[Laura M]

My breeder (Wirehaired Pointing Griffons) has an older male (12 yrs. old) that is slowly losing weight. He eats very well (quality kibble and canned food), his bodily functions are good, his attitude is happy and he wags and seems to love life. He has had every test known by several veterinarians and is going for an ultrasound today. Apart from the results of the ultrasound, everything is perfectly normal. I know that sometimes as pets get older they lose weight, just as some of us people do. He doesn’t look emaciated but when you feel him he is quite thin and never was before this started happening about a year or so ago I think. Is there any food or supplement that might be recommended to help with this older dog syndrome? You all have such great recommendations to so many problems so I thought I would post this on my breeder’s behalf. Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!

[anonymous]

With seniors I will feed 3-4 small meals per day instead of 1 or 2, and I add a tasty topper, maybe a bite of scrambled egg or chopped broiled chicken liver, chopped cooked lean meat or chicken….you get the idea. If he is not drinking enough water, add a splash to meals.
The only supplement I use for dogs is fish oil (1 capsule a day) not sure if it actually does anything.

[T]

Hi Laura!

It’s great that you’re trying to rule out major physical diseases through diagnostic testing. If nothing is found, I urge you to find a holistic vet who is interested in nutrition. This is an area that just isn’t covered well in most conventional vet practices.

I work with dogs with similar problems often. I find that once I talk to their owners/guardians at length, there are usually a host of other minor symptoms that have been overlooked. I personally love using homeopathy and nutrition/supplements to help dogs in situations like this.

I only work with people who are local to Phoenix, AZ, but you can look for a vet near you (or one who does phone consultations) at http://theavh.org or http://www.ahvma.org/find-a-holistic-veterinarian/

There are many articles about dog nutrition and holistic health care on my blog: http://naturalalternativesvet.com/blog You might find some of them helpful in your situation.

Tabitha (Dr. Thompson)

[Author]

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