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    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #1

    Feb 11, 2012, 11:26 AM
    How do I get my dog to gain weight?
    I have a beautiful dog I rescued from the pound in November of 2010. In January of 2011 We had to take her in to have her stomach pumped because she was having a hard time digesting food. Since then she has not gained an ounce. I have tried many different methods recommended by the vet and have still had no luck. She is mastiff and bull terrier mixed with a blue brindle coat. She is a very active dog and I have tried high calorie diets plus a very good puppy food but still have had no luck. The more we try the skinnier she starts to look I am afraid that if she looses any more we will have to put her down. My children love her and my husband and I would love to see her gain the weight and live a long fruitful life. Does any one have any more idea's? I have worked with the vets here and we had her tested for worms and other diseases. The only thing we know from all we have done is that she has some kind of gastrointestinal problem. Please help me save my precious little girl.
    Lucky098's Avatar
    Lucky098 Posts: 2,594, Reputation: 543
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    #2

    Feb 11, 2012, 11:41 AM
    What kind of foods have you tried?
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #3

    Feb 11, 2012, 12:11 PM
    We tried Science Diet for puppies both wet and dry food, Iams puppy chow both wet and dry, Purina puppy wet and dry, Eukanuba puppy, Table scraps mixed in like eggs, beef, and rice... I have done all that the vet asked me to try and we have been doing this for over a year. I have people asking me if she was a rescue or if she is being neglected. My dogs bowl is never empty and she eats like a horse. I just wish she would gain the weight and keep it on. Right now she is looking boney. I will do what ever it takes to get her back to the way she was before her surgery.
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #4

    Feb 11, 2012, 12:19 PM
    I already paid over $1600 for the surgery and another $1200 in blood work and exrays I need help nothing we have tried is working and we were wondering if there might have been something that went wrong during her surgery that may have caused this problem. She is the love of this household and everyone is worried about her. I have never has a dog that was this way or looked the way she does right now. I am very concerned she will be two years old in October and I want her to be able to live to see it.
    LadySam's Avatar
    LadySam Posts: 1,589, Reputation: 322
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    #5

    Feb 11, 2012, 12:35 PM
    When you say she had her stomach pumped do you mean that she had a bloat or torsion that required gastric lavage? Has your vet been able to pinpoint a digestive disorder related to absorption or motility maybe?
    With all the blood work was there a thyroid test done? Blood sugar?
    I know more questions, sorry just trying for a little more information.
    Lucky098's Avatar
    Lucky098 Posts: 2,594, Reputation: 543
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    #6

    Feb 11, 2012, 12:39 PM
    Have you tested for hyperthyroid?

    Hyperthyroidism Symptoms in Dogs | eHow.com

    I know its more vet costs, but if she matches any of the symptoms listed on that website, it may be worth looking into...

    As far as the food you fed... Even though it is "name brand" puppy foods, doesn't necessarily mean it is a good food. I'm not a fan of Science Diet.. Its got a lot of fillers and is chemically altered to make your dog like it. Its also not that high in fats.

    The dog food I have had the best luck with weight gain is Pro Plan adult high preformance. It is for working dogs and is full of calories and fats. My mo runs a rescue, and our skinny, starved dogs get that food for weight gain.

    Another food I like is called EVO... It is an alternative to the RAW diet and is full of calories as well. It is expensive, but it will put weight on your dog. Blue Buffalo carries a food similar to the EVO brand... not sure if its cheaper.

    There are supplements you can feed.. Its not table scraps.. but an actual reciepe for skinny, starving dogs. It was designed for rescue dogs that are losing weight due to stress... and stressed dogs have a really hard time keeping weight on.

    Holistic Dog - Satinballs Satin Balls

    For now, you would feed this with the high protein and high calorie diet.

    I realize your frustration and feeling of going broke... but try the satin balls and maybe sample some of the higher quality foods. Table scraps only put fat on a dog. Dogs cannot use fat the way we can. They need protein. Eggs are good for coats, but they're not going to put weight on your dog... Any type of veggie is a fiber source and will just make your dog poop more. Follow a recipe that is designed to put weight on dogs that are having problems putting weight on.

    I hope I helped.
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #7

    Feb 11, 2012, 12:59 PM
    I took her into the vet a few days after my huusband went back east for his dads memorial service. I thought she had stopped eating because she missed him. When we got there the vet said she had a hard mass in her stomach and that she neede to have surgery or she would die. So we went through with the surgery. We found that she had 2 pounds of dog food that had balled up in her stomach and she was unable to digest it. THe vet had her for 24 hours said she was fine and we could bring her home. We took her back after a week to see how she was doing and noticed that she had not gained any weight. The vet sent me home with a perscription and The science diet puppy food and said to try it for two weeks and bring her back. We took her back two weeks later still no weight gain. She started to walk as if her tendons in her front legs were strained. We were given more medication for her and another High Calorie diet that we follewed to the Tee. Still no luck on any weight gain. We did blood work. We did exrays and still no answer for her not gaining weight. There was no show of worms or disease. We have been going through the motions for over a year. My dogs name is Lilly and she is the most rambunctious, playful silliest dog. My kids would be so devistated if any thing was to happen to her.
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #8

    Feb 11, 2012, 01:05 PM
    Lucky098 I will try the holistic dog food to see if it helps. I would do anything to see her back to her normal weight. Before surgery she was a stocky healthy dog. She was 14 weeks old when she had the surgery and she weighed 38 pounds. Now she is 28 months old and if I had to guess maybe 30-35 pounds but very skinny. I just want my dog back to normal she is scaring me. She looks almost anorexic.
    Lucky098's Avatar
    Lucky098 Posts: 2,594, Reputation: 543
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    #9

    Feb 11, 2012, 01:20 PM
    Keep us updated!
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #10

    Feb 11, 2012, 02:53 PM
    I will keep you guys updated
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #11

    Feb 17, 2012, 10:03 AM
    My dog likes those Satin balls. However she has just started growling at my young children. The past two days she has been walking up to them and growling for no reason. I thought at first she was trying to talk to them, or get their attention. I was wrong she started showing teeth and all of her hair was sticking up. The kids had just woke up and were watching cartoons. Why would she start doing this?

    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #12

    Feb 18, 2012, 09:10 AM
    The satin balls seem to be doing great with her. My new problem is that she is growling and showing teeth to my younger two children for no apparent reason. The other day my two young children had just woken up from a nap and was watching cartoons when my dog walked up to them and started growling for no reason. I know some dogs do this as if talking to you but I have never had her do this while baring her teeth. Now what do I do?
    Lucky098's Avatar
    Lucky098 Posts: 2,594, Reputation: 543
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    #13

    Feb 18, 2012, 09:27 AM
    What was her body posture like? Was she kind of rigid and starring? Or was she slinky?

    When your dog does this, what do you do?

    Unfortunately, once you solve one problem, others pop up. If she has been sick and underweight the entire time you had her, she may have been very tolerant of kids.. now that she is feeling better, maybe she isn't a kids dog.

    If you truly love this dog and want to keep her, I would suggest to contact an in home trainer to help you. Any advise given over the phone or on here may make things worse. Dogs that are fearful, and are punished may become fearful of the kids... In a dogs perspective, the kids are what causes pain.

    Another point of view is... You are alpha, those are your pups, and she had best back off. Dogs don't understand "talking it out". Grab her scruff, firmly, and force her to lay down, growl at her LOUDLY and stare at her as she is down... Purchase a muzzle and let your kids touch her EVERYWHERE.. and if she growls, correct her. Let your kids give her treats or help with feeding. Kids are good.. they give you things that are yummy..

    Its kind of weird for a dog to approach what is scary and growl and show teeth... But I also think she is young enough you can work through this. Unfortunately its just another bump in the road.
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #14

    Feb 19, 2012, 05:17 PM
    Hank you for the Help. I will Let you know how it goes. Yesterday she got in my hen house andkilled two chickens. This is not like her at all but I will be calling a trainer for sure. My husband wants her back to normal as do I. As for the kids they have always been in her daily routine. They help feed and walk her and we all play with her as a family. The growling in happening first thing in the morning. She will walk up to the younger two and stare at them teeth bared but without a reason. That is what struck me as odd. The two younger kids and her would play with one another daily with no problems and after she got sick she was great with them. Now I have no clue. Hopefully the trainer will help us figure it out. I will keep you posted.
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #15

    Feb 28, 2012, 09:45 PM
    Still not much difference in weight gain using the satin balls and I am beginning to wonder if there will ever be a change how long does it usually take for a dog like her to gain weight?
    Lucky098's Avatar
    Lucky098 Posts: 2,594, Reputation: 543
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    #16

    Mar 1, 2012, 07:48 PM
    It can take awhile before a dog will gain weight.

    If she is stressed for whatever reason, putting weight on her will be really hard.

    If she continues to eat high calorie/fatty foods, I would start to suspect hyperthyroid. I believe the tests are not extremely expensive.. It'd be worth looking into. Hyperthyroid animals have strange behaviors (such as the groweling at your kids) and look pretty bad.

    Did you ever have her checked for diabetes? She could be diabetic. Once again.. underlying illness makes dogs act very unusual.

    Is she an extremely active dog? How much are you currently feeding her? Whatever it is, maybe double it and see if that helps along with the satin balls... Maybe feed her a small meal at lunch time.

    If she is a worry wort kind of dog, she won't gain weight. There is a collar out that is suppose to help with behaviors. It's the DAP collar. It's a phermone that dogs like.. it mimics their mother. Maybe that will help her chill out.

    This is the dog that had a tumor in her stomach.. maybe there is another tumor growing somewhere in her body that is stealing all of her nutrients.

    Cancers can make dogs thin.. they typically don't have much of an appetite and act like a sick dog (lethargic, food makes them sick, vomiting frequently).

    Is she spayed? Maybe she has a pyometra or endometritis going on. Both diseases are dangers and can make dogs lose weight pretty fast... again though, these dogs act very sick and lethargic and won't eat... But, not all dogs follow the rule books.

    Her sugar levels may be low, but won't be diabetic... The dog typically doesn't want to eat and is lethargic...

    I realize you spent a lot of money on this dog already, but I'm running out of ideas lol... Maybe the medical stuff needs to be narrowed down to the symptoms such as eating like a horse and not gaining weight. If the vet you are going to is not seeing that as important, get a second opinion somewhere else. Sometimes vets get use to "normal" and over look a serious disease such as hyperthyroidism..
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #17

    Mar 3, 2012, 03:16 PM
    I talked to another vet. I was told to have my dog put down. They ran tests and came up with nothing. The only thing they suggested was going after the vet that did the surgery. Something is not right and my dog is suffering.
    Lucky098's Avatar
    Lucky098 Posts: 2,594, Reputation: 543
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    #18

    Mar 3, 2012, 07:05 PM
    Why would they offer that? And what kind of tests did they run? Was it a blood test to test for the function of organs? Thyroid test? Neurological test?

    How is the vet to blame for a surgery? Unless she had a reaction to the anesthesia, I doubt it was the vets fault. Even if the dog did have a reaction, the vet couldn't have known, especially if he/she ran tests prior to surgery to ensure her body can handle the gas.

    I understand that the dog may be sick.. but going after another vet is kind of odd. The dog is sick with no fault of anyone. She may have just been an unlucky soul that was cursed with cancer.

    Odd behaviors can be associated to tumors in the brain. A CT scan or MRI would be the only way to diagnose it.

    I'm sorry you had such bad luck with this dog :( I'm sorry for your loss and the tough decision you had or already made :(
    worried_mama's Avatar
    worried_mama Posts: 32, Reputation: 0
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    #19

    Mar 12, 2012, 08:02 AM
    Thank you for all the advice. Lilly will be greatly missed.
    celticfc's Avatar
    celticfc Posts: 47, Reputation: 2
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    #20

    Mar 15, 2012, 03:59 PM
    Sorry I didn't read all of the answers in so sorry for your loss of your dog :(

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