Why isnt he putting any weight on?

Hi all,

As you may or may not know my grandparents recently rehomed a beautiful 11mth GSD. He came to the rescue centre very very unweight and with little strength in his back legs. He spent 5 weeks in the centre before being homed with us however he hasnt put on much weight (if any tbh) since then.

He have recently increased his portion sized to no great success. Do you have any ideas on how we can get his weight up?

Due to his weekness in the back legs he can only manage one 20 minute walk a day. He is well up to date with flea and worm treatments.

All suggestions welcomed with open arms!!!!
Many thanks
Jay

Alsatians can often have food allergies so thats something to consider for this youngster.
Also, stress from being in rescue then being rehomed in what is a relatively short time can be another factor [ particularly if stressed from leaving previous home or was in poor circumstances beforehand ].

So, realistically, what can you do :

Firstly what food is he on and what are the basic contents and protein levels ?

Pesumably he gets treats as extras - what sort and again what contents ?

Is he on the same food as when he was in rescue ? [ if not, he could still be trying to adjust to it digestively ].

Is he stressy/hyper at all in temperament ?
Does he try to be more active than he should ?
Are his motions ok ?

I would cut the 20 mins walks for now, make them 10 mins a couple of times a day or better still, four five min walks, just round the block or even just some short sessions in the garden, so as to save physical energy from his food, and frequent shorter walks will help his muscles and stamina build up steadily.

If food intollerance is not a factor, have a word with the vet about adding boiled pasta and maybe raw egg to his food as that can help bulk him up steadily. [ only with vets agreement ].

Spread meals throughout the day, with more proper food as treats as well between meals.

Presumably the rescue made sure he had a thorough vet check for anything which may cause weight loss ?


My Silk was horrendously underweight when rescued and because of her on the go all the time nature her weight increase was slow but she is finally at a lovely weight.

My Defa was also seriously underweight when I got him [ stress related ] and was skin and bone, with pure liquid motions, but bland food with pasta added [ which the vet approved for him ], he increased weight nicely as well at a steady pace then retained it once he was optimum because by that time his previous experiences of stress had faded for him.

So slow and steady is the key, dont overload to try to get weight on fast, and be aware that Alsatians can be prone to bloat so big meals in one go is especially to be avoided for him right now.

HTH

German Shepherds should not be overly fed or exercised whilst they are growing & they don't stop growing upwards untl they are at least 18 months old. Only when the upwards growth has stopped will he start to body up

TBH I don't like to see overbodied GSDs especially as they are growing as this puts pressure onto the joints & if he already has a problem bodying up too early will not help

I would feed at least three meals a day of a food quality complete or a barf diet so that he can build up muscles rather than just bulking up & also to lessen the risk of torsion or bloat(which are two different life threatening problems)

GSDs don't have anymore food problems than any other breed-in the 48 years I've owned GSDs never had one develop a food allergy or have the fabled"GSD"tummy

If he has problems with his legs swimming is a brilliant way of exercise & muscle building without stressing the joints

I have had problems getting weight on one of mine, still not there yet but I have been adding cooked pasta and grated cheese (which he loves) cheese on toast was suggested but he picked off the cheese and spat the toast out!
Several small meals will be much easier on his digestion, increasing portion size may be too much for him.
Bonio's are full of sugar, will he eat those as a bedtime treat? (mine won't ) Gravy bones, markies, all treats that we are normally supposed to give sparingly due to their weight gaining properties.
There may be a specialist food out eg one of the Royal Canine type which could be suitable for putting weight on - mine is on "sensible" (hoping for a secondary effect lol) which seems to bulk up my breed.
State of mind has a big impact - Polo was on his own in kennels before I moved out here and he was like a skeleton when I collected him. The kennels said he wouldn't eat - but he didn't stop once we were reunited.

From Breed Predisposition to Disease and Congenital Conditions, from veterinary sources, below are just a few of the food / digestive related known documented problems prevalent [ not fabled ], in the breed :

German Shepherd Dog

* Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
* Food hypersensitivity
* Gastroenteritis
* Inflammatory bowel disease

And further info [ which is why I asked about the food the young `un is on ] :

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What is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency?

The pancreas has 2 functional parts. The endocrine part secretes insulin and glucagon, which are essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates. The exocrine part consists of units called acini that produce and secrete enzymes essential for the digestion of protein, into the small intestine.

With exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), there is gradual wasting away (atrophy) of the acini. Clinical signs do not develop until most of the acini are gone. As dogs lose the ability to digest protein, they progressively lose weight despite a voracious appetite.

How is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency inherited?

This is thought to be an autosomal recessive trait in the German shepherd.

What breeds are affected by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency?

There is a genetic predisposition to this disorder in the German shepherd. It also occurs sporadically in dogs of other breeds.

For many breeds and many disorders, the studies to determine the mode of inheritance or the frequency in the breed have not been carried out, or are inconclusive. We have listed breeds for which there is a consensus among those investigating in this field and among veterinary practitioners, that the condition is significant in this breed.

What does exocrine pancreatic insufficiency mean to your dog & you?

Affected dogs lose weight despite voracious appetites, and usually pass large amounts of semi-formed feces. They often eat their own stools, or other inappropriate substances.

Some dogs with this condition do not show these typical signs, and may experience intermittent watery diarrhea or vomiting.

How is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency diagnosed?

The clinical signs of weight loss and increased appetite may occur with malabsorption of nutrients due to a variety of causes. Routine diagnostic tests will eliminate some of these as possibilities. Once EPI is suspected, there are specific laboratory tests that will diagnose this disorder.

For the veterinarian: Assay of serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI), bentiromide absorption test, and quantitative assay of fecal proteolytic activity (azocasein substrate) are sensitive tests for EPI in the dog. TLI is also a specific test, and requires only 1 sample for diagnosis. (Check with your diagnostic laboratory).

How is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency treated?

Although this disorder can not be cured, management is generally fairly straightforward. Powdered pancreatic enzyme extract is mixed in with each meal. Within a few days, your dog's appetite and stools should become more normal, and s/he will begin to gain weight. Your veterinarian will work with you to determine the best regime (what dose of extract, 1 or 2 feedings per day) to keep your dog free of clinical signs. Enzyme supplementation of your dog's food will be necessary for life.

Some dogs fail to gain weight despite treatment, and this may be due to chronic bacterial overgrowth. A course of antibiotic therapy may be useful in these dogs.

Breeding advice

Affected dogs, and in German shepherds, their parents (considered carriers) and siblings (suspect carriers) should not be used for breeding.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DISORDER, PLEASE SEE YOUR VETERINARIAN.

Copyright � 1998 Canine Inherited Disorders Database. All rights reserved.
Revised: April 27, 2001.

This database is a joint initiative of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

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This gives a good idea of prevalence in Alsatians - please note the red highlighted sentences in the piece below :

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THE PATHOGENESIS OF HYPERSENSITIVITY

Although the gastrointestinal tract has been shown capable of supporting all recognised types of hypersensitivity, it seems likely that IgE is predominantly involved, although some believe that high levels of IgG antibody may be pathogenic. Where local hypersensitivity results, GI disease follows. Systemic hypersensitivity results in the involvement of other systems, and especially the skin.

INCIDENCE

The incidence of food hypersensitivity as a cause of allergic dermatitis is quite controversial, and in many cases food allergy may co-exist with atopy, and a partial improvement only results from feeding a hypoallergenic diet. In general, most clinicians agree that food allergy is much less frequent than is atopy-probably occurring with around 10% of the frequency of the latter.

Food allergy can start at any age, with approximately one third of cases commencing clinical signs prior to one year of age. Thus commencement of clinical signs at a very young age, or after 7-8 years of age will raise the index of suspicion for food allergy as compared with atopy.

Clinical signs

Dermatological signs

Pruritus is present in almost all cases, with a small proportion presenting as severe seborrhoea. Many feel that a primary eruption is more likely to be seen than in atopy. It is a common cause of recurrent pyoderma, and especially folliculitis which relapses very soon after discontinuing the antibiotic therapy. It has also been shown to be a predisposing cause for German shepherd dog pyoderma (Rosser, 1997).

Distribution of dermatological signs

The distribution of signs in cases of food allergy is highly variable, and is generally not characteristic. They are unlikely to mimic flea allergy, but sometimes they may mimic atopy.

Gastrointestinal signs

These range from the trivial to the severe, and may co-exist with the dermatological signs. Although most authors state that cases involving both systems are in the minority (at most 10-15%), others state that very minor signs, such as increased frequency of defecation-sometimes with soft stools, excessive borborygmi and wind, frequently accompany cases of dermatological disease resulting from food allergy. In a recent study, every one of 20 cases diagnosed as suffering from adverse food reactions, and presented primarily for dermatological signs, showed some manifestation of gastrointestinal disease (Paterson, 1995)

Adverse reactions to foods resulting in gastrointestinal disease are likely to be far more common that reported in the literature, in that in many cases of diarrhoea and/or vomiting, the owner makes an association with the feeding of different foods, without ever consulting the veterinarian. Chronic gastrointestinal diseases for which food hypersensitivity should be on the top of the list of differentials are canine lymphocytic plasmacytic enteritis, canine eosinophilic gastroenteritis and canine colitis. In all of these, an inflammatory infiltrate with cells known to be involved in immunological responses is seen, and the triggering factor could well be dietary antigen.

Clinical signs

Clinical signs suggestive of food allergy include:

1. Perennial pruritic skin disease in which atopic dermatitis from house dust mite allergy has been ruled out.

2. Intermittent skin disease in animals fed a varied diet.

3. Pruritic disease starting below one year of age, and particularly less than 6 months of age.

4. Distribution of clinical signs that are inconsistent with flea allergy and atopic dermatitis.

5. Co-existence with gastrointestinal signs, which may range from the subtle to the severe.

6. Cases of recurrent pyoderma which relapse quickly after the cessation of antibiotic therapy.

7. Cases in which recurrent otitis externa is a major feature, and where no other cause for the latter can be identified.

Richard EW Halliwell, MA, VetMB, PhD, MRCVS, DECVD
Professor, University of Edinburgh, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Summerhall
Edinburgh, UK

Professor Halliwell received his veterinary training at Cambridge. He then spent two years in surgery at the University of Bristol, followed by 5 years in small animal practice in London. He then returned to Cambridge for PhD studies, before moving to the University of Pennsylvania as Assistant Professor of Dermatology. He then moved to the University of Florida as Chair of the Department of Medical Sciences in the new College of Veterinary Medicine. In 1987 he returned to the UK as William Dick Professor of Veterinary Clinical Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

He has served as President of the both the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Dermatology, and of the American Association of Veterinary Immunology. He recently completed a 4 year term as President of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education.

He is author or co-author of some 100 papers in the area of dermatology and clinical immunology.

References
1. Carlotti, D-N, Vet. Dermatol. 1:55, 1990
2. Jeffers, J et al. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 198:677, 1991
3. Kunkle G et al. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 200:245, 1992
4. Patterson, S, J small Anim. Pract. 36:529, 1995
5. Rosser, EJ, J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 203:259, 1993
6. Rosser, EJ, J. Am. Anim. Hosp Assoc 33:355, 1997
7. White, S. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 188:695, 1986

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I have known many Alsatians with food allergies, sadly there is nothing fabled about it. I would rather try to give answers as to what might be worth exploring than ignore known breed specific problems which MAY be a factor.

My early background, and my familys` before I was born over 40 years ago, is in this breed. Please do not take offence, I just want to try to help.

thanks everybody!

B already has small meals through out the day and im glad you think this is best for him. He is all skin and bone and you just feel so sorry for the poor lad. We have had him for 4 weeks and he have seen no improvement.

I think we will definately consider a barf diet as this is what all our GSDs have been fed on previously. All this pre-packaged stuff was all new until we got Dizney (the dalmatian).

Stress is another thing that i think he suffers greatly with. He gets most upset when anybody leaves the house although there is always somebody at home so he always has company.

Please keep the suggestions coming we will do anything to get our beautiful boy happy and healthy again!!!!

Best Wishes to all and thank you again
Jay xx

Although some bloodlines are more likely to develop EPI this doesn't sound like it

TBH it sounds like this poor lad has been poorly treated in the past & stressed out in the kennels

Having now landed on his feet he will be still stressed until he learns that when his owners go they will return

It's worth doing some work on him being worried when left by teaching him that when his owners go they will return & that he gets a reward for being left

This is relatively simple by leaving him for very very short periods of time starting with seconds & gradually build up the time. Literally starting by leaving him in one room for a few seconds & coming back almost immediately with a trigger word or words-for example as the owners leave him they say See you later-back soon-won't be long. The actual word/words don't matter as long as they are always the same. Also giving him a recreational bone.filled kong etc everytime he is left will teach him that being on him own means he gets a special treat

Training classes will also help him gain confidence

As to him gaining weight four weeks is nothing I rescued a X breed who had been fending for herself for over 4 months & she too was very very skinny(although she was very well muscled due to having to keep one step ahead of the farmers out to shoot her/frighten her away)after 6 months she was a different dog, still muscled up but with better body & coat condition(she looked like a mini long coat GSD)

My neighbour has a rescue lurcher that was stressed out in kennels & it took him months to improve, his coat was first & now a year later he is filling out a little

Please don't start thinking that he has EPI etc believe me you would already know if he did

BARF is a slower process of improvement that commerical foods but the results IMHO are better & longer lasting(like forever)

Forgot to add doing some T Touch massage will help him relax & reduce his stress levels

I agree with Joedee

Once this boy realizes that he can relax, that he is cherished, that he is not going to uprooted again, that he can trust you, that you will return to him, he may well stop stressing and start to use those calories for weight gain rather than burning them up through uncertainty/stress.

Small, frequent meals, short walks, confidence-building games and interaction, vet checks, letting him know he is wanted and important to you without over-indulging him, setting sensible rules for behaviour, all will help him relax, trust and respect you.

Good wishes

That's great my dogs always looked 'thin' on kibble and then we switched to raw and they gained the few extra pounds they needed to. Stuff like breast of lamb and tripe when included in a balanced raw diet will really help.

The purpose of posting the EPI info was to help rule it out with regards to symptoms which happily it seems to have done

From the followup, yep, I agree with the others that stress seems to be the likely culprit which is very positive as its something which tlc and good management can overcome.

I know its heartbreaking to stroke him and feel bones - been there, believe me - but one day, without realising, you will stroke him as usual and he will feel different, it will probably creep up on you and you`ll realise he is well on the mend

Hard as it is, try not to be pre-occupied with his weight because he will pick up on how down and worried you feel about it - bright and breezy will get his confidence up