Tess Is Way Too Thin

[queenwinniesmom]

We're worried about Tess. Probably a a week or so before Dewey, we noticed that she was thinner than usual. But while we were in Dewey, it seemed like she had gotten really thin. She's always been a lightweight, but looked good. You could see the last 2 ribs. Now all her ribs show, and it seems like the stomach area on her sides goes in. I took her to the vet last Friday, and the basic bloodwork was all very normal. Nothing in the stool sample, and her stools have been fine, she goes regularly and has no diarrhea. She eats real well (and we feed her well), and only threw up some yellow bile on Thursday night. She's on meds since Friday for a possible gastrointestinal upset, and has been doing fine on the pills. She's so perky and active, no change in her behavior or demeanor at all, and her stomach isn't painful. If she wasn't so darn thin, I'd say that she was a very normal, healthy dog. But I'm just baffled. Our vet wants her to finish the meds she'll be on for 3 weeks---one week of 3x a day, 1 week of 2x a day, one week of 1x a day---and then re-check her.

Is there something else we should be doing or looking for?

I just went online and got a recipe for Satin Balls, and am considering trying her on that to put some weight on. But I keep feeling like maybe I should be concentrating on WHY she's so thin, rather than just making her LESS thin. Or should I just see if she fattens up a little and be pleased if she does?

[CaliforniaGreys]

Oh I wish I had some ideas....just lots of prayers. And tell Lydia to get to work on those telepathic messages and ask Tess what's up!

[Guest MomoftheFuzzy]

Oh, good thoughts for Tess, Nancy!

 

My recommendation (besides the satin balls, which a lot of people here seem to recommend) is to add some peanut butter. That or egg are examples of some stuff I've added in the past to Speck's food to get a little more weight on him. He is going through another week where I worry he's too thin. Next week, I'll see him as being just fine. I'm always kind of paranoid about that stuff with Speck but the truth is, he doesn't really fluctuate.

 

Have you considered a more high protein kibble for her, maybe? Though I guess if the vet didn't recommend this...

 

Hoping others with more expertise might chime in. Hugs to you guys and Tess, in the meanwhile.

 

[Guest longdogs]

I think you are wise to be considering the cause rather than the cure. No useful suggestions here because there are too many possibilities and apparently no symptoms. I'd being weighing her regularly though and be measuring how much she's eating. Being skinny isn't a problem but becoming more skinny could be.

[Guest houndstooth4]

You know, Nancy, every time we travel with the pups, they don't eat well and they come home really thin. I think it's possible that it doesn't show on them until a bit afterwards, like it finally catches up with them. Maybe all the activity from the trip to Dewey finally caught up with her. I know our hounds are a lot more active when we're there than they are at home. It's just a thought! I hope sweet Tess is more herself soon!

[MerlinsMum]

No suggestions - just wanted to send :grouphug

[Guest HoustonGreys]

To sweet Tess and hoping the trip was the only issue with the weight loss.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

Has there been a change in the weather? My dog always loses a bit of weight when it first starts getting cold, I think because he gets a little more active with the cool weather, and also burns more calories keeping warm, and needs his food amount tweaked just a little, and it can take him a couple weeks to catch up.

 

I hope you get it figured out and it turns out to be nothing serious!

[Guest MomoftheFuzzy]

How is Tess doing this morning, Nance?

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

Was Tess more active at Dewey than she normally would be at home? If so that might explain the weight loss.

Getting the same amount of food but using more energy can and will take some weight off hounds.

 

Also I know when the cold months come around their bodies will tend to burn more calories as well. I've always been one to increase food just a bit in the colder months and cut back just a bit in the summer months.

 

Fall and Spring my hounds are much more active then during the super hot summer months

[Saffron]

 

I really don't want to scare you unnescessarily, but if she is not better today, I'd advise doing bloodwork and urinanalysis with your vet.

 

Here is hoping it is just a tummy upset. Many greys have those and survive happily.

 

I'm over-reacting because we just lost my Catwalk to visceral hemangiosarcoma. Her first symptom was rapid weight loss. I hope that this is not true for you.

 

Please cover the bases,

 

Gillian

[queenwinniesmom]

Thanks for the good thoughts. Tess is her happy, perky self. She doesn't seem any thinner, but she's definitely not put any weight back on. I think it is certainly a possibility that the trip to Dewey caused her to burn a few more calories. Thanks for that reminder---don't know why I didn't consider that. Though she ate well in Dewey, they do get less food on vacation, and are usually twice as active. It has gotten a lot colder here too, but I think she was looking thin before the cold snap. I think her metabolisim (like my DH's, and NOT like mine!) is such that she has never gained much weight.

I know it's possible it's something else, and I worry about that too, but the bloodwork on Friday was normal. And she hasn't really lost more than 1-2 pounds since she was last weighed at the vets a year ago.

I did make a small recipe for Satin Balls tonight---somehow I just couldn't mix up 10 pounds of ground meat with a box of Total, etc., etc., in my kitchen sink! We'll try some to see if it helps. I know she'll like it. She likes anything. The peanut butter would be good too. I'll make some of my homemade Frosty Pawa tomorrow, with the yogurt, peanut butter and pumpkin. Of course, she likes THOSE too!

 

[GeorgeofNE]

If the bloodwork was normal, and there are no other issues, I'd personally just add a half cup of food to each meal and see what happens.

 

George loses weight really easily if I cut back because he seems chubby. Maybe she just has a really active metabolism like he does? One minute I think he's porking up, three days later I think I must be starving him!

 

 

[silverfish]

I haven't got a lot of time right now, so I've just skimmed the replies. Forgive me if I've missed it somewhere, but how old is she?

[queenwinniesmom]

Tess is only 4, and we've had her 2 years now.

Boy, does she love the Satin Balls. The only problem is, Lydia and Polly, who are definitely NOT thin, would love them too!

But no, they are not getting them. If they feel left out, I give them a biscuit.

 

[Guest jettcricket]

Hey Nancy...if she can tolerate it, try buying her some EVO Innova. It's high in protein and any time that I've used it on my sick hounds, they have put on weight. I had Jett on it when he had his cancer. I switched him over on it because I've read/heard that cancer feeds off of grains. EVO is grain free. Everytime I took Jett up to see his Oncologist they would weigh him. She told me, "Normally dogs with cancer will lose weight....Jett is starting to get a bit portly".

 

It is very rich and some dogs don't do well on it, but you could try and buy a small bag of it to see how she does.

[Bevd]

I hope you can find the cause and fix it easily

[MerlinsMum]

If the bloodwork was normal, and there are no other issues, I'd personally just add a half cup of food to each meal and see what happens.

 

George loses weight really easily if I cut back because he seems chubby. Maybe she just has a really active metabolism like he does? One minute I think he's porking up, three days later I think I must be starving him!

 

I do exactly the same thing with Merlin!

 

Hope Tess puts some weight on soon

[silverfish]

Well, if she's otherwise healthy, then she may have a very good metabolism. If she's also hungry, I'd just feed her a little more, or maybe switch to a higher calorie food.

[Guest Janet]

This may have been covered in the original bloodwork, but please be sure she was tested for pancreatic insufficiency. My Christina was losing weight steadily despite eating more than usual and it took a while to figure out the cause. She did also have problems with diarrhea/loose stools, so your problem may be different.

 

The good news is that pancreatic insufficiency is treatable - Christina gets Pancrezyme sprinkled on her food, and her weight and energy levels are completely back to normal.

 

Best wishes to Tess, whatever the cause.

 

Janet in TN and the hounds:

Christina (Dias Christina)

Ragtime (Give Me Ragtime)

 

Remembering Force (Keystone Force: 12/25/99 - 9/9/08)

[Guest MomoftheFuzzy]

Hi Nancy... hope Tess is doing a little better today, look-wise. I know you said she's acting normally. I concur with whoever else mentioned trying grain-free (or virtually grain-free) kibble, if you don't already use one. More hugs for Tess, the girls, and you and Doug!

[Guest daberle]

I have a foster that wouldn't put on weight. I give him a 1/2 cup kibble with either

some cooked oatmeal or some pasta-hes put on a few lbs.

[Guest LindsaySF]

If the bloodwork was normal, and there are no other issues, I'd personally just add a half cup of food to each meal and see what happens.

 

George loses weight really easily if I cut back because he seems chubby. Maybe she just has a really active metabolism like he does? One minute I think he's porking up, three days later I think I must be starving him!

I agree with this.

 

Teagan's weight fluctuates a lot, especially when we travel. If she is acting ok, see if feeding her more does the trick. Hopefully it was just all the activity of Dewey that caused the weight loss.