9 Month Old GSD with Weak Hindlegs - Page 16

Isn't this a great thread!! We are all learning so much.  I myself would never have thought yogurt could be tolerated by dogs as they don't produce the enzyme Lactase to digest lactose.  I buy the yogurt for Maya that is lactose free with probiotics.

Abby N I am so glad you clarified about Indian buttermilk. You are so smart. 

Hey kitkat 3478;

make sure it is Indian Buttermilk because I think our buttermilk is made differently.

Hey Eldee
I really wasn't that sure, so just had a search round to find out about it.   I know an Indian couple and I know so many of their foodstuffs and references to things that have the same or similar names are subtly different to what we think of them as.

I wouldn't give huge amounts of yoghurt though. Mine only ever get a few spoonfuls occasionally, so I don't know how much Gautam has been asked to give him, or the purpose of it really unless it is just to settle his stomach down. They used to give people buttermilk to calm or 'coat' their stomachs years ago.

abby normal - worms can attach to the lining of the stomach and or intestine and suck the blood right out of its host........ wouldn't that cause anemia?

"The amount of blood loss due to a single hook worm in 24 hr has been estimated to be up to 0.1 mL."

"No signs are seen in light infections of whip worms, but as the worm burden increases and the inflammatory (and occasionally hemorrhagic) reaction in the cecum becomes more pronounced, weight loss and diarrhea become evident. Fresh blood may be seen in the feces of heavily infected dogs, and anemia occasionally follows.

SM

Yes,  you could be right. I think Gautam really needs to do a recap of exactly what treatment he has had for those conditions worms/coccidia-Giardia

OK, here's a recap of what treatments Mervin has had to date, per his posts in this thread (yes, I went back and re-read every one of his posts, since everyone keeps asking what the dog's been treated with. Please try to follow along from this point forward, as I'll not do it again). 

9 Month Old GSD with Weak Hindlegs by gautam1972 on 12 September 2012 - 04:09	gautam1972 Posts: 26 Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:12 am
Hello, Things have become bad to worse. Now he is not able to use his food at all. Stools are just loose with blood in them. I am frustrated. However, the energy levels are good. I did deworming with drontal, gave a course of metronidazole for 7 days (600 mg t.i.d), Gave ivermectin tablet as single dose. Now he is on Lixen Palatabs since 1 week because of skin infection. Also I give him Creon 25 five minutes before meals two times a day. But my younger pup who is 4 1/2 months old eats the same food, drinks the same water and plays in the same enviroment is in superb condition. Now I have seperated both of them as I cannot afford my younger pup with similar infection. Please Help ASAP or else I may loose him..
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Hook worms can damage the digestive system for years to come.........causing scaring and what looks like EPI and or SIBO..... they are so difficult to diagnose becasue eggs are not often seen in the excriment. During the larval stage, the dang things burro thru the intestine wall and end up all over the place, just waiting for a time of stress or sickness to attack again. They are passed from mother to pups inutero and also thru milk......They are also easily spred thru eating raw meat.

Thank you, Hexe.

Thank you Hexe..

Coccidia is the one that is perhaps standing out, apart from possible EPI. That is as SM said, really difficult to clear up and it doesn't seem that Mervin has had treatment ie sulfonamides, for this, nor does it seem that he has been screened for it?  It would definitely be another area to look at IMO.  

This has to be a process of elimination.

I am confused that his vet has now said he can't have a TLI test as originally he said if he still had problems after a couple of weeks he would do a TLI test.

From the start, the possibility of giardia was broached, and I know I went into great detail explaining to Gautam the degree and intensity of disinfection necessary to control that parasite, as well as for coccidia.  I also provided Gautam with information demonstrating that metronidazole has an extremely low rate of success in addressing giardia infections.  The possibility of intestinal parasites has been raised repeatedly, although more than one fecal exam has found no evidence of parasites so far.  Gautam described his kennel sanitation routine and it appears sufficient for the most part, from what I read. 

On the plus side, Mervin has gained two kilos (4.4 lbs.) since Gautam's initial posts, and he does appear brighter in his expression in the most recent photos.  The continued issue with the stools concerns me, as does the frank blood (frank blood meaning it has not been exposed to any digestive enzymes, and therefore originates from the intestinal tract itself, most likely the lower intestine). 

It is entirely possible that this pup's problem is JUST malabsorption, and he can't process fats appropriately; or it's JUST an intestinal parasite; or it's JUST EPI; or it could be any combination of these or even all of them.  The best we can do from here is suggest, encourage, and hope for Mervin's improvement, providing information as requested, perhaps assisting in finding resources if possible.