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Insatiable Appetite In Italian Greyhound- New ? Post 26


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I'm looking for suggestions on what testing could be done to figure out my 9 year old italian greyhound's insatiable appetite.

 

Iggy Charlie gets a 1/3 cup of Purina lamb & Rice kibble twice a day with green beans topping off the bowl.

His poop is fine. He occasionally snacks on Mazy's poop. Even though I'm out there watching with the scooper he still gets into it if I'm not fast enough.

His fecals are negative for worms. Last urinalysis good. CBC normal.

His energy level is good. It's not safe to leash walk because of too many loose dogs so we play in the backyard.

 

Over the past few months he has been waking up earlier each day demanding to be fed. Lately he's started it between 2:30-3:00am. Since he's awoken the other dogs I run them all out to potty and have them go back to bed. Then every 20-30 minutes he starts up again.

 

It doesn't matter if he gets a 10pm bedtime cookie or a 3am cookie, he wants MORE.

 

Normal wake up time is between 5-6am. The setting the alarm clock time back, then gradually moving up it later trick (like we did for young greyhounds) is not working.

Extra exercise is not working.

He is overweight.

 

So what can I ask my vet to check? Anything else besides a full thyroid panel?

He has normal water intake so this doesn't seem like Cushings.

I don't see any diabetes signs.

He doesn't eat non-food items (other than occasional Mazy poop).

After a meal he takes a nap like the other dogs. When he's awake again he'd happily eat more if he could get it.

 

I think this is more of a medical issue than a behavioral issue.

 

He has a few lipomas, typical for iggies. But now something else is growing on top of or maybe under his left rib cage. Hard to palpate exactly where. I'll have the vet examine that too.

 

Any suggestions? This sleep deprivation is wearing my patience thin.

Edited by macoduck

 

Freshy (Droopys Fresh), NoAh the podenco orito, Rita the podenco maneta, Howie the portuguese podengo maneto
Angels:  Lila, the podenco, Mr X aka Denali, Lulu the podenco andaluz, Hada the podenco maneta, Georgie Girl (UMR Cordella),  Charlie the iggy,  Mazy (CBR Crazy Girl), Potato, my mystery ibizan girl, Allen (M's Pretty Boy), Percy (Fast But True), Mikey (Doray's Patuti), Pudge le mutt, Tessa the iggy, Possum (Apostle), Gracie (Dusty Lady), Harold (Slatex Harold), "Cousin" Simon our step-iggy, Little Dude the iggy ,Bandit (Bb Blue Jay), Niña the galgo, Wally (Allen Hogg), Thane (Pog Mo Thoine), Oliver (JJ Special Agent), Comet, & Rosie our original mutt.

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Ducky, I'd have the vet test for diabetes anyway--maybe a glucose curve done over 8 hours? My oldest kitty has diabetes and he eats EVERYTHING he can get. His food, the dog's food, my food, you name it. When he was first diagnosed, I had not seen anything that pointed to diabetes, until he had an episode of ketoacidosis right after I left on vacation.

Current Crew: Gino-Gene-Eugene! (Eastnor Rebel: Makeshift x Celtic Dream); Fuzzy the Goo-Goo Girl (BGR Fuzzy Navel: Boc's Blast Off x Superior Peace); Roman the Giant Galoot! (Imark Roman: Crossfire Clyde x Shana Wookie); Kitties Archie and Dixie

Forever Missed: K9 Sasha (2001-2015); Johnny (John Reese--Gable Dodge x O'Jays) (2011-19); the kitties Terry and Bibbi; and all the others I've had the privilege to know

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I second what Palmettobug said. I had a min pin who was overweight from a young age. She had to be kept on a low calorie food all her life. She wanted to eat everything too. After a year of lots of different testing she was finally diagnosed with diabetes. Hope you find out what's wrong soon. Poor little Charlie. (and poor you from lack of sleep)

<p>Mom to Kyle (Diehard Kyle) & Angel Gracie (KB's Sankey) Foster Mom for AFG

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Diabetes was my first thought too. My cat's main symptom was insatiable appetite. Only in retrospect did I realize his pee clumps in the litter box had been a little larger than usual.

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Rachel with littermates Doolin and Willa, boss cat Tootie, and feline squatters Crumpet and Fezziwig.
Missing gentlemen kitties MudHenry, and Richard and our beautiful, feisty, silly
 Sweep:heart

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Diabetes was my first thought too. Had a perfectly healthy westie with all normal blood work; 3 months later when she was starving to death we re-did blood work and she had high blood glucose. Not awful, but high...especially considering her totally normal glucose reading of 3 months earlier. Did a curve and yep, diabetes. Hopefully it is just thyroid...much easier to treat.

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Googling has me confused. For an initial diabetes testing, would he get a blood test and should he be fasting?

 

Freshy (Droopys Fresh), NoAh the podenco orito, Rita the podenco maneta, Howie the portuguese podengo maneto
Angels:  Lila, the podenco, Mr X aka Denali, Lulu the podenco andaluz, Hada the podenco maneta, Georgie Girl (UMR Cordella),  Charlie the iggy,  Mazy (CBR Crazy Girl), Potato, my mystery ibizan girl, Allen (M's Pretty Boy), Percy (Fast But True), Mikey (Doray's Patuti), Pudge le mutt, Tessa the iggy, Possum (Apostle), Gracie (Dusty Lady), Harold (Slatex Harold), "Cousin" Simon our step-iggy, Little Dude the iggy ,Bandit (Bb Blue Jay), Niña the galgo, Wally (Allen Hogg), Thane (Pog Mo Thoine), Oliver (JJ Special Agent), Comet, & Rosie our original mutt.

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Truthfully I can't remember if Karma was tested after fasting or not; it was such a shock to hear the news. But a simple blood test can show glucose level. Glucose level is usually highest after fasting, so I would imagine you'd need to fast the dog and then get the glucose reading. The vet should be able to do a quickie blood test, just like people do at least twice a day and see what the level is at that moment.

 

I'd advise a quick call to your vet and see when you could bring the dog in for the bloodwork.

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As I recall (this was for a cat) the initial blood test wasn't fasting, but the monitoring to establish the correct amount of insulin was fasting, and involved several trips over time to adjust the dosage, but this was 25+ yrs ago, things may have (probably have) changed.

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Have you gotten any results from the vet?

Charlie's appointment is this Thursday.

 

Freshy (Droopys Fresh), NoAh the podenco orito, Rita the podenco maneta, Howie the portuguese podengo maneto
Angels:  Lila, the podenco, Mr X aka Denali, Lulu the podenco andaluz, Hada the podenco maneta, Georgie Girl (UMR Cordella),  Charlie the iggy,  Mazy (CBR Crazy Girl), Potato, my mystery ibizan girl, Allen (M's Pretty Boy), Percy (Fast But True), Mikey (Doray's Patuti), Pudge le mutt, Tessa the iggy, Possum (Apostle), Gracie (Dusty Lady), Harold (Slatex Harold), "Cousin" Simon our step-iggy, Little Dude the iggy ,Bandit (Bb Blue Jay), Niña the galgo, Wally (Allen Hogg), Thane (Pog Mo Thoine), Oliver (JJ Special Agent), Comet, & Rosie our original mutt.

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Ducky said it's not diabetes, Charlie's T4 was low and they were going to do additional testing.

Current Crew: Gino-Gene-Eugene! (Eastnor Rebel: Makeshift x Celtic Dream); Fuzzy the Goo-Goo Girl (BGR Fuzzy Navel: Boc's Blast Off x Superior Peace); Roman the Giant Galoot! (Imark Roman: Crossfire Clyde x Shana Wookie); Kitties Archie and Dixie

Forever Missed: K9 Sasha (2001-2015); Johnny (John Reese--Gable Dodge x O'Jays) (2011-19); the kitties Terry and Bibbi; and all the others I've had the privilege to know

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Cmc333, thanks for asking.

Charlie's labs showed no indicators for diabetes, Cushings, UTI or urine crystals. His T4 was low so the full panel has been sent out. vet said it may take a week to get results because TsH takes longer to process. :dunno

 

She thinks the large lump I feel on his lower left ribcage may be a fatty tumor, although it is much harder than a lipoma. She is hesitant to do a FNB because of the odd location. If it continues to grow he'll get a referral for an U/S.

 

Freshy (Droopys Fresh), NoAh the podenco orito, Rita the podenco maneta, Howie the portuguese podengo maneto
Angels:  Lila, the podenco, Mr X aka Denali, Lulu the podenco andaluz, Hada the podenco maneta, Georgie Girl (UMR Cordella),  Charlie the iggy,  Mazy (CBR Crazy Girl), Potato, my mystery ibizan girl, Allen (M's Pretty Boy), Percy (Fast But True), Mikey (Doray's Patuti), Pudge le mutt, Tessa the iggy, Possum (Apostle), Gracie (Dusty Lady), Harold (Slatex Harold), "Cousin" Simon our step-iggy, Little Dude the iggy ,Bandit (Bb Blue Jay), Niña the galgo, Wally (Allen Hogg), Thane (Pog Mo Thoine), Oliver (JJ Special Agent), Comet, & Rosie our original mutt.

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Update 8/1/18

Charlie is indeed hypothyroid.

 

Total T4 is 0.7

Free T4 by ED (ng/dL is 0.9

Free T4 by ED (pmol/L) is 11.6

cTSH is 1.24

 

Low T4 plus high TSH = hypothyroid, per Dr Stack's page and my vet agrees. We're starting him on a low dose of thyroxine (0.1) twice a day. Generally, italian greyhounds use a low dose. He'll be retested in a month.

 

Freshy (Droopys Fresh), NoAh the podenco orito, Rita the podenco maneta, Howie the portuguese podengo maneto
Angels:  Lila, the podenco, Mr X aka Denali, Lulu the podenco andaluz, Hada the podenco maneta, Georgie Girl (UMR Cordella),  Charlie the iggy,  Mazy (CBR Crazy Girl), Potato, my mystery ibizan girl, Allen (M's Pretty Boy), Percy (Fast But True), Mikey (Doray's Patuti), Pudge le mutt, Tessa the iggy, Possum (Apostle), Gracie (Dusty Lady), Harold (Slatex Harold), "Cousin" Simon our step-iggy, Little Dude the iggy ,Bandit (Bb Blue Jay), Niña the galgo, Wally (Allen Hogg), Thane (Pog Mo Thoine), Oliver (JJ Special Agent), Comet, & Rosie our original mutt.

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So glad it's something so easily treatable. He'll be back to his old self in no time. :clap

He was pretty annoying in his younger, healthier days, :rofl but I can put up with that. :)

 

Freshy (Droopys Fresh), NoAh the podenco orito, Rita the podenco maneta, Howie the portuguese podengo maneto
Angels:  Lila, the podenco, Mr X aka Denali, Lulu the podenco andaluz, Hada the podenco maneta, Georgie Girl (UMR Cordella),  Charlie the iggy,  Mazy (CBR Crazy Girl), Potato, my mystery ibizan girl, Allen (M's Pretty Boy), Percy (Fast But True), Mikey (Doray's Patuti), Pudge le mutt, Tessa the iggy, Possum (Apostle), Gracie (Dusty Lady), Harold (Slatex Harold), "Cousin" Simon our step-iggy, Little Dude the iggy ,Bandit (Bb Blue Jay), Niña the galgo, Wally (Allen Hogg), Thane (Pog Mo Thoine), Oliver (JJ Special Agent), Comet, & Rosie our original mutt.

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Odd that his appetite is increased-typically they have a lower appetite, eat less and yet they still gain weight. Bloodwork does point towards hypot

He wants a lot more food than we will give him. Maybe his energy levels are skewed, wanting to be awake earlier and earlier. I've been able to push back the dogs' breakfast time until 4:30am. Mazy and Hada would just as soon sleep in, but since Charlie is raising a ruckus they'll eat then too. I wouldn't say he is sleepier during the day though. He's always on alert for front window activity or noise from the dogs living on the next block behind us.

 

It will be interesting to see when a noticeable change will begin since starting the medicine today.

 

Freshy (Droopys Fresh), NoAh the podenco orito, Rita the podenco maneta, Howie the portuguese podengo maneto
Angels:  Lila, the podenco, Mr X aka Denali, Lulu the podenco andaluz, Hada the podenco maneta, Georgie Girl (UMR Cordella),  Charlie the iggy,  Mazy (CBR Crazy Girl), Potato, my mystery ibizan girl, Allen (M's Pretty Boy), Percy (Fast But True), Mikey (Doray's Patuti), Pudge le mutt, Tessa the iggy, Possum (Apostle), Gracie (Dusty Lady), Harold (Slatex Harold), "Cousin" Simon our step-iggy, Little Dude the iggy ,Bandit (Bb Blue Jay), Niña the galgo, Wally (Allen Hogg), Thane (Pog Mo Thoine), Oliver (JJ Special Agent), Comet, & Rosie our original mutt.

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