My elderly dog is losing too much weight

Hi everyone my cavalier is so thin, shes 14 next month and has suffered pnemonia, ovarian cysts which almost killed her, and what we believe is now cancer. She hasnt been tested 4 cancer as shes so frail now anyway....and we wouldnt put her thru the treatment now bcus cavalier life expectancy is ten years, and she is well over that. at the moment she is happy.

we are just going to let her live her life happily until she isnt happy anymore. She has lots of fatty lumps on her, it breaks my heart.

But what i want to know is, is there anything i can buy to make her gain weight? I will measure her tummy later but it is so thin she looks abused!! i can put both my hands round her tummy by the back legs and they meet

just wondered if there was anything i can do for her weight gain

she gets 3/4 of a tin of food at night, and a 1/4 in the morning. so 1 tin a day. and biscuits througout the day cus otheerwise her tum grumbles

It breaks my heart to see my special girl like this

I,m so sorry for you and your poor dog.

The signs of cancer tend to be, Change in voice, severe weight loss, loss of appetite, or difficulty in eating.

Even without operations etc your vet can give your dog medicine to dull any pain. You need to take care walking her depending on the type of cancer.

There is nothing you can do to make her gain weight. That's the cruel part of cancer, you feed the dog and the cancer.

I lost my own Yorkshire Terrier to throat cancer 2 yrs ago.

Your dog is in a loving family who care about her, a lot of dogs are not. Do what I did and make each remaining day special.

hi Bonnies mum
I am sorrry to see this post i have 5 cavaliers and have owned the breed for 22 years .....it sounds to me as though you need to see a vet and discuss the next route at 14 she is getting on in years ( 10 no longer an average age ) its doubtful she will gain weight whatever you feed her as the cancer sounds quite progressed now

its time to decide whats right for her now ...speak to your vet who should give all the info you need on the next step

Our 'old girl' lived till she was 23 yrs, a fantastic age, and I hand-reared her from 2 days old, I know where your coming from Hun. I spoke to our vet, who helped us through our worrying times about her, obviously there was no cure and we wouldn't of put her through that anyway, but our vet did help with good advice and helpful tips. When the day came at least I knew I was letting her go with some dignity. Although it ripped my heart out I also knew that we had done the best for her. Speak to your vet, they can be very helpful Best of luck Hun xxxxxxxxxxx and lots of love to you and your little one xxxxx

I am so sorry to hear this love, it's heartbreaking sometimes.

Love to you and your very special girl xx

I just l;ove her so much and it breaks my heart to see her like this. The problem is...she sleeps most of the day, but as soon as i get the lead out, she barks, runs up to me, whines, and as soon as we get over to the fields...well she runs like theres no tomorrow. We did take her 2 the vet a few months ago because she had these nasty parasites that came up when i washed her, and i asked about it then. She said its clear shes in no pain...but as soon as she is, to bring her back.

it just breaks my heart. Ive had her since i was seven years old. I will always do whats best for her of course i will, i just know theres going to be a day soon where she does become sore, and in pain. Im just dreading that day.

I really feel for you love xx it's lovely to see how much you love and adore her, and no doubt you yourself are admired just as much by your special girl, Cavaliers give so much love and affection we wonder how we will ever learn to live without them they truely are special x

its little things like. she literally follow sme everywhere. I go in the garden to see the rabbits, and she waits at the gate by the bunny garden. (they have their own garden!)

if i go to the bathroom, shel curl up on the laundry outside. If i go in my room for like 5 minutes, she gets up on the bed. (she cans till jump up there!)

She just adores me and i do have another dog but hes so boistrous etc....bonnie just shows so much love is adorable.

the thing thats horrid...is the back end of her tummy is SO thin, that she actually has flaps of skin falling down in between her back leg and her tummy. Her groomer thought it was fur and nearly went to cut it, until i explained it was actually loose skin hanging.

is there any websites that have information on dog cancer?

It may not be cancer, I've had the same problem with a cat and a dog losing weight but showing no other symptoms and they both had kidney problems.
Since the kidneys process and eliminate body waste products into the urine, it is important that these organs remain healthy. If your pet's kidneys are not functioning properly, your veterinarian may recommend a diet specially designed for kidney problems. These diets contain a low phosphorus level (to slow down the progression of the disease) and a lower protein level to reduce the build up of harmful waste products in the blood.
In both cases for my animals a change in diet helped, but you would need to find out what the issue is first, trying to feed up a dog with kidney problems can make it much much worse.

Hi BonniesMummy,

Sorry to read about your girl, but I would seek the advise of your vet as reading from the internet can sometimes lead us to believe all sorts.

Good luck and let us know how you get on x