Nutritional Deficiency In Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, and Solutions

We all want our dogs to be healthy and happy, and just like us, they need a nutritious diet—especially puppies. However, health conditions can sometimes interfere with nutrition absorption, which can also lead to issues.

Read on to explore the different causes of nutrient deficiency and how you can support your pet:

Causes Of Nutrient Deficiency In Dogs

When it comes to nutrient deficiency, diet is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But there are other reasons your dog may not be getting the nutrients they need:

• Malabsorption disorders: some health conditions can make it hard for dogs to absorb the nutrients from their food. Even if it’s high-quality food, their body cannot digest everything it needs. This is usually caused by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) or small-intestinal diseases (for example inflammatory bowel disease, small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or cancer).
• Parasites: worms such as tapeworms and roundworms, and other less well-known parasites such as giardia (a microscopic organism common in puppies and kittens), can cause malnutrition.

Low-quality food: feeding your dog a low-quality diet can lead to health issues, and this is far more likely to occur in dogs fed home-cooked diets or raw diets than commercially complete ones[3-5]. If you want to feed your dog a home-cooked diet, it’s best to work under a veterinary nutritionist’s supervision to ensure that you’re getting the balance right. Also, be cautious with poor-quality kibble foods that don’t have a veterinarian on their developing team.

• Feeding an inappropriate diet for your dog’s size and age: if you have a puppy, feed them the right diet for their size and age, as they require different nutrition than older dogs. Growing large and giant breeds need a balanced diet of calcium, phosphorus, and the right energy levels for proper bone growth[1,2].
• Underfeeding: it’s important to feed your dog enough food to avoid weight loss and nutrient deficiency[9]. Over time this could cause various health complaints, weakness, and starvation.
• Overfeeding: feeding your dog too much can also be harmful. An increase in calories can lead to weight gain and an excess of certain nutrients.
• Nursing: nursing mothers have high energy and calcium demands. However, low blood calcium can lead to a problem known as eclampsia, which can cause tremors, seizures, and even death—so it’s important to manage their diet carefully.
• Ill health: if your dog isn’t eating because they’re unwell (for example nauseous or vomiting), or because they’re physically unable to (for example a severe head or jaw injury), then malnutrition can occur. In this scenario, your pet may need hospitalization and supported feeding.

Getting The Right Balance Of Nutrients

Dogs need a balanced mix of nutrients, including protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. If your dog doesn’t get enough, it could lead to health problems.

If your dog isn’t receiving enough calories in their diet, they might lose weight and energy. However, diets deficient in specific vitamins or minerals could lead to more specific health problems. For example, a diet lacking in zinc could cause immune problems and poor skin health[8], and diets deficient in vitamin D could lead dogs to suffer from bone deformities and fractures[12].

But remember, if they’re getting too much of a certain nutrient, it could also lead to health problems. For example, too much calcium can cause bone abnormalities in puppies[7], and a dog receiving too much vitamin A could suffer lameness[6] and reproductive issues.

This is why it’s so important to choose a brand of dog food that’s appropriate for your dog’s size and age. Make sure to look for a brand that has a veterinary nutritionist on their team and provides feeding guidelines and a customer helpline.

If you’ve already ticked that box but still suspect a deficiency issue, then read on.

Symptoms Of Poor Nutrition

Pet parents often say ‘my dog is eating poop’ or ‘my dog keeps eating grass’, and while these issues can occur in dogs with malnutrition, these are often behavioral problems (or possibly due to a gastrointestinal upset). However, if you notice other symptoms along with these actions, it might indicate a dietary deficiency.

The main signs of poor nutrition in dogs include:

• Body condition that is too low (or too high in the case of poor nutrition caused by overfeeding)
• Muscle wastage and/or weakness
• Poor coat condition—dull, thinning, or hair loss
• Recurrent skin problems—including scaly/dry skin, sores, non-healing wounds, or repeat infections
• Poor nail growth
• Low energy—some dogs may have a low mood (depression)
• Poor-quality feces—either looser than normal or very firm/hard
• Eating non-food items—hunger may cause dogs to scavenge or eat things they wouldn’t normally

Diagnosing Malnutrition

If you’re concerned about your pet’s health, take them to your veterinarian and get them checked over.

Your veterinarian will start by examining your dog and discussing their food and their stool quality with you. They may suggest fecal samples to screen for parasites, as well as blood tests to check your dog’s organ function and their hematology (red and white blood cells). They might carry out some more specific tests to look for deficiencies in the B vitamins folate and cobalamin, which can be markers of malabsorption issues in the intestines or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)[10]. In cases of EPI, a canine trypsinogen-like immunoassay (cTLI) blood test is also helpful.

To help reach a definitive answer, they may carry out further investigations such as diagnostic imaging (X-rays and ultrasound scans) and tissue biopsies.

After this, your veterinarian can then advise you about the best treatment options, diet, and supplements for your dog. If your dog has malabsorption issues, supplements or products containing folate and cobalamin supporting pancreas function can help. Some dogs may need long-term supplements if they’ve been diagnosed with an ongoing health issue.

Creating A Feeding Plan

It’s best to talk to a veterinarian about the right feeding plan for malnourished dogs, because there may be specific guidance depending on the degree of malnutrition and whether there are any underlying health complaints. If the dog is very unwell, they may require hospitalization for intravenous fluids and close monitoring.

If your dog is severely malnourished, feed them small meals throughout the day to avoid overfeeding them. Be careful to prevent ‘refeeding syndrome’ from occurring. Your veterinarian might recommend supplements including prebiotics, which can have several benefits during critical illness and recovery from malnutrition.

Recovering From Malnutrition

The good news is that many cases of malnutrition can often be resolved through the right diet and feeding plan, especially if the problem is diagnosed early enough. However, some problems such as developmental abnormalities in puppies’ bones and joints may be much harder to cure, so it’s best to get their nutrition right from the off.

Be careful not to overfeed or over-supplement your pet, and always follow your veterinarian’s advice closely to correct poor nutrition.

Always Seek Veterinary Advice

Nutritional deficiency can occur for several reasons, including a poor or nutritionally inappropriate diet, ill health, malabsorptive disorders, and under- or overfeeding. If you think your dog is suffering from nutritional deficiency, you should speak to your veterinarian. They will help to identify whether your dog does have a malnutrition issue, what the underlying cause is, and what you can do to help them.

FAQs

How Long Can A Malnourished Dog Live?

There’s no set answer to this. The prognosis of malnourished dogs varies considerably depending on the severity of the nutritional deficiency, and the dog’s starting weight and fat reserves. One paper reports the successful recovery of a malnourished dog that was stuck in a well for 27 days[11]!

How Can I Increase My Dog’s Nutrient Absorption?

You should always make sure to feed your dog a digestible diet that’s right for their age and size. You should also make sure that your pet is treated routinely for parasites to help their ability to absorb nutrients from food. Always use the supplements suggested by your veterinarian for your dog’s health condition.

What’s The Most Common Nutrient Deficiency For Dogs?

Many dogs are deficient in B vitamins (cobalamin and folate), due to underlying health issues such as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and diseases of the small intestines. The good news is that if your dog gets diagnosed with this issue, they can receive supplements that can help.

How Do I Know If My Dog Has Malabsorption?

The signs that your dog might have malabsorption issues include changes in stool quality (either very loose or constipated), weight loss, poor coat and skin condition, and reduced energy levels. A check-up from your veterinarian is required to try to work out what the underlying problem is.

How Do You Help A Malnourished Dog That Won’t Eat?

If your dog isn’t eating and appears malnourished, it’s important to get urgent veterinary help. There may be a significant underlying health problem that requires treatment. Your dog may also require hospitalization for intravenous fluids and a structured refeeding plan.