Question about weight

[MontananDakota]

So Dakota's surgery to remove the MCT is today and they weighed her again and she lost 2 lbs. since last week. She has slowly dropped from 56 in 2014 to 50 today. In this past week I have increased her food by a cup a day. She eats that Purina DCO hi fiber due to her diarrhea issues a few years ago. Anyway, I normally have to increase | decrease to adjust to her activity level as winter has her gaining due to lack of activity and spring has her losing due to her increased activity. Anyway I just adjusted her food due to the activity level (I am late) and having seen her lose weight, can increasing that much fiber food cause her to lose that 2 lbs. in this past week?? She is now getting a full cup a day more and I didn't slowly adjust it, so she has been pooping so much because of the food. I should have done it slowly right? I was in a hurry to get some weight on her for this surgery | recovery.
I guess that is probably why she lost this past week but over the past 2 years-a slow decrease in weight-what would cause that if not her food intake and activity level-this tumor has only been there since a few months ago so it couldn't be from that right?

[Berna]

Are her ribs visible? Or you can feel them with a light touch? Seniors lose their muscle mass so the weight loss may be due to the loss of muscle.

[Tanya]

sending good thoughts for a smooth surgery.

No idea on the weight loss. Rocky has been loosing over the last few years as well but it seems to be mostly muscle sadly

[MontananDakota]

No her ribs are not visible, she looks fabulous to me-her fur is very very thick and honestly it is luxurious-that's the word that comes to mind but I knew something was different and when the vet said her weight was down I panicked. I think you are right though-it is the muscle mass...But I also wonder if losing 2 lbs. this past week sis due to my increasing her (already high fiber) food without doing so in increments.
I am also reading about high fiber foods a lot today and I see they say that too much fiber can interfere with the immune system. I would like to try to get her off this food and onto something really good for her. I know I tried before and the vet said to keep her on this because we were not able to find the cause of her constant diarrhea. I feel like I want to try again though because now, facing cancer-I feel like it's the best way to get through - to get her immune system back to the strength it was before we got stuck with this food. I have spirulina and raw goats milk, going to order some great probiotics recommended by shellbell. What else?

[MontananDakota]

sending good thoughts for a smooth surgery.

No idea on the weight loss. Rocky has been loosing over the last few years as well but it seems to be mostly muscle sadly

thanks Tanya!-I never even thought fo the muscle mass issue...it makes sense now though..

[Meeps83]

Is she more active with China around? Also, was the scale zeroed? It is also possible that she was leaning against the wall or had her butt hanging off or maybe you had a hand holding her on the scale.

I wouldn't think that the fiber would make her poop out 2lbs of weight, but I'm not an expert.


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[Annette47]

My first thought was muscle mass as well, but Meeps raises some good points about the measurement possibly being off.

[MontananDakota]

I was thinking about that also last night. I am not 100% positive they didn't get her weight while my hand was under chin to keep her on the scale. And 2 lbs. in a week seems crazy I know, but she has been pooping more....I don't know.....I'm at a loss.

[Tanya]

i've weight dogs multiple times in a short period and it has been off by a few pounds now and then which I generally assume is a scale issue. how it was balanced and all that. even the same one. It was easier if it was off for both dogs then that for sure was a scale issue!

for 2 pounds in a week i'd assume it's a scale issue honestly. maybe weight more often to confirm if it's a trend though.

[janedoe]

All three of my seniors have been steadily losing weight over the last year so our holistic vet told us to start feeding them sweet potatoes. Fran, in particular, has always had a high metabolism so the vet told us to give her up to two large cooked, peeled sweet potatoes per day. Their weights are getting back to normal now. They're good for the gut too and the dogs love them.