weight loss

Question
what natural things can i do for my 13 year old lab who keeps losing weight and I don't know why  you can really  see her ribs and she can't afford to lose any more weight.she goes from eating to not eating  to diarrhea to fine again then to throwing up  but only every once in a while she cant lose any more weight or i'm afraid she'll die. even when she eats she doesn't seem to gain weight. she is on diamond naturals lamb and rice and has been for some time now. she also has a chronic ear infection that won't go away no matter what I do . I am not working so a vet trip is not possible I will do what ever I can for her especially natural treatments .can you help me ?

Answer

Hi Bernette,

Unexplained weight loss can mean a serious medical condition. Nobody online can diagnose your dog, she needs to be examined by a veterinarian. "Natural" treatments may or may not be helpful, but without knowing what the problem is to begin with, you're wasting your money on "cures". It's pure guesswork, and obviously it isn't working.

As far as your dog's ear infection. Without having the vet exam, you don't know if it's a bacterial or yeast infection, if there are parasites, or if this is a symptom of an allergy or 100 other things. Treatments will vary greatly, depending on what the underlying cause is. For example, antibiotics will not cure a yeast infection, they can make it worse. Until you can have your dog examined by a vet, keeping your dog's ears clean will help, though it may not cure the problem.  A weekly ear cleaning with an ear cleansing solution, such as Nolva-Cleanse Ear Cleaning Solution, Sulfodene Ear Cleaner. or Zap Ear Cleaner, to name a few.
In addition to ear cleanings, if your dog has lots of hair on the inside ear flap, that should be carefully trimmed down, so there will be more air circulation. Here are directions for how to clean a dog's ears:

http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_clean_a_dogs_ears

If you are having trouble affording veterinary care, first talk to your regular vet. Ask your veterinarian if he or she will let you work out a payment plan. Many veterinarians are willing to work out a weekly or monthly payment plan so that you do not have to pay the entire cost of veterinary care up front. If that doesn't work, contact your local shelter or Humane Society. Some shelters operate or know of local subsidized veterinary clinics or veterinary assistance programs. You could also check with veterinary schools in your state to see if they offer discount services to the public. You could ask your employer for an advance on your salary. If you happen to belong to a church or synagogue, they might have funds available to help members of their congregation in financial need.

When all else fails, you can apply for a special credit card that can be used for medical bills, including veterinary care. Read about this here:

Care Credit:  http://www.carecredit.com

Citi Healthcard:  http://www.healthcard.citicards.com

The following organizations provide financial assistance to pet owners in need. Please keep in mind that each organization is independent and has their own set of rules and guidelines. Therefore you will have to investigate each one separately to determine if you qualify for assistance:

http://www.thepetfund.com/application/

http://www.angels4animals.org/

http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/

http://www.piggerspals.org/index.html

http://www.vet-i-care.org/

http://shakespeareanimalfund.org/

This charity is just for senior citizens: http://www.help-a-pet.org


Sorry I couldn't be more of a help.
Best of luck,

Patti