Expert: Nicole - 1/8/2009

Question
We acquired a 2yr. old male Bassett the other day, and he appears very thin. My husband weighed him, and he is approx. 45lbs. The woman that we got him from said that he quit eating because they had female dogs in heat. My ? is could this be a possibility, or could there be a underlying health concern?

Answer
Hi Tracy,

Yes, that answer is not beyond the realm of possibilities, however, 45 lbs. is thin for an average adult BH.  He's not have gotten this thin in the last few weeks.

Any rescued/adopted/new dog should be taken to the vet anyway so I would suggest you get him in.  Going off food is one of the first signs of serious illness as are lethargy and changes in behavior (which you probably wouldn't notice as you've not had him that long).

To list possibilities would do you no good.  There are far too many...from very minor to very serious.

If you'd like to send me a few photos, I'd be happy to look at them and let you know if he's too thin for his size.  If you choose to send them, try to get at least one from the top, one from the side and one sitting.

Nicole@boxerdogplanet.com