[STEVE-O]

If so I have a question, I am Very worried to say the least. I have a 7yr old Boxer male,Who for the past year has been declining in weight.I am currently feeding him 7 cups per day, which is insane!Even Mastiffs dont eat that much and he is thin.He attacks the bowl like he is starving to death.Otherwise he is playful energetic and happy like he was when was a puppy but his appearance bothers me.Ive tried de-worming him, upgrading his diet to a more expensive and caloric brand and neither seemed to work.Im taking him to the vet tomorrow but am worried.this lady at the pet food store hinted maybe "God Forbid"! Cancer ??? Im not sure about the affects of cancer in dogs but could this be a sign??? or what else could his weight loss and constant apettite be attributed to??His stool appears to be normal no traces of blood or parrasites????

[paintedrain2]

Possibly cancer, but what came to mind when I read this......is heartworms. They can go un-noticed for a VERY long time.

[chetco]

You will find a discussion of this problem, and the possibilities at the bottom of this page> http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dweight....%20gainingfrom Dr. Mike, DVM>>Thiness would be caused by such things like heartworm disease, kidney or liver disease and whipworms if his stool was normal and things like digestive disorders if his stool is not normal.

[sandy]

i don't have an answer to your question but i did read it and what ever the outcome is i hope your dog is in great health with no problems just with a hearthy appetite goodluck at the vet tomorrow . please keep us posted i will watch your question if you add details tomorrow

[Wolfmanscott]

What has his drinking habits been like lately, has be been drinking a lot more water also and wanting to go out to pee a lot more too. Has he been throwing up. Have the vet check his blood sugar levels and his pee for sugar. It might be diabetes.

[Diana S]

There are several things that can cause weight loss in dogs. Yes, cancer is one of them, but there are also other problems with various organ systems that can cause weight loss over time. Your vet may recommend diagnostic tests such as bloodwork or x-rays to help rule out cancer, kidney failure, heartworms, etc. There's really no good way to tell what is causing your pets weight loss without your vet running some tests. It's a very good idea for you to take him, I hope it goes well.

[Esther]

When you get to your vets tomorrow try providing them with a fecal sample (although some places prefer to do this at the clinic. They will have to run some blood/urine tests as well to help determine exactly what the problem is. The cause could be many many things, and while there are many credible people on YA, we can't accurately diagnose most of these problems without physical examination and tests. As far as the lady at the pet food store is concerned. No, I would not outright say that this could be cancer until accurate testing proves so. Try to stay calm until you get to the vets. Panicking isn't going to help you or your doggy at this point. :)

[OntarioGreys]

Get some bloodwork done and take in a urine sampleHe could have an autoimmune disease such as diabetes mellitus type 1 if his drinking drinking and frequency of urination has increased another possibility is a thyroid disease, weightloss is not common but can occur, maybe even Protein-Losing Enteropathy blood work and a urine test can provide the vet with a lot of clues to what may be going on, since he is 7 ask for the geriatic blood profile and it checks for more things than the basicYou did say you upgraded his food but not all foods are created equal even though they may cost more, muscle loss is common as dogs age main reason is they are not getting enough meat protein and older dogs can can require almost 2 times the meat protein of an adult inorder to maintain muscle , he is not really that old but a high ""meat"" protein diet may help some of the high meat diets include Innova EVO, Barking at the Moon, Orijen, and Raw InstinctsOther foods may have high protein but the protein is sourced from grains not meat.He may be lacking in certain vitamins or minerals which can affect absorption, you might want to try a food supplement like Missing link