GSD rescued - advice needed - Page 1

Hello all . . . a good friend of mine just rescued a GSD. I'm certain he's a German Showline. I'll try to make a long story short about his background.

This poor baby was confiscated by police. The man who owned him abused his girlfriend, who had finally had enough. She called police about the abuse. When police arrived, they took him into custody immediately after seeing the kind of damage he did to the poor woman. The woman then commented "if you think this is bad, you should see the poor creature in the crate in the back yard." Police found the GSD locked inside a small crate with almost NO hair on him - and at only 30 pounds. He was all bones and could not walk. He could only barely "thump" his tail as a greeting. He's estimated to be around 7 years old - per the girlfriend. They rushed the dog to emergency care - to which they did not think he would make it. They thought his condition was so bad medically; but also that he may have given up the will to live. Mind you this dog has a nice big head - I'm imagining he'll probably fill out to around 90ish pounds or so. He's also pretty tall. After he was cleared medically and in stable condition, he was taken to shelter (no kill). My friend couldn't leave him in a kennel at the shelter, as he would certainly have passed away. He is up to around 50-60 pounds now. Still skin and bones. He is the SWEETEST boy - so loving.

Due to his skin and stomach problems, he's not taking to many foods well. Is there a certain food any of you could recommend she start feeding him? I believe a lot of people on other threads had mentioned Orijen (SP??). Are there any others that anyone would recommend?

Also, he's terribly "ichy" - so needs medicated shampooing on a regular basis. Are there any other remedies that anyone would recommend to promote hair growth as well?

Any other advice anyone can give. He's such a kind dog - and we just want to ensure he gets what he needs to make a full recovery.

Thanks in advance everyone!!

So glad your friend gave this poor dog a chance... !!!
I guess right now the dog isn't used to "good" food - that said I'd stay away from high protein/high fat for a while.
Low protein, low fat, not too much, better several times a day, and because of the itching grain free, too ( a lot of dogs are allergic to grains )-SMALL portions of fresh meat - the body has to get used to food...
I'd talk to a vet-maybe prednisolon for a while-he needs to feel comfortable, in this case side effects are not that important...
Thank you for saving this poor guy!

The itching could be due to food allergies as well, so trying an "elimination diet" of kibble that has only one type of protein may help. Many dogs are sensitive to chicken, so an alternate protein may help with that. There are many good dog kibbles that are formulated now for "elimination diet". As Suzie says, Orijen is a very "rich" food and having that may upset the dog's stomach, especially when he has been so malnourished. Grain-free is now available in many formulations, some of which can be used in an elimination diet. Lamb seems to be quite hypo-allergenic, and is what I feed to my rescue GSD who has a sensitivity to chicken.

READ THE DOG FOOD LABELS. Even though this may seem like a "no-brainer" to most of us, you would be surprised how many people buy into the marketing of dog foods and feed absolute crap to their dogs, made from corn protein source. Even so-called "specialty" brand names like "Hills Science Diet" have many formulas made with corn as the main protein source, so taking the time to go through and read the labels carefully will help make a better choice for the dog.

Great on your friend for taking in such a dog and providing a loving, caring home. I get irate when I hear of these cases of animal abuse - all I can say is it's lucky for the abuser that I am not making any decisions about their punishment.  

Glad to hear he is in a safe home.  There is a special place waiting for dog abusers like that and I intend on being in charge of it. >:-(

The Honest Kitchen foods would be a good base for his diet.  I've also had good luck with the Fromm's foods.  Chicken is a good, digestable protein for dogs.  His stomach cultures probably need to rebuilt. Yogurt with live cultures is a good way to do that. Kefir is also good to improve the gut flora.  I've found that freezing those 6oz Yoplait yogurt containers and then providing one as a treat is a good way to feed yogurt -- they will spend about 10-20 minutes licking it from the container.

About 2 tablespoons (~30 ml) of coconut oil each day will help greatly.  It's digestible, has antibiotic properties and lots of benificial medium-chain fatty acids.  CostCo has a pretty good price on that, ~ $18/gallon (more or less).

https://www.sitstay.com/blogs/good-dog-blog/37662913-coconut-oil-for-dogs-the-ultimate-guide

An egg or two each day is a good suppliment.  They are a good source of easily digestable protein.  

B vitamins will help rebuild his immune system and coat.

He may possibly have a mild case of mange.  Does his skin/coat feel greasy?  For medicated shampoo, I normally use Sulfodene.  It's good for clearing up itchies and scratchies. The key is to leave the suds on the dog for 10-15 minutes.

http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/sulfodene-medicated-shampoo-and-conditioner-for-dogs

Good luck with him and give the big guy a chin scratch from me.

 

Excuse me, but the minute I hear 'nearly hairless' and 'itchy' the word 'MANGE' lights up in neon-glow letters 2 feet high!

Has he been tested for this? If not, get it done ASAP! It is treatable, but if it's far advanced, it's going to take time and patience to cure. Often there are secondary infections that have to be dealt with.

My first GSD was a female I rescued, 5 years old and 26 inches tall that weighed only 35 lbs. Believe me, there are few things I've done in my life that were more satisfying than seeing this dog blossom with good food and lots of TLC!

Kudos to your friend for stepping up to the plate!

Hi everyone - I really appreciate all your input. I've never had (or personally seen) a rescue this bad before. My friend and I just want to ensure he gets everything his body needs to get him into top shape. It'll be interesting to see if he has a tattoo?? Just out of curiosity more than anything. Wouldn't that be something if he wasn't from out of some incredible lines??!! LOL!

I should have mentioned he was tested for mange and does not have it (so not sure why no hair other than being starved of nutrition his entire life) - and his health is otherwise pretty good (no worms; parasites; stomach or intestinal problems as was to be expected, etc.) other than he's got ear infections (yes, both ears). Even his hips are good!

When I saw this poor baby, I cried - truly! It breaks my heart that someone would do something like this. And this dog is SO kind and appreciative of where he's at now. He has a dog friend now (and they get along fabulously); a soft dog bed in every room; his own toys; an active "doggie dad" that takes the dogs for long walks around vineyards, lakes, etc.; a "doggie mom" that has a heart of gold; and an aunt and uncle (my husband & I, former GSD owners) that get to spoil him. This dog is truly in heaven now. I'm just so thrilled for him.

It amazes me how forgiving he is. And (as most GSD's are) sharp! He already has learned sit, shake and down right away. It's pretty sweet - he doesn't "down" for long, as he wants to be at someone's side at every moment. You can tell he's a happy boy now. Makes those fabulous GSD noises, grunts, wines & yawns. Wags his tail constantly. And I swear you can see him actually SMILE !!

Being confined in a too-small space may have resulted in rubbing against the 'kennel' walls and/or self-mutilation/over grooming through boredom, which could explain the loss of coat if there is no sign of any type of mange mites; a poor diet usually accounts for some coat loss, and definitely lack of hair condition, but not all-over baldness, so much.

If no mange is present, then this should improve fairly rapidly with his new life, and would seem to be the least of his problems.

I agree with what others have said about not giving him too rich a diet at first. Don't know whether its available to you in the States but if this dog was over here I'd have gone for good old basic 'Chappie' wet food in the first instance, it has pulled many a rescue dog out of a hole. And it does sound as though the cops only just found him in time.

Your friends deserve all our undying gratitude for giving this poor dog a great new home. I wish them good luck with him, and hope they have his company for a good few years yet despite his being middle-aged already !

Abady's who are based in NY have a range of granular product formulas specially designed for dogs that are recuperating from severe under nourishment. Their ELEVATED STRESS AND MAINTENANCE or STATE OF THE ART granular formulas are two products to look at. My own dog never suffered from undernourishment but I have used these two products with good success ( muscular weight gain, consistently firm and low volume poop, no doggy body smell or bad breath, soft shiny full coat, no tear stains, no allergic skin reactions, bright sparkly eyes, and good epithelial moisture ( lips, nose) ).
You can call ( 845-473-1900 )  and even ask for Erica ( the owner/manager ). She is very patient and kind, down to earth and have a wealth of knowledge of dog nutrition.

Go simple. Boiled chicken and brown rice for awhile. That should bring him around in a way that's not inundating his system with all sorts of new stuff to contend with. His appetite will build on this diet. It's a short term plan to bring him back, not a long term diet.

Maybe steroids for awhile to stimulate him, enhance his appetite if he needs it. Consult your vet.

A few supplements that work well regardless, fish oil, Ester-C and coconut oil will help bring him around and help the skin. Skin issues are generally fixed from the inside out.

If you want something topical to help him along, MTG (mane, tail, groom) works wonders.

Very much agree with Dog1 with the addition of some probiotics - yogurt, kefir or acidopholus capsules . Keep it simple for now to give his system time to settle down. After awhile can add the fish oil, coconut oil and 2-3x a week ( no more than that cause can od on these two) add some selenium and zinc which will help with the skin and hair issues. Oh and some natural vit e but make sure it's the natural vitamin e. Synthetics are actually processed from kerosene. Keep in mind you want slow weight gain not fast or you can overwhelm his system.

Use the time while he's on this diet to research other options including the raw food diet ( allowed me to grow a normal coat on a pituitary dwarf gsd who did not produce normal growth hormone). I have not fed the Abady formula mentioned above but years ago fed their original formula with some success. They also used to have a frozen product that a lot of the sled dog people used. If not going with raw try to find a food that does NOT have flax in it. Some dogs are actively allergic to it and all dogs can not process it. It's put there just so they can claim omega 3s & 6s on the label but they are useless in that form to dogs

Make sure a complete thyroid panel is done on him - means sending it to either Jean Dodds or Univ of Michigan.

Be very careful of getting on the steroid hamster wheel. I've written about this on a number of previous threads re dealing with skin and coat issues. Prednisone is primarily given to make the owner feel better because it will temporarily boost up the dog but it does not solve the problem AND creates more problems because it promotes bacterial overgrowth followed by fungal infections. To ease the itching try tea baths ( good old black tea like Liptons) or baking soda baths or oatmeal soap.

For the ears I highly recommend Red Earth Ear oil can get on web or at many local health food stores. Used to be called Medicine Wheel ear oil. Directions say put on cotton ball but I have always just put it into the dog's ears. Only thing I have found to reliable treat both bacterial and fungal infection at same time.

Can we know the dog's name and maybe get a head shot of him? Also know that as he gets more comfortable in his new situation his behavior can change and he may feel free to express some "naughtiness". I have also found with rescue dogs it can sometimes take them a year or more to "sleep with both eyes shut" in other words to trust enough to really really know they are there to stay.

God Bless you and your friends and thank you for the service to our beloved breed.