Skinny GSDs for Sale - Page 6

You and me both!

Steph, believe me I know muscle weighs more than fat.  That is the 23 lbs my boy lost.  As I posted earlier, his flare ups would get so bad that he couldn't walk and I would have to carry him to the vet.  I wish he had the energy right now to do more activity but I have to wait until his medications start kicking in to see a difference from what I understand.  He does actually show more energy from changing his food and that took about a month to even get there.  As I understand it from the vet, though, once he is able to start digesting his food instead of the bacteria in his intestines taking it all, he will have more energy and be able to handle exercise and get close to where he was before.

Crys

I think the BC would have been better off thinner.  I don't approve of obesity.  But I do approve of letting dogs have some choice in whether they live as hungry, overly thin athletes or as couch potatoes.  And I am not a saint -- some dogs on the dole really bug me, but some non-workers are sweet dogs who just love their food.  I have cousins like them, and it makes them happy.   On the other hand, some dogs are like some athletes I have known who absolutely loved to be lean and on the run day and night.  I was just talking to a 50 yo guy who still runs marathons in under 3:00h -- it makes him happy to eat a little and run a lot..  But would you want that life forced on you?  It would be awfully nice if people let their dogs tell them which they want to be.

MVF

Actually, he has had several tests done.  cTLI for EPI was 7.2, low normal but still normal.  He had a liver function panel done (electrolytes etc) and everything was normal except for his lipase which was 1726 which is extremely high.  His labs for his kidneys is actually excellent.  This is why I have been going through tests for several months with my boy.  His latest lab work (CBC, Chem panel, cobalamine and folate), showed a pH value of 7.48, which from my understanding is very high.  Chem panel and CBC were completely normal except for the pH.  His cobalamine looked great but he has a high folate, which is indicative of SIBO.  Keep in mind I have been going through all of this with my dog for 7 years and have finally found a vet who has taken the time to get a diagnosis.  It was constant trips to the e-vets for misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis.  And I can't tell you how many times he was tested for parvo.  He is actually going through treatment finally that he needs and this treatment will be for the remainder of his life.  The last time he actually got so bad that he couldn't walk was about 4-5 months ago.  His stomach got so bloated he looked like he swallowed 2 basketballs and started vomiting and pretty much spraying his, well stool if I could even call it that,  all over himself.  No it was not torsion either.  He had xrays done.  No tumors either.  The vet also diagnosed him with IBD but we cannot get a definative diagnosis due to his current condition.  Neither one of us want to risk placing him under anesthesia right now.  So, he has started his treatment.  Once he is more stabalized, we can do more tests.  I am also considering asking my vet if we should try pancreatic enzymes as well because even though his cTLI was normal, it was 7.2 and normal is 5.7-45.2.  Just to see if it might help.  He also used to eat extreme amounts of food prior to changing his diet to a low fat/low fiber diet.  I feed him a mix of can and dry and he was eating 4 cups of dry with 1 can twice a day. Extreme amounts of food. And he kept losing weight!  So, now that he is on Science Diet i/d, his intake is about 1/4 what is was and is showing more energy.  I have heard alot about raw diets, but with the issues we have had and the fact that he is doing better, I am scared to change it unless this stops working.

I also received a question about his height in one of the posts. He is 27".