GreytMaxsMom Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Zephur was a return to our group. He is in bad shape. He is very skinny and has sores on his body. We think he was neglected. We have had him tested for thyroid problems (his T4 was a little low). We tried him on meds for that. He is also on a antidepressan/anti anxiety med. He is my youngest grey's brother. Any ideas how to help him put on weight? What can we put on his sores and dry skin to help him be comfortable? Thanks for any input. Here are a couple pictures of him. He is the red fawn colored grey. Mindy Quote Mom to Max (grey), Buttermilk (grey) and Winston (iggy) and Skinkids, Ally and Ben! In loving memory of Angels Chelsey(Weim), whom we lost on August 26, 2004, Majestic(Chow) on November 20, 2005, on October 5, 2007, we lost Natasha(lab mix), and on May 28, 2009 we lost our greyhound Ike born 7/31/2005 You were too young to go!!!! We lost Monte(Whippet) on September 23, 2009. We miss you all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicocat Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Feed him twice a day - add things like boiled hamburger - scrambled eggs - to his food. Adding a 1/2 cup of kibble to what you would niormally feed will help bring his weight up, and you don't really want to put the weight on too fast. Quote Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 We tried him on meds for that. Does that mean you stopped them? Did you do a full thyroid panel? Bag balm the sores. It'll take 3-4 months for him to heal and get better. Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreytMaxsMom Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 The meds were not helping and the vet said to stop them and try the other med. He just came to my house today. I feel so sorry for him. Where can I get the bag balm? By the way, we got burpdogs from my secret saanta and my dogs love them! Mindy Quote Mom to Max (grey), Buttermilk (grey) and Winston (iggy) and Skinkids, Ally and Ben! In loving memory of Angels Chelsey(Weim), whom we lost on August 26, 2004, Majestic(Chow) on November 20, 2005, on October 5, 2007, we lost Natasha(lab mix), and on May 28, 2009 we lost our greyhound Ike born 7/31/2005 You were too young to go!!!! We lost Monte(Whippet) on September 23, 2009. We miss you all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazy4greys Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 When I had a foster that needed to put on weight, I used Ensure vanilla flavored. One a day. It did help in addition to his regular food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LokisMom Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) Adding a 1/2 cup of kibble to what you would niormally feed will help bring his weight up, and you don't really want to put the weight on too fast. Agreed. Our senior boy was 10+ lbs underweight at one point. We just fed him a tad more than normal and his weight came back up. If he is not in imminent danger from being too skinny, I would just add a little more kibble to his food if kibble is what he is eating. I'm not sure about the sores but an oatmeal shampoo can help with dry skin. We used to have to do that to my poor kitty once a month as she had awful dry skin issues. If he is on thyroid only because his T4 was a little low, the easiest way to put weight on him will be to get him off the thyroid meds more than likely. I would not medicate for thyroid issues unless there are symptoms. Our Cole was underweight and panting constantly, etc because he was being treated for a thyroid condition that did not exist (it turns out it did but at a much much lower dosage than he was prescribed.) Not having thyroid medicine if they are hypothyroid will not kill them. Cole was off is for several months while we tried to sort out whether he had a thyroid issue or not. He put so much weight on in 2 months he ended up fat without the meds. They were keeping him skinny. Edited because of your response to Burpdog's post, how long has he been off them? And Bag Balm is available at most co-ops or Tractor Supply Company stores, not sure where else. Edited January 17, 2009 by LokisMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4greyhounds Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Bless his heart, try to put some baby oil on his dry skin!!!!Feed him whatever he will eat and lots of it, add to his dog food and give him a fish oil tablet once a day. I am sure you will get lots more suggestions.... Praying he gets looking better real soon. Quote Darlene Mom to: Aladdin, Sophie ,Pongo, Jasmine, Relic Forever in our Hearts Champ at the Rainbow Bridge. Let a greyhound race into your heart Adopt Bay Area Greyhound Adoptions INC. Naples/ Fort Myers Chapter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tenderhearts Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Depending on how his digestive system is, you can also add high quality puppy food to his regular kibble. We did that when I worked for my vet and we had dogs who had lost a lot of weight due to severe illness and were on the mend and could handle the extra calories. He looks like a very sweet fellow. How is he doing at your house? Does he seem depressed? Give him a gentle hug for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreytMaxsMom Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 He is a very sweet boy. He is 3 1/2, but looks older. He has snapped at two of our dogs when they tried sniffing him this morning. We have a muzzle on for a while to let him get used to being here. He seems to like it here. He and my daughter laid on the floor and took a nap. He follows us around and loves hugs. He loves attention. He is a lot like Ike, his brother. Hopefully, he will learn to like it here. He is working on my husband with that greyhound magic. He laid his head on DH's shoulder on the way home from our president's house. I have a picture on my cell phone. I will try to downlod and post. Thanks for your suggestions and concerns. Mindy Quote Mom to Max (grey), Buttermilk (grey) and Winston (iggy) and Skinkids, Ally and Ben! In loving memory of Angels Chelsey(Weim), whom we lost on August 26, 2004, Majestic(Chow) on November 20, 2005, on October 5, 2007, we lost Natasha(lab mix), and on May 28, 2009 we lost our greyhound Ike born 7/31/2005 You were too young to go!!!! We lost Monte(Whippet) on September 23, 2009. We miss you all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tenderhearts Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Oh my, I got a lump in my throat when you said he laid his head on your DH's shoulder! Bless his heart! Here's to getting some weight back on that handsome boy and healing up the sores. He's landed in a very good place for TLC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest isntitgreyt Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I had a foster who was very skinny when I got her. I added extra kibble to each feeding and also an extra treat. She put the weight on at a nice steady pace. I got Bag Balm at Happy Harry's for my girls cracked feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Most drug stores carry bag balm, and I think Walmart has it as well. Poor guy On the thyroid med issue, I always thought that they had to wean off those meds vs just stopping them. Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greyvettech Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 You could see if he will eat Hills Science Diet a/d (dogs usually love this) -(Anorexic diet)..... You could add this to his food or feed it alone..it is a can food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LokisMom Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) Most drug stores carry bag balm, and I think Walmart has it as well. Poor guy On the thyroid med issue, I always thought that they had to wean off those meds vs just stopping them. Nope. They can be stopped with no repercussions. Thyroid medicine builds up in the system over time. That is why it isn't a big deal if you miss a dose here or there. So it will still be in the system for a bit after it is stopped. That's why you need to wait a month or more to get an accurate reading once they are off the medicine. Edited because one of my sentences was a tad unclear. Edited January 17, 2009 by LokisMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 If he's underweight, neglected, stressed, and possibly has a skin infection, ... those things can cause a low T4 without the dog being hypothyroid. Absent other symptoms, I would probably wait a couple months and see how he does, then go for a full thyroid panel if symptoms warrant it. He looks like a dog with simply poor condition as a result of underfeeding, with perhaps some flea allergy dermatitis and/or a little skin infection on top of that. Hugs and best luck with him. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 He is a very sweet boy. He is 3 1/2, but looks older. He has snapped at two of our dogs when they tried sniffing him this morning. Poor guy - he's probably very stressed right now. Jack had a few episodes of growling at Renie when he first came, partly because he'd had too much competition in the place he was before, I think. Once he found no-one was going to take his food, or his toys, and he would still get just as much attention as he needed, he settled pretty quickly. I second the puppy food. It's what I always use to keep weight on the seniors. Quote The plural of anecdote is not dataBrambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AbbyGirl Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I had a foster that was in a similar state when I got him. He had multiple things going on with his skin and internally too. He had a fungal-ringworm and a bacterial infection as well. We had to bathe him with Nizol shampoo for what seemed forever but it worked. You might want to get a skin scrapping done just to be on the safe side. I did with that particular pup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 When the Santa Ana's blow here an it gets really dry, so does Carl's skin. In addition to salmon oil in his meal I sometimes give him a good rubdown with Aveeno moisturizer. I use the unscented one or the unscented baby version...Target sells it's own version of Aveeno which I use and seems to be identical. It absorbs right into his skin and really seems to help, it makes him very very soft and silky. Quote Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greydogluvr Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Just wanted to say I am glad he is with you now. He is beautiful but looks so sad. I am sure in a week or so, when you post new pictures he will be a whole new hound with a new outlook on life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieAndRexsMom Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Depending on how his digestive system is, you can also add high quality puppy food to his regular kibble. We did that when I worked for my vet and we had dogs who had lost a lot of weight due to severe illness and were on the mend and could handle the extra calories. Chase came this way. We added high quality puppy food to his kibble (about 1/3 cup). The weight will come back on slowly, which is what you want. You don't want gastric distress. As far as the spots, Chase had staph because of the stress. We treated it with antibiotics and special shampoo. I would make sure what it was before I treated it. Using the right stuff will heal it quickly. Good luck with this. If I can help, please let me know. Quote Tonya, mom to May, and my angels Vinnie, Rex, Red, Chase, and Jake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greys4Us Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 If he's underweight, neglected, stressed, and possibly has a skin infection, ... those things can cause a low T4 without the dog being hypothyroid. Absent other symptoms, I would probably wait a couple months and see how he does, then go for a full thyroid panel if symptoms warrant it. He looks like a dog with simply poor condition as a result of underfeeding, with perhaps some flea allergy dermatitis and/or a little skin infection on top of that. Hugs and best luck with him. Well, after having a good cry and then getting past the feelings that I would like to have a heart to heart "talk" with the adopters (at which time I would try very hard not to get physical), I agree with Batmom. Skin scraping first to eliminate any infections, etc. Stool sample to vet to rule out any worms. Blood test to eliminate any tick borne disease problems. Stabilize with a good food and wait at least a month to determine if weight is put on. Then a thyroid panel is appropriate. The next order of business is to make sure that anyone who adopts this dog will give him the home he deserves for the rest of his life. No second opinions on this one. Thanks for caring; you deserve a pat on the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wmlcml6 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 A friend of mine used cornstarch on her grey when she got hot spots right after she adopted her. Worked like a charm. Just apply at least once a day until they are better. Or you can use neosporin. I'm sure some TLC will go a long way toward his healing process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunesMom Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 When the Santa Ana's blow here an it gets really dry, so does Carl's skin. In addition to salmon oil in his meal I sometimes give him a good rubdown with Aveeno moisturizer. I use the unscented one or the unscented baby version...Target sells it's own version of Aveeno which I use and seems to be identical. It absorbs right into his skin and really seems to help, it makes him very very soft and silky. Kipper's dry dry skin had me considering this, but I worried -- when I put Aveeno on my hands, he comes running and tries to obsessively lick them. Good luck rehabbing this guy. He's adorable. Quote Dash (Mega Batboy), & forever missing Kipper (RD's Kiper, 2006-2015) & Souldog Dune (Pazzo Otis, 1994-2008)"..cherish him and give him place with yourself for the rest of his but too short life. It is his one drawback. He should live as long as his owner."James Matheson, The Greyhound: Breeding, Coursing, Racing, etc., 1929 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hattiepumpkin Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 My father and stepmother have a dachshund who had TERRIBLE dry skin--it was so dry and flaky he actually had bald ears and tail. Nothing they tried worked, until a friend who is super knowledgable with all things dog suggestion corn oil. Within a month Dino's hair was actually growing back, and now he actually looks shaggy. They give him a capful with every breakfast, but he's only 17lbs. I would think with a grey you can give more. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodyksam Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 (edited) Our vet did a second more specific thyroid panel when Daisy's T4 showed up as low - she said that otherwise, Daisy did not show evidence of hypothyroidism (i.e. typical symptoms were not present). The second, more specific test ruled out any thyroid issues. I would urge a more thorough testing unless it was done in the first place. Also wanted to second the neosporin suggestion for the hot spots - Daisy had a number of those when I first adopted her and it helped heal them up. Edited January 18, 2009 by jodyksam Quote Mom to Daisy (1999-2012), LB (aka Little Bit), and Sammy James (aka Sammy or Buddy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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