My senior dog with DM won't eat. How do I get her to eat more?

I would definitely recommend some blood work, if this hasn't been done recently. Older dogs are prone to a number of health issues that can cause decreased appetite along with being less active - chronic kidney disease and hypothyroidism are two possibilities that are both very common. In many cases, these issues are treatable (at least to some extent) once a diagnosis is made, so it's well worth checking for them if you can - hopefully, there are some things you can do to make him feel better for as long as possible, even though he's getting older.

First of all, you should get Zorro checked by your regular vet, as he has lost a lot of weight. Weight loss could be due to liver or kidney disease but it is also commonly seen in diabetes, hormonal disfunction or even tumors. Zorro should have a blood and urine test done first (and possibly abdominal scan and chest x-ray), and if the results are negative, you can think to increase the calories intake. Giving food for young, active/working dogs is one of the option. But if Zorro, for example suffers from diabetes, he will continue losing weight regardless what he is feed until the diabetes gets under control.

If Maggie has been well controlled for that long then I suspect something other than the Addison's is causing the weight loss. I would recommend an examination by your veterinarian. They will likely recommend blood work and possibly x-rays depending on what is revealed or found during the physical exam. I hope this gives you a place to start. I hope Maggie improves soon.

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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately, cancer is not uncommon in older dogs and can cause weight loss. Weight loss can also be caused by conditions such as IBD, diabetes, or be a normal part of the aging process. I recommend having Milo seen by a vet for blood work and x-rays to check if he has any masses and make sure his organs are functioning normally. I hope all is well with Milo!

Poor Dexter. Unfortunately this can be part of the disease. I would take him into the vet to see if you can get an appetite stimulant prescribed to see if that helps. If it does not, then it would likely be time to consider letting him go. I'm sorry.

I am sorry to hear that Walter isn’t doing well. Decreased appetite can have a long list of possible causes, which may or may not be related to his cardiomyopathy. I would continue to work with your vet in possible treatments to get him more comfortable. You can also consider working with a veterinary acupuncturist or palliative care veterinarian to make sure we are treating the whole body rather than just one symptom at a time. There is also an appetite stimulant called Entyce that might help.