My pet is losing weight

+ How does a pet lose weight?

Losing weight intentionally, or unintentionally, occurs if there is not enough energy to support the metabolic activity within your pet. We refer to this as negative energy balance and this is what we do when we start a diet ourselves.

If the weight-loss is not intentional, or too rapid to be explained by a diet change, there are a few general areas to explore:

• We are not getting sufficient nutrition into our pet
• The food is not being absorbed properly
• The food is not being used internally properly
• Something is using up the energy too quickly internally

Each category has their particular causes and each need exploring comprehensively. It may take several visits and careful attention at home to help put together what may be occurring within your pet.

+ How long does the treatment take?

Treatment depends on the diagnosis. A diagnosis can take a little while to reach in subtle cases such as IBD or other absorptive conditions and so patience is needed when investigating situations of losing weight.

+ How many visits are required?

Multiple visits and monitoring are required to build a picture of weight change. Regular recording of your pet’s weight helps to appreciate what is a normal weight, and what is not, should it change. We recommend regular weight visits to the clinic to record healthy pet weights along with poorly pets.

+ How much does it cost?

Investigations vary and test choices vary.