Dog losing weight despite eating well

Dear Cathy: Our daughter brought back a dog from Hong Kong about three years ago. She’s a lovely “village” dog, looks like a dingo and is about 6 years old.

About 18 months ago, she developed an odor, and we took her to the vet who said it was her teeth. We spent $500 on teeth cleaning, but she started to lose weight. The vet said she might have an allergy. We now have her on special dog food with no additives, only lamb and sweet potato.

She is still losing weight, even though we feed her three times a day. She seems happy but likes to stay inside more than before. Her water intake has increased, and she is negative for worms.

We are perplexed, but since she seems OK otherwise, we don’t want her to go through another unnecessary teeth cleaning. — Carol, Hinsdale, IL

Dear Carol: Recently, I mentioned that I have what I refer to as “bottom-up vet” rather than a “top-down vet.” A “top-down vet” will recommend an assortment of tests and scans not knowing what he or she is looking for exactly. A “bottom-up vet” will look at the symptoms and will try the least expensive treatment or test first, and then work up to more expensive tests as lesser health problems are ruled out.

The good news is, your vet seemed to start at the bottom by ruling out worms, food allergies/diet and oral care first before recommending other tests. Just like with people, there are several diseases, like diabetes or thyroid problems, that can cause some of these symptoms you describe. But these symptoms can also be related to cancer too. Unfortunately, none of these illnesses can be diagnosed without more tests.

If you want to solve the mystery, ask your vet what possible diseases could cause weight loss and how they are tested for and treated. Otherwise, there is no way to know what’s ailing your dog.