9 Month Old GSD with Weak Hindlegs - Page 5

Abby, I understand, and you're right--it's difficult to know what to attribute any improvement or decline to if more than one factor in the equation is changed, and that's certainly why it's usually best to make one change at a time.  Add to this that there is STILL the possibility that he's also giardia -affected, which will cause similar stools and similar rapid decline of condition in a young dog whose defenses are overwhelmed, and its is certainly going to be quite the diagnostic puzzle for a GOOD vet to work through (and obviously one that the previous vet couldn't be bothered to interpret).  Would that the standard of medicine--both veterinary and human--were equal in all countries, and it wasn't so difficult for gautam to have a competant vet located nearby.

The skin infection could be a secondary staph that set in after his bath--again, his run-down condition guarantees his immune defenses are overtaxed at the very least; combine that with a hot, humid environment and dense, damp haircoat post-bathing, and it's perfect for opportunistic bacteria, normally in the environment anyway, to bloom and spread on the skin.  Poor Mervin...

Guatam you are so lucky to have so many people praying for you and your pup.  i am sure the city vet will get to the bottom of the problem.  Don't despair.  The skin allergy also could be a reaction to the TOTW food you switched to.  The creon numbers ie 5 10 or 20 I believe refers to the strength of the enzymes, ie amalyse lypase and protease.  The higher the number of the creon the higher the strength of the enzymes in the capsules.  On our site it is usually one creon 10 for one cup of food and you tweak up or down from there. however, since you will be seeing a city vet he will be able to determine your correct course of action.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you embark on this journey with your pup.

Please don't forget about us.  I think we are all sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to find out how your puppy does at the vets. He is such a nice looking boy.

Eldee

Thanks for clarifying the Creon numbers! Not having it in the UK I didn't know that part, just that a higher 'amount' may be needed.  So could he use 2 Creon 10 (are they capsules or tablets?) to achieve the higher strength if he hasnt purchased the higher strength initially?

We use Pancrex tablets or powder and you just use more or less tablets as needed until you hit on the right amount. There is a guide per weight of food, but you adjust it up or down to fit the individual dog.

Hexe - this sure makes you appreciate the standard of veterinary care we are accustomed to.  I am sure that there are also a host of parasitic, bacterial or viral conditions that may be unique to gautams country that we may not even be aware of.

Creon comes in capsules and yes if you were feeding two cups of food you could use 2 Creon 10's or 1 creon 20. It is suggested you feed the capsule whole first then feed normally.  ( feed normally, sounds so good doesn't it??) We haven't had a normal feeding in 6 months. Oh, the good old days when all you did was feed your dog its dinner.

Eldee, I don't think I am doing a very good job of saying what I am trying to say :)

What I mean to say is that Mervin may need more than 1 Creon 10 capsule to 1 cup of food, he may need 2 X Creon 10 to one cup of food, as 1 may be insufficient. The people on an EPI site in the UK that tried it with their dog found they needed 1 Creon 25 to one cup of food for their dog for it to be effective.

There, I think that came out better!

Any news Gautam?

Have you guys lost your minds?  I can’t believe what I am reading here!  You all are diagnosing this animal over the internet without laying eyes or hands on him at all.  Do you realize that?  The OP’s vet already told her he is fine health wise.  From the video, he just appears to be deformed structurally is all.  Other than that he looks perfectly healthy.  What makes you think any of you are going to change his structural faults through drugs?  Pumping him full of drugs and supplements is a complete waste of time and money and is unhealthy.  Please stop these ridiculous suggestions.  You are only going to hurt this dog and probably end up killing him.  He is fine just the way he is.  God forbid he walks funny at 9 months of age.

This is the same vet that has suggested he put the dog down. Now why would a vet tell the op that the dog is fine and then go so far as to suggest he put it down?

maywood, did you miss the part where the owner of the dog gives the dog's weight as 25 kilo, converted to pounds a mere 55 of them on a 9 month old dog?  A dog that, when the owner bathed him this week, is literally a walking skeleton? 

Nothing that's been suggested is going to KILL this dog, or even do him any harm between now and when the owner has him seen by a more competant vet than the one he's been using, who as Eldee pointed out, first claimed the dog was fine and sent gautam home with a bottle of doggie vitamins, and a few days later tell the owner to euthanize the dog?

Furthermore, NO ONE has diagnosed  this dog with anything.  The owner came here asking for opinions  as to why his young dog was so extremely weak despite being fed well and in sufficient amounts, and that's what he got: opinions as to what could be  causing such problems, what things to ask his vet about, opinions as to whether a change in feed, to more animal-origin protein, might benefit the dog.  Opinions that are CONSISTENTLY presented with repeated statements from everyone that the owner needed to get the dog to the vet and push for him to give the owner an actual diagnosis, not just another bottle of vitamins.  And when the OP responded with relating the most recent experiences with the vet he'd been using, he is AGAIN urged, pushed, begged, commanded to get the dog to a different vet, a vet with more advanced training and more advanced diagnostic capability, for which gautam will need to travel to a larger city than the one he resides in. 

Hopefully, gautam was able to identify such a veterinarian, and was further able to have Mervin examined by him or her today, and the process of getting this poor dog a confirmed diagnosis, which is the first step toward getting Mervin on the path to reversing the effects that 'what ails him' has/have already had on him so far.

Hello
Sorry for the delayed response. Went to the big city with Mervin and returned back the same day. The vet examined him and told the following points
1. He is anemic (after the blood test)
2. No fat in the body (cause for dandruff and itchy skin)
3. Weak hind legs and over all a weak and sick dog (due to malnutrition)

When I mentioned to him that he was eating 5 cups of Royal Canin GSD Junior 30. The vet pointed out that may be the food was not being digested properly by the dog. He suggested me to go for home made food with beef and organ meat and rice and come after 1 month. If it does not improve then he will perform a TLI test. He also asked to me to administer Salmom oil (5 ml), Irish Cal Powder (2 spoons), and Prebiotic and Probiotic powder. Suggested deworming with Drontal Plus but backed off when I told him that I did that 3 weeks ago. He asked to me to Neomec one tablet a day for 5 days for skin infection.

I spoke to the local butcher who is going to deliver organ meat with some beef.

Regards
Gautam