How to Tell if Your Pet is Underweight

How Do You Know if Your Pet is Underweight?

One way to tell if your pet is underweight is if the pelvic bones, spinal column, and ribs are visible and if there is not much fat under the skin.

Some dog breeds like the Italian Whippet, Afghan Hound, and Greyhounds are breeds that are naturally thin.
Older pets may lose muscle mass which can cause weight loss
Older pets may not be keen to eat due to dental disease.
Nutritionally poor foods as opposed to healthy foods like those found at Pet Planet, your pet’s natural grocer.
Not fed enough food at mealtimes.
Picky eaters may become underweight.
If a pet is stressed, they may find it hard to relax and eat because they feel on edge all the time.

Make sure that there are no medical issues that are causing weight loss. A visit to your veterinarian will help to rule out diabetes, chronic heart and kidney problems, poor dental health, and parasites.
If you have one of the dog breeds that are naturally thin, it is important to understand the breed’s ideal weight and conformation.
If you think that stress may be the cause of weight loss, then it is important to understand the cause of stress as it can really affect your pet’s health.

Dogs and cats evolved from carnivores who mostly ate meat. Dogs can utilize some carbohydrates. The best pet nutrition and calories still come from animal protein and fat.
Every pet is unique, and every pet’s nutritional requirement should be tailored to meet the individual needs of your pet.
Some pets need more calories than others.
Picky eaters will require very palatable foods or toppers to entice them to eat.
Active pets will need more fat and protein in their diet to maintain a proper weight.
As pets age their body becomes less efficient, especially the digestive tract. This is when the quality of ingredients in healthy pet foods becomes so important.
Senior pets require a highly digestible animal protein diet that is very palatable to help them maintain their weight.
Exercise builds muscle. Daily exercise will help to maintain weight and pet health.

Adding probiotics/digestive enzymes will help to get the maximum nutritional benefits from food.
Omega-3 fatty acids like fish oils, camelina oil, krill oil, phytoplankton, and hemp seed oil, can add some healthy calories and support the immune system.
Adding to the diet a vitamin and mineral supplement can help with overall metabolism. Vitamin B can help to stimulate an appetite.