I know this is probably the wrong board but it is an update on my post last week regarding changing vets, Well i went to my new vets this morning with my 11 months old GSD who although seems perfectly healthy is so thin and boney. I was quite shocked because at 6 months he weighed 35kgs today at over 11 months he weighed in at 33kgs. To cut a long story short the vet thinks I should change his food, he is fed on JWB but she thinks it might be possible his body is not getting enough nutrition in it. Ordering some Royal Canin for tomorrow.  The most worrying thing was that as she examined his tummy he seemed to be in great discomfort, and really growled at her. I have got to take a poo sample in tomorrow which will take about 5 days for results to come back.  If all is OK with that I have to take him back every 3 weeks to be weighed.  I know lots of GSD have pancreas probs and she suggested that it could possibly be that, although his poos are generally fine.  Only further tests will rule it out.   I am so shocked as I thought when I got there everything would be fine.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency(EPI)

I've never personally had a dog with EPI but we have had a lot through our rescue with it. You would have noticed the symptoms by now believe me.

Lots of GSDs especially males go through growth spurts when they go skinny in the body yet grow upwards one of mine did & having quite a close correct coat he looked awful at times. When he has stopped growing & filled out he looked normal again.

Many vets jump on the EPI bandwagon with GSDs & have them put on a change of diet(sometimes very expensive too). You might want to increase his food intake if he is very energetic

Hi MM

Thanks for your message.  I thought I would have noticed something was wrong before now, however I have noticed that his appetite has increased, it has always been good but now he seems ravenous.  I have increased his meals so now he has another one in the middle of the day.  What does worry me is the fact that it was obviously very painful when she pressed his tum.  As regards looking thin I also know dogs do go through the lanky stage but do they generally lose weight. He has lost 2 kgs since being weighed at 6 months, bearing in mind that he has also grown taller in this time do you think that is something to worry about.

My young BC(was going to put puppy but he's a year old now)weighed more at 6 months than he does now & looked a bit chubby for my liking but he's growth upwards more & has now slimmed off. If your boy had dropped from 35 to 30 then I would be concerned. Do you have him on an adult diet or a junior/puppy I always feed less puppy than I would adult to a young dog.

I'd get the tests done just to rule out the possibility of EPI.

My GSDs were always fast eaters & my 10 year old GSD bitch still eats as if there is no tomorrow

Giving him a more food might be the way to go

Edited to add palatating the intestines & stomach isn't the nicest of experiences & even my cavaliers look uncomfortable if they have this done

Hi MM

He was on JWB puppy until 6 months now hs is on JWB Junior.  The vet said the only thing she didnt like about JWB was that is doesnt do foods for specific dog sizes, i.e. same for e.g. a yorkie and GSD or larger!! not sure if that makes any sense.

I understand completely I feed a mix of raw(chicken, beef, pork, etc)& a holistic complete to my BC & my GSD gets a senior diet & raw This is to save me having to add veggies which none of mine have been keen on for some reason(annoys me being a Vegan !)

It could be your boy has needed more because he has a high metabolic rate(had a BC like this who ate his head off & was always skinny & never ill either)just like some humans.

I'd go down the regular weighing but like with humans try to weigh at the same time of day each time ! & the tests of course

Hi
2 things. :) 1. In my experience with my own dogs, Royal Canin really does put the weight on -I had to stop feeding it as mine all pilde the pounds on alarmingly quickly, so this sounds like a good idea to me. 2. I have a Golden who went through a stage like this at just over a year in age. He was scarily thin, I hardly dared walk him in case somebody would report me to the RSPCA! What I did with him was to start feeding him puppy food again, and I went back to 3 meals. He then stasted adding weght, and eventullaly he was able to go back onto adult food and 2 meals a day. He is now 2 ½ and still needs more food than some of my other dogs, but he looks just right in body.

The only test for EPI is the TLI test  (Trypsinlike Immunoreactivity ) (sp)  Cobalamin & Folate tests for SIBO - Small intestine bacterial overgrowth. Having these tests will let you know one way or the other.

Dee

Hi kizzy68,

I completely agree with Missie here - have the TLI done so that you know one way or the other about whether you are dealing with EPI.   It's a separate test not run routinely on most blood panels.   Better to be sure one way or t'other.

Hopefully he'll get a clean bill of health and this is just a raw, rangey stage.  Please update.

Best wishes, Teri :)

Hi All

Thanks everyone for your messages...I will ask the vet about these tests just to put my mind at rest..I will probably lose weight now worrying about him !!!
thanks

I would try the food first.  If your dog puts on weight as readily as Marianne's I think you can pretty well exclude any metabolic disease without the expense of tests, which is what your vet seems to be thinking.  Of course if it doesn't work you can still continue with tests :)

The test is probably the price of 2 bags of food - and results back PDQ so no time wasted or additional weight loss if there is an underlying problem.   Those with experience of EPI realise that if a dog is already seriously under weight timing is of the essence.

I hope your boy proves to be fine and dandy and simply in need of a food which provides his particular metabolism with more useful calories - fingers crossed for you!

Take care, Teri :)

Those with experience of EPI realise that if a dog is already seriously under weight timing is of the essence.

I second that years ago before the test was available it was nigh impossible for an EPI dog to be diagnosed early enough for it's life to be saved

Those with experience of EPI realise that if a dog is already seriously under weight timing is of the essence.

Totally agree with Teri and MM - test first.

Fingers crossed you get things sorted soon xx