Dog rapidly losing weight

MazzR

We got a beautiful rescue dog on the 20th august. Think he's a pattendale terrier but not too sure. He's 18 months old. He had diarrhoea for a while when we got him so brought him to vets who changed his nuts and gave him a probiotic and antibiotics. The poos settled and he seemed good then. About three weeks ago, I remarked to my dh that he seemed a lot skinnier. Weighed him and he was 11.8 kg. A week later, weighed again and he was 10.3kg. The vet put him on more meds which he's still on and the poos are formed and less frequent. Went bk to vet 4 days ago and they did a full set of bloods which came bk clear and he was 9.4kg. Just weighed him there myself and he's 9.1kg. I'm really worried. Anyone any experience or could shed light. He seems well in himself. And no worm or anything. Thanks in advance

Knine

MazzR wrote: »

We got a beautiful rescue dog on the 20th august. Think he's a pattendale terrier but not too sure. He's 18 months old. He had diarrhoea for a while when we got him so brought him to vets who changed his nuts and gave him a probiotic and antibiotics. The poos settled and he seemed good then. About three weeks ago, I remarked to my dh that he seemed a lot skinnier. Weighed him and he was 11.8 kg. A week later, weighed again and he was 10.3kg. The vet put him on more meds which he's still on and the poos are formed and less frequent. Went bk to vet 4 days ago and they did a full set of bloods which came bk clear and he was 9.4kg. Just weighed him there myself and he's 9.1kg. I'm really worried. Anyone any experience or could shed light. He seems well in himself. And no worm or anything. Thanks in advance

Have you tried increasing his food? What are you feeding him & how much?

MazzR

they are nuts that the vet told us to get, being honest I can't remember the name. Sensitive something anyway. And he's getting the amount they recommended for his weight. Though I must admit we did increase it in the last few days...

2nd Row Donkey

Has the dog got old looking too? Gray around the snout?

Knine

MazzR wrote: »

they are nuts that the vet told us to get, being honest I can't remember the name. Sensitive something anyway. And he's getting the amount they recommended for his weight. Though I must admit we did increase it in the last few days...

You need to feed him according to his body condition i.e using your eye rather then guidelines or recommended amounts. Did the vet not mention increasing his food?

Vets often push food that they get big commisions for.

MazzR

I don't think he's gotten old looking, greyhound looking alright in the body. Will continue to increase food and see.

Knine

MazzR wrote: »

I don't think he's gotten old looking, greyhound looking alright in the body. Will continue to increase food and see.

Divide it into 2 meals if needed. The Patterdale is generally a very lively active terrier, you don't mention if he is indoors or lives out. Really cold weather can also mean they need a lot more food. One of my very lively Borders gets twice the amount of food that the others get.

2nd Row Donkey

MazzR wrote:

Went bk to vet 4 days ago and they did a full set of bloods which came bk clear and he was 9.4kg. Just weighed him there myself and he's 9.1kg.

MazzR wrote:

I don't think he's gotten old looking, greyhound looking alright in the body. Will continue to increase food and see.

Probably way off here but ask the vet to test for Addisons disease ... it's a blood test but wouldn't be covered in normal blood tests. But that kind of dramatic weight lose is v concerning.

I'd feed her anything she is willing to eat (within reason) if I were you.

How is her former otherwise.

Have you noticed her struggling to jump up on furniture for example... the couch or bed. Is she slower when out for walks and falls behind your pace?

MazzR

Thank you all for replies and advice. We have always given him the food twice a day and have given him a third lot too the last week or so.

I'd change his food. If the dog is still losing weight even though bloods are ok, just try feeding more or a different brand. Get some samples or just a small bag of a different brand. There are many on the market. Gain, Redmills, Kasco, Pedigree are some of the more popular Irish ones. Good Luck.

Sleeper12

Could be thyroid but most likely his food. Try giving more food or you might need to change the food again.

thegreatgonzo

Knine wrote: »

Vets often push food that they get big commisions for.

Vet do not get commission for selling food.

thegreatgonzo

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Vet do not get commission for selling food.

Of course they do!

thegreatgonzo

Deleted User wrote: »

Of course they do!

No they don't!

andreac

Def don't feed pedigree anyway. One of the worst foods on the market!! Feed a very good quality one and add some meat too if necessary.
Does your dog have a good appetite?

thegreatgonzo

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

No they don't!

You mean they sell it at cost? Bad business if so.

MazzR

He has a great appetite and his form and energy is great. That's what keeping me from going in to full panic mode to be honest...

Sleeper12

Deleted User wrote:

You mean they sell it at cost? Bad business if so.

In fairness that's not commission. Commission is a fee someone pays you to sell or push their products. What vets do is buy a brand of food that they like, are happy with the quality and are happy to recommend. They then add their profit. This is exactly the same as the pet stores, tesco etc. It's called retail. Definitely not commission

Dial Hard

The Young Wan wrote:

They banned me from there for posting a lot.

Go check the bag and tell us what food he's on. Vets can be really ill-informed about brands of food, unfortunately.

In the meantime, I'd be trying to fatten him up a bit. A Kong filled with yoghurt and peanut butter, then frozen. Pigs ears. Silk balls. If you roast a chicken, snip the skin into pieces and dry them into lovely crispy treats in a low oven. That kind of thing.

Edups

andreac wrote: »

Def don't feed pedigree anyway. One of the worst foods on the market!! Feed a very good quality one and add some meat too if necessary.
Does your dog have a good appetite?

Dogs get fed it every day... would ye stop

thegreatgonzo

Of course there is a mark up but that is NOT the same as commission. I have said this here before, it is misleading to say that a vet practice is being paid commission because that implies the vet is rewarded by the supplier every time he sells their product.
That doesn't happen.

Vet practices will stock a product that they are satisfied does what it claims to do. They will generally stick to one or two brands because for one thing they don't have much space and for another they will only be familiar with the ones that make their research data etc easily available to them and companies like Hills and Royal Canin will make their job much easier for them by coming in and doing in store presentations etc.

Knine

Sleeper12 wrote: »

In fairness that's not commission. Commission is a fee someone pays you to sell or push their products. What vets do is buy a brand of food that they like, are happy with the quality and are happy to recommend. They then add their profit. This is exactly the same as the pet stores, tesco etc. It's called retail. Definitely not commission

Vets tend to push Science Plan & the likes & I don't mean the special diet types. There are much better quality feeds for similar prices. Their prices are similar to elsewhere.

DBB

Edups wrote: »

Dogs get fed it every day... would ye stop

That does not mean it's good quality.

kev1.3s

I don't know if you're blood tests included one for diabetes ( I would imagine it did ) but the symptoms seem very similar to our dog Pepe who passed away last year from diabetes.
It is manageable if caught in time but our vet misdiagnosed it the first 3 times and when we eventually got a diagnosis it was too late for her. I'd do anything to be able to rewind the last 3 months of her life.

Sleeper12

There is an EU law that says regulates dog food. Basically all dog food regardless of price or brand must have the minimum vitamins and meet the dietary requirements of the average dog. This doesn't mean that they are all the same. Personally I find some dogs can do very well on cheaper stuff but others need the dearer brands. Every dog is different. Food that's too rich for some will be perfect for others. Now that I think of it its not unlike baby formula. Trial and error till you find the right one

thegreatgonzo

Knine wrote: »

Vets tend to push Science Plan & the likes & I don't mean the special diet types. There are much better quality feeds for similar prices. Their prices are similar to elsewhere.

Most vets will only recommend a product that has been subjected to systematic reviews. There may well be a product that has better results on one dog than another but until there is some scientific data available to back up whatever it claims to do a vet will not be able to stand over the product in the same way.

MazzR

I can't check the name as I decant it into a bucket and throw away the bag...😡

MazzR

Mind you, science plan sounds familiar...

Sleeper12

MazzR wrote:

Mind you, science plan sounds familiar...

Mine are on science plan and they thrive on it but like I said it can be trial and error.

Cherry Blossom

How long have you been feeding this bag of food. It needs to be stored in a way that minimises exposure to air and light to minimise oxidisation, a bucket is no good for storing dog food. Did you buy it from the vet or how were you going to know what to buy next time if you threw away the bag?

MazzR

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

How long have you been feeding this bag of food. It needs to be stored in a way that minimises exposure to air and light to minimise oxidisation, a bucket is no good for storing dog food. Did you buy it from the vet or how were you going to know what to buy next time if you threw away the bag?

We got it from the vet and when I say bucket it's an old mayo tub with a lid...

loconnor1001

kev1.3s wrote: »

I don't know if you're blood tests included one for diabetes ( I would imagine it did ) but the symptoms seem very similar to our dog Pepe who passed away last year from diabetes.
It is manageable if caught in time but our vet misdiagnosed it the first 3 times and when we eventually got a diagnosis it was too late for her. I'd do anything to be able to rewind the last 3 months of her life.

Sorry for your loss -

As above, my dog was losing weight rapidly as well (granted he was also drinking a lot of water) but his diagnosis was diabetes as well. Fortunately in our case caught quickly, he is blind now but he's getting along great with the insulin and special diet.

Does he drink a lot of water and seem hungrier than usual?

jimf

my dad god rest him used a very unscientific way of figuring out if the food he was feeding the greyhounds suited them or not


it was calculated by the amount of poos they passed nothing to be gained if its going in one end and out the other

we have a little mixed grill a fussy little biddy I asked the lads on here maybe 2 years ago about a good quality food for her shes now on taste of the wild nuts and forthglade wet all natural grain and cereal free and the improvement is unbelievable

JustAThought

20% of the dogs bodyweight seems like an awful lot - though you say its happy & has a good apoetite - is your dog getting a lot of exercise in its new freedom home - perhaps this is why its lising so much - too much expenditure of energy for the nutritional value of the food its getting? I'd go down to Lidl/Aldi & get some tins of fish ( sardines/makrel/tinned salmon - all very cheep to buy in tins & usually dogs love fish) & try them with the food or as an extra after they've eaten their main meal. If he dosn't put in weight in a week back to the vets to find out what they have tested for & if no sensible other suggestions try a second opinion vet.

MazzR

Had decided to start him on rice today. Going to throw a tin of fish into it. Does this sound ok? I genuinely think he's intolerant to the nuts

JustAThought

You know your dog - has s/he had rice before? It ran through mine like a tap but and a bit of leftover cold pitatoes always went down a treat despute her very dogey stomach. Maybe put it into two different bowls/plates at the same time & offer - its easier to spot what is being ignored if they're seperate - and easier to identify what didn't agree if you only introduced one new thing at a time.
Personally I really would start with the fish only & watch the poos for a day or two & keep an eye on her weight from day one of fish. If she's lost that much weight its better to be very vigilant frim fay one and fish is full of protein & goid oils so if she is dehydrated or lacking vitamins it will act as an immediate boost - rice offers far less . Best of luck.

Would you consider going to another Vet? First one may have missed something. If possible, bring a wee sample. Has dog been wormed recently? If not, it might be worth doing. Regarding home recipes, you could boil a chicken, remove all meat and skin from bones and soak some brown bread in the soup. Give this for one meal a day and nuts for other.

andreac

Edups wrote: »

Dogs get fed it every day... would ye stop

Yes, they do. But it's very bad quality, and as this dog is having issue with weight and losing it, i certainly would not be feeding this to try and help this issue.
People eat mcdonalds everyday, doesn't mean it's good for you :rolleyes:

MazzR

We are bk at the vet now. Rang a different man in the same practice that someone told us to ring so he said to bring him straight back. Fingers crossed. Thanks everyone

aonb

MazzR wrote: »

We are bk at the vet now. Rang a different man in the same practice that someone told us to ring so he said to bring him straight back. Fingers crossed. Thanks everyone

Let us know how you get one. Ive had two patterdales - great dogs!
Just so that you know, the QUALITY of the food you feed is everything.
Check the ingredients - there is so much JUNK in dogfood these days. There is huge amounts of grain, that can be an issue for some dogs. Go for the best quality food that you can afford. Names like James Wellbeloved, Burns, Arcana, Taste of the Wild are just some. Check out your local shops that you can buy decent quality from. For the most part supermarket brands are just poor quality. As a rule of thumb, a grain free kibble, with duck/rice or lamb/rice would be pretty decent quality.

I hope you get your little dog sorted - worrying to have this issue with your new dog, specially when hes a rescue, and deserves a great time in his new home. GOOD LUCK!

MazzR

So basically the vet checked everything. Scanned his belly etc. Said he's fine and up his feed again. Happy with that. Hope it works!

Ms Doubtfire1

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd change his food. If the dog is still losing weight even though bloods are ok, just try feeding more or a different brand. Get some samples or just a small bag of a different brand. There are many on the market. Gain, Redmills, Kasco, Pedigree are some of the more popular Irish ones. Good Luck.

and most of those brands are pure s***. switch to raw if you can in any shape or form.

MazzR

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

and most of those brands are pure s***. switch to raw if you can in any shape or form.

Burns is what we have now.

DBB

Why is it that dogs often seem to lose weight on Burns?!
I think their feeding guides are way out for many dogs op. If you've a very active dog, I'm not surprised he has got thin. Whilst Burns was a brilliant, ground-breaking food in its day, it has been eclipsed and eclipsed again by far better foods.
I'd be inclined to recommend a high meat-content food, with a high enough fat content for active dogs (15-18%), because active dogs metabolise fat very efficiently. Personally, I prefer grain free foods, plenty to choose from there especially if you shop online

PucaMama

The last stray I took in was staying skinny even tho she was getting fed. But worming sorted it quickly.

If your on a budget I feed my 4 harringtons. They are fine on it and you can get the salmon variety online for about 20 euro a 12kg bag (on Amazon and using prime delivery) and not much more expensive in other places.

If your not on a budget maxi zoo have great grain free options. For about 50 euro a 15kg bag.

Knine

MazzR wrote: »

Burns is what we have now.

Ah that explains the weight loss. Burns was never suitable for my Borders who are similar to Patterdales. I could never keep weight on them & eating is like an olympic sport for Borders.

Changing his food should sort him out. You can get better quality for similar prices that you pay for Burns.

MazzR

Thanks! Gosh, he was on the science plus just today we needed more and the vet told us burns. Oh dear...

MazzR

MazzR wrote: »

Thanks! Gosh, he was on the science plus just today we needed more and the vet told us burns. Oh dear...

See how he goes on the Burns. If that doesn't sort the problem, try another brand.

andreac

I def wouldn't recommend Burns if a dog is having problem putting on weight. As Knine said, it's not a food that would help with weight gain.

dubjay

try home cook the food. i fed my dog white rice ,carrots ,peas,chicken breasts for a week then put him on orijen like you he was loosing weight on the vets stuff but when i put him on orijen he is putting weight on. i used pre-biotic,pro biotic to try harden the poo it did slightly but the orijen does the job. its defo the food BTW you feed less orijen then recomended

borderlinemeath

Go online, (try zooplus.ie) research the many, many! brands available, and check the fat content, and you can choose from brands on the higher side. If you look at burns, it only has 7.5% fat, whereas Markus Muhle naturenah, which a good few people on this forum recommend, has 10.5% fat. Orijen and Taste of the wild, which are really high quality foods have 18% fat, so they all vary greatly.