# Increasing Weight Loss on 1 Yr Old AmStaff



## nkr1 (Oct 10, 2013)

My 1 yr old American Staffordshire Terrier mix, Zoli, has lost a lot of weight in a month's time. I visually started to pick up on it, then went back to dated pictures to make sure. In that time, he started obsessing over fetching balls (lots of exercise), anxious one moment/lethargic the next, ignoring his brother all day (not even looking at him), no licking at all (he was a big kisser), and zero tail wagging.
I had to tighten his collar by over 3 inches and now I'm very worried. I thought, okay, he's eating like a horse, losing weight, maybe a tapeworm. So I gave him Sentry's WormX Plus to make sure. Still super skinny, I'm waiting for his ribs to start showing any day now.
He eats Orijens dry puppy, Orijens 6 Fish, a sprinkle of Nutrisca raw, Cosequin, diced celery, grated carrot. Plus low fat treats or sliced apple/pear. Our yard is clean but he swallows whatever's on the dirty balls at the dog park every weekend. I appreciate any insight anyone might have before I go break the bank with blood tests & MRI's.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Well if you want to avoid the medical route for the time being (and it would be a short time!) I would try a food that is something like chicken/rice with 26% protein, 15% fat, or thereabouts. Purina One Beyond (yes, really!) put muscle down on my very skinny mini poodle. If I try him on much else, both his tummy and his body condition get bad. 

There are others very similar, Precise Foundation, PetGuard Lifespan, Ideal Balance, Fromm Gold, etc. (Those listed happen to be my favorites, yours may vary). 
See if his weight will come up with some more carbs that way. Orijen is very low carb and can really lean out some dogs. 
Is he intact? That makes a difference too, they tend to be busier and leaner. 

There have been dogs who ate toys, which got lodged in the GI tract for weeks, the dogs loose weight even if they are still eating and pooping, so if it lasts too much longer, would be worth checking, especially since he's a known toy eater. (I have one of those too!Ugh). 

Good luck!


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

go to the Vet. don't play around trying to guess what's going to help your dog. don't medicate
when you don't know what's wrong.


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

Imo, it would probably be best to take your pup in. If it was just the weight loss, I might say try a different diet to see if there was any "quick" improvements but the other symptoms are worrisome to me. If a vet check comes back "clear" then I would probably switch to a diet with grain in (grains, like corn, can be good for weight gain). I would probably cut out the fruits and veggies simply because they take up "space" that could be used for more "weighty" foods (most diets encourage an increase in veggies, along with whole fruits, to help lose weight); same with low cal treats. Then I would slow add in "fattier" treats to up the amount of calories eaten. But, like I said, personally, I would get an "all clear" first.


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## porchpotty (Aug 10, 2011)

A significant weight loss just needs to medical attention to be sure of your dog's condition. I just hope all would be well.


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