Keira&Phoenix

Here is a couple pics of the area she is losing/thinning hair. It is hard to see but you can sort of tell the hair is much more course there and you can see it is patchy.

Thank you all for replying. I am going to reply to everyone one at a time so if I double up on answer that is why

I would start with a good quality dog probiotic,cure any gut issues and make sure she will actually absorb nutrients from the food she is getting.

I would use Dr Krugers Joint and Muscle,it will help her gut,her joints and also has a whole bunch of anti inflammatory herbs in it as well. You can order off this site and get it sent from NZ to Aust.

http://www.lapdog.co.nz/proddetail.php?prod=DKJM3&PHPSESSID=d105616091e8bcb146da646f4f3aba55

Also your diet IMO is not balanced at all.

Raw in itself is not a high fat diet,but you certainly can overdo fat by feeding say fatty lamb offcuts. I would'nt add pasta etc,carbs like that promote inflammation.

I would try something like K9 Natural ,you can buy this in Australia freeze dried,though it is'nt cheap, and you rehydrate with water. To this I would add a chicken frame as a bone to chew with excess fat removed and see what haopens in 2-4 weeks. You should see a HUGE difference by then. Also her skin should clear up markedly.

I will take a stab and guess her optimum weight is about 20-23 kgs? So I would feed 150g of freeze dried K9 a day rehydrated with 450mls of warm,not hot water. You can mix the gut supplement in this just before you give it to her. That amount is for a 30kg dog but you are trying to get weight on,so that is why I suggest a higher amount.

If she was my dog here in my house that is what I would do ,though to cover myself from attacks from everyone,all the above is my opinion. But I also feel strongly it would work.

You need to treat her from the inside out,get her on the right eating regime for a start. Feeding K9 natural they have done the work for you. The amount you spend on it you will save on all the other treatmenets you are trying. Believe me I was there with my first dog 15 years ago and you won't win till you get the food right and her immune system boosted!

Just firstly nah Keira's ideal weight would be around 32 - 35 kilos. Last time I weighed her she was around 28 and she has definitely lost weight since then. She was around 31 kilos in Nov but then had the pancreatitis went down to around high 28s and didn't put any back on since.

I don't tend to feed fatty lamb or anything along those lines (sausages etc) and pasta isn't a huge part of the diet just when I make some for myself I give them what is left over. Rice or rolled oats are a bigger part.

Just looked up that K9 Natural and your right that is really expensive eeeek Will look into it though. Thanks for the tip on Dr Kruegers I will look into getting that also.

Thanks PF. I actually was suspect of Thyroid issues a while back (there is a thread in here somewhere) but I asked my vet and he was pretty convinced it wasn't a thyroid issue. I am leaning towards getting the test done but obviously want to send it to Jean Dodds in the US for testing.

One Vet I was with when I first asked for (and insisted on) bloods to be drawn so I could check thyroid (via Dr Jean Dodds) was, like yours, convinced there was no thyroid issue, either. I asked the Vet to humour me. Took the bloods and it did eventuate that my boy was hypothyroidic.

I agree with PF - and if she hadn't said it, I would have. And I think you're right about sending to Dr Jean Dodds USA for testing. It's a bit like motor mechanics when you tell them your car is running a bit rough. The first thing they often look at are the spark plugs. It's easy to do, doesn't cost a lot to fix and given that the car won't run well unless they are in good condition, it's a pretty logical first place to look at. The spark plugs for cars is as thyroid is for people and animals.

I also have questions in my mind such as what your dog is like on different foods? ETA: I agree with Tomas - it does look like something that's coming more from within than from without.

ETA: Are those hives itchy for your dog? Are they erupting, or do they go down? What does your dog's coat feel like? (ETA : I feel a "Calendula moment" coming on.)

ETA: Sorry - re-read you post. Obviously you will need to get the fleas under control, but you could try stopping with the shampoos and simply using Calendula Tea washes on her. 2-3 times a day for the first one or two days. Then, if it is improving, back it down accordingly. You should see signs of improvement inside the first 24-48 hours (that is my general experience of it) so it is not as though you'll spend weeks before you know if it is doing anything or not.

Her coat is very course to the touch, thinning sometimes a couple of patches will come up very very red and itchy and she will scratch incessently. Now that you mention hives she has had a couple of spots come up (one on her neck/back of head and a couple on the inside of her thighs) which were hard to the touch and then got weepy and the hair comes out, they tend to clear up though and I generally put some Savlon or Betadine on them to help.

I am desperately trying to get rid of the fleas it is just so darn hard at the moment. I feel another big house clean coming on this weekend. Mind you I only see the odd flea here and there they are not covered in them. I am thinking they may be living in the dirt as well. Does anyone know how to get rid of fleas from outside? I head mentioned of spreading limestone?

I will try the Calendula Tea thanks

And I will be getting the thyroid testing done, if anything just to rule it out.

Comfortis flea chews are made by the same company that makes Capstar (I think) but it provides month long protection instead of just the day or so that capstar provides.

Ahhh cheers I will pick some up

You are right, your dog is really underweight. I think the flea problem is also pressing, but fleas prefer animals with a low immune system, so I personally would first try to get a number of other health issues in order and then look at the flea problem. I am afraid you might have caused some allergic reactions with flea bombing the house. No offence, you tried to get rid of them and after all that rain they are everywhere!

If she was my dog, I would get her to a vet and send some blood plasma to Dr Jean Dodds. The standard T3, T4, Free T3 and Free T4 tests which are done here in Australia do not necessarily show you the results you need. Both my dogs were fine with these values, but after sending samples to Jean, we learned that one of my dogs was hypothyroid and the other one suffers from autoimmune thyroiditis. Please let me know, if you need a vet who is willing to prepare the blood samples, mine does and I had to go through 4 vets to find one!

A full blood count would also be worthwhile to check, if there is any infection or other health issue going on. I would also take an urine sample to the vet to have it checked in the lab.

Is there any chance that Keira has worms?

Are you using products for flea and tick control such as Frontline Plus or Advantix? Many allergies are being caused by those products.

The way her feet are pointing could indicate some mis-alignment in her spine, but could well also be caused by her hips. A good animal chiropractor could be beneficial.

Does she suffer from digestive problems (diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, noisy abdomen, etc.)?

Suffering from pancreatitis really makes it difficult to use fats as a pancreatitic dog should be on a low fat, low carbohydrate diet.

Therefore rice, pasta, oats, etc. should be cut out of her diet. Those carbs can also cause inflammation. I would not use milk products either. Please boil the egg as raw eggs deplete the liver of Vit B.

Please check with your vet, if she can have good oils such as Omega 3 fatty acids. I also have the impression she is lacking a few basic vitamins such as Vit C and E. Other good supplements would probably be probiotics and digestive enzymes. Again, check with the vet.

In pancreatitis Selenium is often used as an antioxidant and there are also some homeopathic remedies and Australian Bush Flower Essences which could be given.

Once you have a diagnose, acupressure could be very helpful too.

Please keep us updated!

Dagmar

Hi Dagmar

Her reaction hasn't seemed to get worse after the flea bombing (just not better), I made sure to vacuum before the dogs were allowed in the house as well and I aired it out.

Will definitely be getting the testing done for thyroid issues if even just to rule it out. Can you PM me your vets please? Just in case I do need it

And yeah will just get regular bloods done to see if there is anything that shows up there.

Both dogs were wormed in the last 4 weeks so she shouldn't have worms.

Nope don't use spot ons. I try to control in other ways and up until we moved house they were both flea free.

Her feet point out due to the HD, she has been standing like this since she was a very young dog and walks with what is best describe as a swagger (her butt wiggles, think how a woman swing her butt). She has been seeing Dr Jenny and Dr Rowan at Animal Options and has been 4 or 5 times for chiro and acupuncture work. I will continue to see them on a semi regular basis.

Her poos seem pretty consistent, not to runny not to hard, no constipation that I have seen, no vomiting (last time I remember her vomiting was the pancreatitis)she will let off gas occasionally but not what I would consider anything more than normal. I never hear her stomach making noises.

She has a Centrum Vitamin once a day (as recommended by our Chiro vet) and has been for around 4 weeks now. I forgot to mention they get a can of tuna at least once a week.

TO be honest it is hard to say what caused the pancreatitis nothing had changed in her diet that week, we didn't have a bbq and give her leftovers nothing along those lines it was the exact same as every week the only change was the antibiotics which is why I am trying to avoid them and she went straight back onto the same diet (with the vets approval) and hasn't had a drama since and is still on the same diet.

I think it is worthwhile to note she doesn't seem to be lethargic or anything along those lines. She still plays with my younger dog, is very alert and active.

Ok I think that is everything

Thanks again for all your help.

Keira used to be fine with storms until she thought it was fun playing with hail (she was under the patio but chasing the hail) and she got hit, since then she is very nervous of thunder but not overly. I generally just make it so she is in the same room as me and sitting near me and she is fine.

Phoenix doesn't tend to worry at all.

Yeah I had a vet that I liked who did her Patella surgery but we moved and we were no longer able to go there. I have been having a hard time finding a vet I liked since then and at the moment our main vets and someone Keira has seen on 4 - 5 occasions over the past couple months is a Chiropractic Vet, I mainly see him to help her HD though. I think I now live close by the vet my trainers use and rave about so will ask them who they would recommend and go from there.

Thanks all will look into some general blood tests and getting the thyroid testing done.

Although I highly recommend a 2nd opinion for this person as this definitely sounds dodgy and a bit money grabbing, I wish to doG a vet had done xrays on my girl when she was young so we had an option like this.

Definitely get a 2nd opinion from a recommended vet or a specialist.

Hope it all works out. And I hope the dog doesn't have HD.

A dog with weight loss, skin and coat issues would be a dog I'd be heading to the vet with.

I'd be wanting a thryoid test done. Increasing the amount of fat in her food would help a healthy dog gain weight but a dog that suffers from pancreatitis doesn't have that option and you need to eliminate any underlying health issues first.

I agree with PF. A young dog loosing weight like that needs a vet visit asap. Take it from me I have lost my old cat & dog both in the last four weeks(one to cancer the other to heart probs) and the first sign something was wrong with both was weight loss. Pity they cant tell us how they feel!

Oh no I am so sorry for your losses.

With multiple health concerns, and now weight loss- I think a vet visit would be a very wise move.

Hopefully you can get some answers....

Maybe some bloods are in order just to check for regular things to start off with.

It is literally only been 1 month since the last she was at the vet just for a regular visit and some chiro.

Thanks PF. I actually was suspect of Thyroid issues a while back (there is a thread in here somewhere) but I asked my vet and he was pretty convinced it wasn't a thyroid issue. I am leaning towards getting the test done but obviously want to send it to Jean Dodds in the US for testing.

As mentioned Vets (multiple different ones) have seen her and everything has been pretty much just flea allergy treat with this etc and bad hips treat with this. The best improvement she had was on Volcomin (which is why I suspected Thyroid because Volcomin is supposed to be good for it)but it ran out and the vet didn't tell me to get anymore. I might chase some more up.

She doesn't seem to be in pain but she is an extremely stoic dog (more than usual, I think because she was born with HD pain is just something she has gotten used to) and her left hip is completely out, she has arthritis in her knee and hips and yet the only reason you can tell is because she swings her butt as she walks. Could weight loss be caused by stress or pain? Even though she isn't showing any physical signs of being in pain?

I prefer mornings as I prefer to walk in the daylight but during winter it is too hard to get out of bed in time so I do them straight after work (2 separate walks )

When it gets to summer I will walk one in the morning (younger one) and one in the afternoon (older one because she doesn't need to go as far) I might take the young one for a second walk in the arvo during summer because it is still light until late in summer.

So Keira my 3 1/2 yo Ridge X (Pig dog mix) has a pretty severe case of HD in both hips, she also had a luxatting patella at 10 months which was surgically fixed and she also tends to have very very bad skin. Ie: She had demodex mites at 4 months old and has always had allergic reactions etc.

Currently she seems to be too skinny and I can't seem to get her to put weight on and she actually seems to be losing weight. Although I don't want her to be overweight at all due to her hips she definitely looks too skinny. Here are some pics taken last night (sorry phone quality):

She is mostly on a raw diet although I supplement that with some dry dog food but not lots. Mostly they (her and my young dog) eat mixed mince (roo, beef, chicken), some chicken meat, chicken frames, 1 or so raw eggs a week, steak, the odd left overs ie: pasta etc, some milk, and I usually give them rice or rolled oats(cooked) with their food. My young dogs seems to be thriving (9 months old) and is putting on some bulk now as she matures but Keira just seems to be losing weight.

Keira also currently is having a terrible flea allergy reaction and the fur on her back from her tail up to about mid way is very thin, shorter than the rest and very course. I have tried de-fleaing the entire house including washing everything (my bedding, their bedding, the blankets on the couch, toys, etc etc) flea bombing the house, flea treating the dogs with capstar and shampoos and they still seem to have fleas.

I have been to several vets and at the moment Keira is on Missing Link, she was on chinese herbs but they have just run out and she is on a vitamin tablet, I also wash her in medicated shampoo. None of this seems to be working anymore (I saw an improvement when I first started using a few things but seems not to be working any longer). I might try and get her back onto Volcomin because that seemed to have the best effects on her. She has also previously been on Antibiotics and within a week of being on them she was hospitalised with Pancreatitis so I am not real keen to put her back on them. I am also giving her some AntiInflams to try and stop her skin from being so itchy and it seems to help a bit.

Can anyone suggest a good way of getting her to put some weight on? And can anyone suggest a very very good flea treatment (I would prefer something that isn't spot on because I just cannot see that being good on her very sore looking skin) something that will 99% work?

Thanks in advance

That is just horrible. And if it is deliberate that is just so much worse.

RIP Poor Doggies

Playgroup doesn't finish until 1:30..... we could meet there a bit later like 2/2:30 ish?

Hey not sure if Nudgee is a go ahead. A few of the regulars (Me, Dandy and GG) can't make it at all or can't do 12:30 due to other committments and we have decided against swimming as it is too cold (I took my older girl swimming over the weekend at midday and she was shivering and chattering teeth after 15 mins).

We may reschedule to a later time like 2:30/3 ish...?

Check out the thread though all the up to date info is there.

My older girl 3 1/2 holds from 7:30 am until I get home between 5:30/6 ish each day but my younger 9 month old generally doesn't most days she has an accident (my fault not hers) some days she is ok but I would say that is partly an age thing as well.

The last thing they do before I leave for work is go out for a wee/poo I am sure that helps.

SO sorry for your loss Dasha poor little darling.

oh are you coming this week?? Yays I get to see pretty Willow.

Yeah I can do this Sunday if anyone else wants to and if we go later/somewhere maybe closer to home/no swimming.

Oh no doesn't sound good.

My now 3 1/2 yo had Demodex mites at 4 months old which was easily picked up in skin scraping but demodex is not contagious so it shouldn't be that if one has passed it on to the other.

I 2nd the vote on getting a second opinion for a different vet and take both dogs. It definitely sounds like mites and sarcoptic mites can get very very bad (think those dogs you see all scabby on Animal Rescue programs) so try for another vet and more skin scrapings the sooner you get a definite answer the sooner you can start treating properly. Mites generally requires shots + special shampoo etc.

Good luck

My older girl gets this. She has serious skin issues and this is just one of many things she gets on a regular occasion.

Currently I am fighting with a really bad case of flea allergies and her skin is so bad it is horrible my poor baby.

I cant make it totally forgot about play group which starts at 12:30. Also swimming i dont think is a good idea. I took keira in my parents next door neighbours pool yesterday at 12 ish and it was way too cold she came out shivering so hard i could hear her teeth chattering no joke. I had to pour warm water over her and dry her off she was so cold.

Im happy for next week at a bit later time and no swimming. Let me know

That honestly bought me to tears. I cant believe people can be so cruel to such beautiful creatures.

Disgusting i hope they find the a**holes.

Big hugs for my girls tonight.

RIP poor baby

A stray dog that survived being shot in the head and buried alive in Malta has prompted a debate on the island nation on animal cruelty.

Police found Star, a mixed-breed dog, buried up to its face with its limbs bound and snout tied up, the Times of Malta reported.

Veterinarians managed to remove about 40 shotgun pellets from Star's head and the animal is now recovering in an animal shelter.

The violent act last Thursday has prompted calls for tougher animal cruelty penalties in the Mediterranean nation, even as the attacker remains at large.

Despite receiving adoption offers from all over the world, Star will be given to the dog lover who made the first offer.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8254291/dog-survives-being-shot-buried

How unbelieveable barbaric and cruel. 40! Shotgun pellets, this dog is a fighter, glad he/she survived, hopefull he/she will be able to live the rest of its life out happy.

We can't make it on the 5th as we're on our honeymoon, but I'd be keen for Kyojin to have some more playdates.

Oh how exciting!!! Hope you have a fantastic time

You should be good for the July meet then, which will be South

Me and Phi are always keen to meet new doggies and their owners PM me the area you are based in if you want and I am sure we can work something out.

Also visit this thread

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/207081-regular-brisbane-meet/

We organise a Brisbane meet the first Sunday of every month alternating between North and Southside locations.

June's meet is at Nudgee Beach on the 5th.

I'm in Wooloowin - so not far from Nudgee Beach or Kedron Brook and any number of dog parks.

I will definitely be there for the meet at Nudgee on the 5th - Boonie turns 1 on the 8th.

Fantastic. Nawww will be a bit of a birthday day out for him then :D

Narrrgh I have a show on the 5th . Barney needs some nice friends so if any others are organized, we're in!

Oh well July meet

Who said the only method of enforcing behaviour is to get hands on the dog? If your dog won't come in the dog park, do you spend 10 minutes playing with him trying to get his leash on? I"d be (with pre-planning) bolting hard out the gate and leaving the bugger to stew for a bit (assuming he cares that you're not there that is). If he didn't come in the back door when I called him, he'd be staring a shut door for 10 minutes with me playing a loud and exciting game with Kivi. It's called consequences.

Just wondering if Nekhbet thinks this is also pack separation...? Because leaving one dog outside for 10 minutes while you play a loud game inside with the other is worse than crating the dog for 2 minutes....

I think this is a good idea mind you, and I have at times walked inside and shut the door if the girls won't come in when I want (they come and sit at the door if I do that LOL) but just wondering if Nekhbet would consider this under the same category as time outs.

Awesome. Fingers crossed for increased adoptions for GAP

Oh no Best wishes on finding this gorgeous girl!

Just a bump in the hopes you find a Foster