Old Dog - Not Eating As Much But Looks Fat?

[Jap90s]

I have a collie cross who's 13

She seems ok - obviously a bit slow now

We noticed a few weeks ago that she was getting boney - her spine / ribs are visible - so upped her food, she doesn't eat it all and now looks fatter in her middle but is still very boney

Is this just that she's lost muscle due to age ?

I'm loathe to take her to the vet to be charged £100 to be told it's just old age

As I said she seems fine just clearly getting old and slowing down as she has been for the last year or so

[moorx]

Impossible for any of us to judge I would say.

Only warning I would give is that a swollen tummy can be a sign of a splenic tumour/internal bleeding, which I have experienced in two of my dogs and would not wish on anyone else. It is called 'the silent killer' because dogs often don't show any other signs.

I would be concerned about a swollen/larger belly for no particular reason.

Does your vet really charge £100 for a consultation? Mine is about a third of that.

Hope she is okay.

Edited by moorx on Tuesday 25th April 21:51

[Thevet]

swollen abdomen could be a variety of things most of which, if present, are not great news, anyway, diagnosis is critical, and will probably involve an ultrasound scan/xray/et al. £100 is costly for a consult but the additional diagnostics will be more. Sadly, this is the cost of private medicine. If you want to know the answer, you have to choose which way to go.
hopefully, you just have an old dog with a bit of a pot belly.

[Jap90s]

She was getting weaker (as has been happening for years) so took her in to be put down

£130 for the injection

Vet said the rounded tummy was due to water retention most likely due to a large tumor

Buried her in the garden

[moorx]

Very sorry to hear that

[garythesign]

Sad to read this.

Our collie cross is around 12 and although she shows little sign of slowing down, I dread the day when it finally comes.