances of your pup getting parasites.
Buy high-quality dog food
Another reason why dogs get too skinny is because they’re not eating the right amount of nutrients they need on a daily basis.
Giving your dogs high-quality food can alleviate their lack of nutrition. What you need to give them are those that have an excellent protein source, have no grain, and has canine-specific probiotics.
