Help with cousin's sick dog...?

Question

He has tried a lot of different foods, kinds with just certain ingredients, like fish or venicen.

Answer 1

The dog needs x-rays and blood work done..Also give him a tsp or so of canned pumpkin not the kind for pies. The kind that you can use for pies if you add stuff. try this daily in food..Also try Calcimine and Chondroytin one a day put omega three fish oil one capsule in food every day..and buy a decent brand of dog food! Innova, Merrick, Wellness, Canadia..This sounds like a very badly bred dog!! this is so sad...and frustraing for owners as well.I would also ask about supplemnts of minerals and vitiamins.  Mix some cooked rice with food..just a bit and try a lamb based food or a chicken based food..best of luck to this poor dog ..you can also try another vet!

Answer 2

There are so many things it could be... take the dog to a different vet for a second opinion.. list all the things wrong.  The dog needs to be seen for the popped out shoulder at any rate.  I am not pyschic or I could help more. :)

Answer 3

the first things that comes to mind is a food allergy.

GSD's have very sensitive GI tracts, and if they are not eating the right thing, nothing gets digested very well. If they don;t digest the food, they cannot get the nutrients from it either, thus the weight loss.

Royal Canin actually makes a specific kibble for German Shepherds, and I am told by my GSD friends it can make all the difference.  

It also wouldn't hurt her to have some ground ginger either - it makes the GI tract produce more protective mucus, and stimulates digestion.  There is no dosage, just try putting some in a gob of softened kibble to mask it, or a small gob of oatmeal or rice.

  Cut out ALL other treats, cookies, snacks, handouts - everything.  Allergies can be caused by a lot of things, but the major food allergens are <<<corn, chicken, beef, wheat, soy and dairy>>>

  Try that, and see what happens - it may take more than a week to see the results, sometimes up to a month, but you might...

  As for the shoulder, has it been xrayed?

  It should be evaluated, and they should make a determination as to whether some physical therapy - perhaps in a therapy pool - might help. It's possible there might be an injured muscle, or a genetic defect to the shape of the joint. Have her ask for a referral to a good ortho guy to find out what her options are.

  If this vet doesn't seem all that quick, there must be oters - they could ask aorund for a holistic vet for this dog - holistic vets tend to be better with food allergies, and know some good adjunct therapies to add to the stuff we already know.  For GI tract stuff, that can be really helpful.

  Good luck - I hope some of this helps!

Answer 4

has she tryed purena puppy chow or dog chow is so try the one not used thats wut i did with my german shepperd

Answer 5

What foods has the dog been fed?  First thought is food allergy.  Go for an unusual protein like venison or fish, and eliminate corn.  Read the ingredient list to find out what is in the food.  The shoulder issue could be poor genetics.