14 years old dog who lost a lot, a lot of weight & coughing a lot?

Question

and I notice he keep coughing worst. I have already put him in the vet, the vet gave him med, took everything checked and said he's fine but it's seem get worst now. Now my dog lost a lot of weight as I felt his bone on his back, and his hair start falling off little a bit, and yes he have eat dog foods but it's just I notice he started lost a lot of weight, coughing a lot. I want to bring him to the vet again but the vet will tell me he's fine but he don't seem fine to me. Should I worry about his lost weight? I mean you can see he's very skinny and see his bone, I also notice his eyes started white, blue mixed blurry is it normal? His eyes color used to be dark black mixed brown. Please help me, thanks!

Shih Tzu Mom · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry to say, but it sounds to me like your aged dog could be heading into heart failure, with that coughing.  And, if he's losing weight that fast, it indicates his body is no longer able to properly process the foods he's eating, and so, he's literally starving to death.  He also could be in a lot of pain, and so is not eating as much as before.  
As for his 'cloudy' eyes, he now has cataracts, and as a result will be soon going blind, just like our 13 yr old lab did before we had her put down.  
I really think, if your vet seems to not see all the 'signs' of the age this dog is carrying, that maybe you need to consider finding another vet.  Most vets don't like to lead you on and will be honest about what course you may be facing about having your dog put down.  Some vets will try to 'bleed' you as long as they can for money, and continue to 'treat' the dog, even though they can see it's time to let them go. 
I understand what you are facing with your dear old dog, and my heart goes out to you and the decision you may soon be facing.  God bless you both.

horses · Answer

well its defibnitly age. a dog life span is 10-13 yrs. so he is pushing it! And the hair loss, weight loss, eye problem are all very common things that an older dog may exspecrience his body is worn down and he isn't what he used too be. he does need to gain some weight though. take him to a vet.

rcullen1980 · Answer

Take him to another vet. Losing that much weight and having his hair falling out is never a good sign. If you current vet is unwilling to take the time to properly diagnose him, then go to another.

GOODD · Answer

What kind of food are you feeding? Low quality foods like Pedigree, Ol' Roy and Beneful can have disastrous long term impact on your dog.

You need to take your dog to ANOTHER vet for a second opinion. What is going on with your dog is not normal. Be prepared that your dog may be in declining health due to his age and it's time to put him to rest.

doc&#39;s wife · Answer

see a new vet-- weight loss and coughing at this age is serious-
please seek a second opinion, asap

panache · Answer

I would be very concerned,try another vet.

Anonymous · Answer

you need another vet, this does not sound good at all.

Trending News

14 years old dog who lost a lot, a lot of weight & coughing a lot?

7 Answers