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11 yr old female Jack weight loss but still energetic

by Ellen
(Maryland)

Our soon to turn 11 yr old female Jack Russell, Molly, has always been a little on the plump side with an enormous appetite. Over the past several year or so she has slimmed down considerably, but generally has a decent appetite, though not like it used to be. She has barely slowed down, still loads of energy, still loves to run, still in charge of everything and everybody. One weird thing she started doing a few months ago was sneak away from our house and yard, where a neighbor was feeding her, mostly just bread. One time she came running back across a field with bread in her mouth. She's never done this kind of thing before, and we always provide her with plenty of good quality food.

Molls is beloved to us and we're just getting a little worried. What could be wrong, if anything? Is the weight loss (it wasn't sudden) just part of the aging process? Today I noticed for the first time she has some drainage from her eyes, looks like she's been "crying."

Thanks for any advice. I'm going to take her to the vet next week, but in the meantime would really appreciate some input.

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Feb 19, 2013
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by: Rayna

It's not uncommon for Jacks to lose a little weight as they get older because they are not quite as active as they used to be. That was kind of weird that your neighbor was feeding your Jack bread....but what dog is going to turn down food! Have you looked into getting dog food geared towards seniors? I believe that it is made up of a higher fiber mix then regular dog food. That might be helpful for your little guy. As longs as she isn't too skinny and the vet clears her of any health issues then I wouldn't worry about it too much. It could be that her sense of smell isn't what it used to be. To help increase her appetite you could always put toppers on her bowl of food such as cheese,cottage cheese or scrambled eggs or cooked chicken.
There could be a few reasons for the tear stains - an ear infection, a yest infection, blockd tear ducts or allergies.
Hope this helps and hope your little one is ok!

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