My dog picks at food & gained weight. Is this normal for his age?

It can be normal for some dogs to be picky eaters, especially if they are rewarded with human food if they wait long enough. It is not normal however for Yuki to be losing weight. I would recommend seeing your veterinarian to rule out a medical problem first - if she seems otherwise healthy you can then discuss trying to find a commercial dog food that she likes (canned food might be an option), or discuss talking to a nutritionist to formulate a balanced home cooked diet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! His recent weight gain is likely unrelated to his intact status. It may be a good idea to contact your veterinarian who knows him and can tell you how many calories he should be eating daily based on his weight to avoid further weight gain. You can also consider a weight loss diet such as Hill's metabolic diet. That diet you can get at your veterinarian's office. Good luck!

Some dogs are simply picky eaters, but if you feel like Blue might be underweight it might be a good idea to check in with your vet. From your picture I feel like his body condition looks ideal, however a physical exam is the best way to determine body condition. If Blue is in good health and not underweight it is probably safe to go ahead and 'wait it out' by leaving food out and allowing him to eat when he's hungry. You could also try mixing in canned food to encourage him to eat, but this could encourage the picky eating a little.

Most puppies should be proper weight if they are getting fed puppy food, and in his case large breed puppy food. If you are concerned about his weight, then I would recommend getting him checked to ensure he isn't losing nutrition due to intestinal parasites, which is the #`1 cause for weight loss in puppies. Otherwise, he may just be naturally lean. I can see his ribs there but he is laying down, if he stands and his ribs are still readily pronounced, then he may be a tad bit underweight. Also if he has any loose stool, this can indicate other internal organ issues that should be checked by your vet. If he has an underlying issue that is not treated, then no matter what you feed him, he will continue to be undersized. I hope that things work out well for your pet Thunder and that his weight normalizes soon! Best wishes and take care.

This could be due to several things like age and losing some muscle mass, he may need an increase nutritional requirements, liver or kidney problems, cancer or something else. You could get a baseline weight and increase the amount of food you are feeding as long as there is no other symptoms to see if he puts on some weight. I would reweigh him in 2-4 weeks. If he is still loosing weight or not gaining any weight or if you start seeing additional symptoms, I would have your vet take a look at him. Your vet will be able to do a fecal, blood work and even x-rays if needed to help determine the cause of weight loss. I hope this helps and he starts to gain weight quickly.

If your dog is eating but not gaining weight it could be due to the amount your are feeding or the type of food you are feeding. If you look on the back of the bag it will have feeding instructions for your dog's weight. Also it could be due to how active your dog is. If your dog is very active and plays and runs a lot, it could be burning extra calories causing it to not gain weight. If this is the case you can try feeding an "active" formula food. It could also be due to a thyroid problem or even diabetes. If you think your dog is under weight and can't gain any weight you should have an exam done by a veterinarian to determine if the diet needs to be changed, or if some bloodwork needs to be done to be sure everything is functioning properly.

Lots of food means lots of poop. Since his feces appear to be normal the frequency likely is caused by the amount of food. Once you are at the point where you feed a normal amount of food to maintain his weight, the frequency should get less.