Labrador Losing Weight

[*Avanti*]

One of my Labrador girls has been losing weight and I am quite worried about her. She had (wellness profile) blood tests taken yesterday and we are awaiting results. She had pancreatitis last July and has been on a lean fat diet ever since. At first I thought it must have been the diet, which would have explained some of the weight loss. But this last month she seemed to be looking more skinny so I started to monitor it more closely by weighing her weekly. She was losing about 2kgs a week in the last three and I had even increased the amount I was feeding her. The vet gave her a good check over and said, except for being skinny, everything else and her heart seemed to be ok. There seem to be no other symptoms, she is happy, alert, still loves her food and her poos mostly look normal.

I am at a loss for now. If nothing shows in the blood tests the next step is testing her poos. The vet said something about the pancreas may have stopped producing enzymes that help her digest her food. Fingers crossed for my little girl, it breaks my heart to see her wasting away .

.

Edited February 5, 2010 by WhiteEagle

[Kynta]

Oh no. Fingers crossed that the reason can be found and she can be helped to a full recovery. It's terrible when you can't keep the weight on them. Hugs to you and your little one.

[Sankari]

Have you thought about a condition called EPI (Enzyme Pancreatic insufficiency). One of my previous GRs had it and kept losing weight (she had also had pancreatitis) the vet put her on a supplement called Ezyplex which helped her absorb nutrients from her diet and therefor stopped losing weight she maintained weight reasonably ok until the last 6 months or so of her life (she was diagnosed with Lymphoma).

Best of luck for the blood results, it sounds just like what my girl was like back then definately ask about that condition. It's easily managed with the supplement and highly recommend that product.

[zayda_asher]

Seeing you are also dealing with allergies have you done a recent elimination diet? Adverse Food Reactions can also effect weight, as the dog is not processing nutrients from food properly.

[stormie]

That is extreme weight loss Fingers crossed you get to the bottom of it soon. Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, from what I know, often results in terrible diarrhoea, but it can be diagnosed with a blood test so worth a shot!

How old is she?

[puggy_puggy]

I look after a pug that has EPI. She has to be fed a low fat diet three times a day and enzyme powder added to her meals.

[twodoggies2001]

One of my Labrador girls has been losing weight and I am quite worried about her. She had (wellness profile) blood tests taken yesterday and we are awaiting results. She had pancreatitis last July and has been on a lean fat diet ever since. At first I thought it must have been the diet, which would have explained some of the weight loss. But this last month she seemed to be looking more skinny so I started to monitor it more closely by weighing her weekly. She was losing about 2kgs a week in the last three and I had even increased the amount I was feeding her. The vet gave her a good check over and said, except for being skinny, everything else and her heart seemed to be ok. There seem to be no other symptoms, she is happy, alert, still loves her food and her poos mostly look normal.

I am at a loss for now. If nothing shows in the blood tests the next step is testing her poos. The vet said something about the pancreas may have stopped producing enzymes that help her digest her food. Fingers crossed for my little girl, it breaks my heart to see her wasting away .

Sounds just like my mini schnauzer after he had, what I believe to be a drug induced pancreatic attack. He had a great appetite but was skin and bones. After going to a natural therapy vet in Melbourne, and staying on is raw diet, she put him on digestive enzymes, and you wouldn't believe the difference. He gets the enzymes twice a day with his feeds.

.

[*Avanti*]

Seeing you are also dealing with allergies have you done a recent elimination diet? Adverse Food Reactions can also effect weight, as the dog is not processing nutrients from food properly.

She (Heidi) has been on what was originally an elimination diet for 4 months now and I have kept her on it because I thought it was a good low fat solution. She has cooked diced kangaroo and mashed pumpkin and potato. This diet was prescribed by a skin specialist who was investigating her allergy/s. She lost some weight after the pancreatitis and diet change but it seemed to be much more so in the last month.

That is extreme weight loss Fingers crossed you get to the bottom of it soon. Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, from what I know, often results in terrible diarrhoea, but it can be diagnosed with a blood test so worth a shot!

How old is she?

Heidi is now six and a half years old. What doesn’t fit yet is her stools seem normal. I have two dogs so I am not always sure who’s is who’s if you know what I mean. They have quite different diets but the stools are quite similar. A couple of months ago one had very mucousy stools but it was only for a few days. I suspected it was Heidi's but am not 100% sure.

I still don’t discount it being Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency that others have suggested though. I would rather find out it was something like that which can be treated than any other bad news like cancer which the vet said is a possibility (I asked ).

As for the allergy I am almost certain it is our Kikuyu grass and in almost desperation have fenced off from the lawn from her since the pancreatitis (when I also took her of the prednisolone).

I couldn’t get the blood test results today so now have to wait until Monday. I’ve been thinking that maybe I should put her back onto the lean chicken breast diet anyway? I prefer to prepare my own food for her than buy anything like Hills ID cans or anything else processed.

Edited February 6, 2010 by WhiteEagle

[OSoSwift]

Did the vet mention possible diabeties? Is she drinking a lot?

I really hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

[zayda_asher]

She (Heidi) has been on what was originally an elimination diet for 4 months now and I have kept her on it because I thought it was a good low fat solution. She has cooked diced kangaroo and mashed pumpkin and potato. This diet was prescribed by a skin specialist who was investigating her allergy/s. She lost some weight after the pancreatitis and diet change but it seemed to be much more so in the last month.

Long term elimination diets often lead to weight loss too... they're so limited and there's not a lot in that diet, so she would want to eat a fair bit to keep going... Sounds like you need to talk to your vet about the diet, options and also some of the other possibilities people have raised. I would certainly see about the digestive enzymes, if you can get some that wont interfere with the elim diet it might well help - makes a huge difference for my guys

[*Avanti*]

Did the vet mention possible diabeties? Is she drinking a lot?

I really hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

No to both, but diabetes was mentioned as a possible development when she was at the vets soon after the pancreatitis. Would the blood test show that one? They didn't do a urine test.

I hope we find the answers very soon too as she can hardly lose any more weight. I have made her a little warm coat for if the weather gets cold but I hope by winter she will not need it.

Long term elimination diets often lead to weight loss too... they're so limited and there's not a lot in that diet, so she would want to eat a fair bit to keep going... Sounds like you need to talk to your vet about the diet, options and also some of the other possibilities people have raised. I would certainly see about the digestive enzymes, if you can get some that wont interfere with the elim diet it might well help - makes a huge difference for my guys

Thanks for all the replies.

The vet actually said it was a pretty ‘complete’ diet but it makes sense to me to change it. She was so very ill at the time ( when she had the pancreatitis in July) that I have been afraid to experiment too far since. I know lean chicken breast is ok. I remember someone saying kangaroo was not recommended for their dog after pancreatitis but they didn’t say why.

Here’s hoping the blood tests can help, I think the vet didn’t suggest much more until we get those results.

(Edited for second reply)

Edited February 6, 2010 by WhiteEagle

[stormie]

Fingers crossed for you. If she is still eating her new diet, I would think that the rate of weight loss would be too rapid for a dog that is still eating.

Try not to worry until you get the results back, though unfortunately it's not uncommon for such results to come back inconclusive. I'm sure you and your vet will get to the bottom of it.

Goodluck!

[twodoggies2001]

Did the vet mention possible diabeties? Is she drinking a lot?

I really hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

No to both, but diabetes was mentioned as a possible development when she was at the vets soon after the pancreatitis. Would the blood test show that one? They didn't do a urine test.

I hope we find the answers very soon too as she can hardly lose any more weight. I have made her a little warm coat for if the weather gets cold but I hope by winter she will not need it.

Long term elimination diets often lead to weight loss too... they're so limited and there's not a lot in that diet, so she would want to eat a fair bit to keep going... Sounds like you need to talk to your vet about the diet, options and also some of the other possibilities people have raised. I would certainly see about the digestive enzymes, if you can get some that wont interfere with the elim diet it might well help - makes a huge difference for my guys

Thanks for all the replies.

The vet actually said it was a pretty ‘complete’ diet but it makes sense to me to change it. She was so very ill at the time ( when she had the pancreatitis in July) that I have been afraid to experiment too far since. I know lean chicken breast is ok. I remember someone saying kangaroo was not recommended for their dog after pancreatitis but they didn’t say why.

Here’s hoping the blood tests can help, I think the vet didn’t suggest much more until we get those results.

(Edited for second reply)

What part of Melbourne do you live in? The natural vet that I was referring to is in South Road Bentleigh. She modified my mini's diet and one of the meats he is on is Kangaroo. She also prescribed a mixture of herbs which he takes daily. I am feeding him some of the meats that I was before his attack. My own regular vet insisted I go on commercial diets and I resisted vehemently. My boys have always been fed a raw and natural diet. I also asked my regular vet regarding the digestive enzymes and was told they were not needed. Says who? He dropped from 9kg down to 8kg. That's a lot to lose for a mini schnauzer. He is now back up to 8.6kg and looks fantastic. If cooked kangaroo, mashed potatoes and pumpkin is a complete diet, I'll go heeeeee.

[Boronia]

These two links may be of help

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healt...une-System.aspx

http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html

Hope you can get her back to health soon.

[labsrule]

One of my Labrador girls has been losing weight and I am quite worried about her. She had (wellness profile) blood tests taken yesterday and we are awaiting results. She had pancreatitis last July and has been on a lean fat diet ever since. At first I thought it must have been the diet, which would have explained some of the weight loss. But this last month she seemed to be looking more skinny so I started to monitor it more closely by weighing her weekly. She was losing about 2kgs a week in the last three and I had even increased the amount I was feeding her. The vet gave her a good check over and said, except for being skinny, everything else and her heart seemed to be ok. There seem to be no other symptoms, she is happy, alert, still loves her food and her poos mostly look normal.

I am at a loss for now. If nothing shows in the blood tests the next step is testing her poos. The vet said something about the pancreas may have stopped producing enzymes that help her digest her food. Fingers crossed for my little girl, it breaks my heart to see her wasting away .

So sorry about your lovely girl's rapid weight loss, poor baby must be very worrying for you on top of her pancreatitis Best wishes for good news from her blood tests and to finding out what is causing her weight loss and treatment options to help get her back on the road to recovery Thinking of you and your girl

[dancinbcs]

Did the vet mention possible diabeties? Is she drinking a lot?

I really hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

No to both, but diabetes was mentioned as a possible development when she was at the vets soon after the pancreatitis. Would the blood test show that one? They didn't do a urine test.

I hope we find the answers very soon too as she can hardly lose any more weight. I have made her a little warm coat for if the weather gets cold but I hope by winter she will not need it.

Long term elimination diets often lead to weight loss too... they're so limited and there's not a lot in that diet, so she would want to eat a fair bit to keep going... Sounds like you need to talk to your vet about the diet, options and also some of the other possibilities people have raised. I would certainly see about the digestive enzymes, if you can get some that wont interfere with the elim diet it might well help - makes a huge difference for my guys

Thanks for all the replies.

The vet actually said it was a pretty ‘complete’ diet but it makes sense to me to change it. She was so very ill at the time ( when she had the pancreatitis in July) that I have been afraid to experiment too far since. I know lean chicken breast is ok. I remember someone saying kangaroo was not recommended for their dog after pancreatitis but they didn’t say why.

Here’s hoping the blood tests can help, I think the vet didn’t suggest much more until we get those results.

(Edited for second reply)

What part of Melbourne do you live in? The natural vet that I was referring to is in South Road Bentleigh. She modified my mini's diet and one of the meats he is on is Kangaroo. She also prescribed a mixture of herbs which he takes daily. I am feeding him some of the meats that I was before his attack. My own regular vet insisted I go on commercial diets and I resisted vehemently. My boys have always been fed a raw and natural diet. I also asked my regular vet regarding the digestive enzymes and was told they were not needed. Says who? He dropped from 9kg down to 8kg. That's a lot to lose for a mini schnauzer. He is now back up to 8.6kg and looks fantastic. If cooked kangaroo, mashed potatoes and pumpkin is a complete diet, I'll go heeeeee.

Regardless of the blood results I would be trying Dr Ann Neville at South Rd Animal Health at Bentliegh. I consulted her from Sydney so if you are in Melbourne, get over there asap. This dog's whole system seems out of whack and even if it is cancer Ann can help with that as well. Her results with cancer dogs are astounding. She can also do a hair analysis that will tell her what the dog's body is deficient in and then use supplements to correct the imbalance.

[twodoggies2001]

Did the vet mention possible diabeties? Is she drinking a lot?

I really hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

No to both, but diabetes was mentioned as a possible development when she was at the vets soon after the pancreatitis. Would the blood test show that one? They didn't do a urine test.

I hope we find the answers very soon too as she can hardly lose any more weight. I have made her a little warm coat for if the weather gets cold but I hope by winter she will not need it.

Long term elimination diets often lead to weight loss too... they're so limited and there's not a lot in that diet, so she would want to eat a fair bit to keep going... Sounds like you need to talk to your vet about the diet, options and also some of the other possibilities people have raised. I would certainly see about the digestive enzymes, if you can get some that wont interfere with the elim diet it might well help - makes a huge difference for my guys

Thanks for all the replies.

The vet actually said it was a pretty ‘complete’ diet but it makes sense to me to change it. She was so very ill at the time ( when she had the pancreatitis in July) that I have been afraid to experiment too far since. I know lean chicken breast is ok. I remember someone saying kangaroo was not recommended for their dog after pancreatitis but they didn’t say why.

Here’s hoping the blood tests can help, I think the vet didn’t suggest much more until we get those results.

(Edited for second reply)

What part of Melbourne do you live in? The natural vet that I was referring to is in South Road Bentleigh. She modified my mini's diet and one of the meats he is on is Kangaroo. She also prescribed a mixture of herbs which he takes daily. I am feeding him some of the meats that I was before his attack. My own regular vet insisted I go on commercial diets and I resisted vehemently. My boys have always been fed a raw and natural diet. I also asked my regular vet regarding the digestive enzymes and was told they were not needed. Says who? He dropped from 9kg down to 8kg. That's a lot to lose for a mini schnauzer. He is now back up to 8.6kg and looks fantastic. If cooked kangaroo, mashed potatoes and pumpkin is a complete diet, I'll go heeeeee.

Regardless of the blood results I would be trying Dr Ann Neville at South Rd Animal Health at Bentliegh. I consulted her from Sydney so if you are in Melbourne, get over there asap. This dog's whole system seems out of whack and even if it is cancer Ann can help with that as well. Her results with cancer dogs are astounding. She can also do a hair analysis that will tell her what the dog's body is deficient in and then use supplements to correct the imbalance.

Yes, this is the vet I was referring to. She is fantastic. She treats animals from all over Melbourne that are brought there by their owners. It's worth a try.

[dancinbcs]

Did the vet mention possible diabeties? Is she drinking a lot?

I really hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

No to both, but diabetes was mentioned as a possible development when she was at the vets soon after the pancreatitis. Would the blood test show that one? They didn't do a urine test.

I hope we find the answers very soon too as she can hardly lose any more weight. I have made her a little warm coat for if the weather gets cold but I hope by winter she will not need it.

Long term elimination diets often lead to weight loss too... they're so limited and there's not a lot in that diet, so she would want to eat a fair bit to keep going... Sounds like you need to talk to your vet about the diet, options and also some of the other possibilities people have raised. I would certainly see about the digestive enzymes, if you can get some that wont interfere with the elim diet it might well help - makes a huge difference for my guys

Thanks for all the replies.

The vet actually said it was a pretty ‘complete’ diet but it makes sense to me to change it. She was so very ill at the time ( when she had the pancreatitis in July) that I have been afraid to experiment too far since. I know lean chicken breast is ok. I remember someone saying kangaroo was not recommended for their dog after pancreatitis but they didn’t say why.

Here’s hoping the blood tests can help, I think the vet didn’t suggest much more until we get those results.

(Edited for second reply)

What part of Melbourne do you live in? The natural vet that I was referring to is in South Road Bentleigh. She modified my mini's diet and one of the meats he is on is Kangaroo. She also prescribed a mixture of herbs which he takes daily. I am feeding him some of the meats that I was before his attack. My own regular vet insisted I go on commercial diets and I resisted vehemently. My boys have always been fed a raw and natural diet. I also asked my regular vet regarding the digestive enzymes and was told they were not needed. Says who? He dropped from 9kg down to 8kg. That's a lot to lose for a mini schnauzer. He is now back up to 8.6kg and looks fantastic. If cooked kangaroo, mashed potatoes and pumpkin is a complete diet, I'll go heeeeee.

Regardless of the blood results I would be trying Dr Ann Neville at South Rd Animal Health at Bentliegh. I consulted her from Sydney so if you are in Melbourne, get over there asap. This dog's whole system seems out of whack and even if it is cancer Ann can help with that as well. Her results with cancer dogs are astounding. She can also do a hair analysis that will tell her what the dog's body is deficient in and then use supplements to correct the imbalance.

Yes, this is the vet I was referring to. She is fantastic. She treats animals from all over Melbourne that are brought there by their owners. It's worth a try.

Actually all over Australia. I am in Sydney but have friends in Northern NSW and the ACT that have had her successfully treat their dogs as well. Several cancer survivers (mast cell, eye socket, bladder) plus one of mine with chronic ear and bladder infections.

Edited February 7, 2010 by dancinbcs

[zayda_asher]

If she is still eating her new diet, I would think that the rate of weight loss would be too rapid for a dog that is still eating.

Its a pretty big weight loss, but it might be worth considering that it is a multi cause, rather than a single problem and diet may be a part of it... Most of the dogs I've known, including my own, on elimination diets have lost significant weight... I'd be taking it all to the vet (which ever one is seen) and seeing if it could be a combination of factors..

[wolfgirl]

Just wanting to send good wishes for your girl, will keep her in my thoughts and hope the blood tests reveal what the problem is and it is nothing drastic