Ask the Pet Nutrition Service: Could Stress Cause Weight Loss in Shelter Dogs?

I am writing about the dogs in the animal shelter where I volunteer. Many of them lose weight after a few weeks, and some even become noticeably thin. Some of the dogs do have chronic diarrhea, but there seems to be nothing to account for the weight loss in others. They are fed one meal a day, and all seem to have good appetites. Our animal control officer believes the weight loss is caused by the stress of shelter life. Could this be true—and do shelter dogs need more food than is recommended for pets in homes?
—Tina

Animals who are stressed may indeed require more food than recommended by the manufacturer. Keep in mind that the feeding guidelines on any bag of food are just guidelines—a good place to start. The actual amount may need to be adjusted after careful evaluation of an animal's status. Some sedentary dogs may require less than what is recommended on a given bag of food to prevent unwanted weight gain; on the other hand, very active dogs, working dogs and stressed animals (including those who are kenneled), may require more than is recommended. We suggest that your shelter consider, with input from a veterinarian, increasing the ration for the dogs in the shelter. You may also want to move to twice-per-day feeding.

The chronic diarrhea that you mention could be associated with a number of things—including, but not limited to, stress, giardia, other parasites or viral disease. It would be best to involve a veterinarian if you haven't already done so. If the veterinarian is able to diagnose the cause of the diarrhea, you may be able to treat the animals and prevent future problems. Chronic diarrhea can absolutely be contributing to the weight loss in the affected animals.

The nutritional status of individual dogs should be evaluated regularly, and the amount and/or type of food should be adjusted as needed. Good luck!