Anyone have any suggestion as to how to get a high drive bitch undergoing intense training in prep. for certification to gain weight? She has gone from 68 lbs to 55LBS!!! She was at the vet today and checked out as being in perfect health, with good muscle, great coat and plenty of vigor. However, the weight loss was quite alot, so the vet drew blood to check for pancreatic insufficiency( just in case, althought she has NO symptoms).

MY opinion is that she is just putting out more than she is taking in. Her handler is feeding her 2x a day. She is eating her fill in the am, which is usually about 3or 4 cups of Eagle PAck premium holistic, and then in the evening the same only usually 4 or 5 cups, plus she gets 1 or 2 cups of raw meat too, and he said he puts a little oil in her food( I forgot to ask exact amount and type).

She has a history of getting very itchy w/ skin sores on regular dog kibble, and very loose stools if she gets too much raw chicken, so she has been on premium kibble for a while now and when I had her I fed raw green tripe at a seperate feeding on occasion supplementary.She was fine on this regiment until now, where she hasn't been able to keep the weight on.

What can be done to help her to gain weight while she is training? What do the sled dog people feed their dogs to maintain high levels of energy and performance output? Any help would be appreciated.

They are in the Columbus Ohio area, and her handler was trying to locate a green tripe supplier nearby but was unsuccessful. Anyone know where he can find one?

I appreciate any feed back, as I am worried about my best girl, Bella!!

(ps)- she is excelling at every task presented to her and will be certifying at the end of the month.

She eats 8-10 cups of food a day? Plus 2 cups of meat? Was this what she was eating before you started training her,'intensely'? Is she skinny now? Thats ALOT of food!! Did you tell your vet she was eating that much?

NO, she was eating alot less and she weighed 68 lbs.
The vet is aware of her food volume and type. Her stool is neg. for worms, and she is the picture of health, just that she has lost alot of weight and yes, she is slim, but well muscled. The dog is not with me at this time, she is with her handler in Ohio, and he said you can see her ribs. I don't know if this is a bad thing, as she seems to be fine, but yes the concern is that she eats alot and yet has lost all of this weight.

Has her weight loss reached a plateau, or is she still losing? Have there been any changes in her energy level or workouts? I would keep an eye on her while she's eating too, just to make sure she's taking it all in and keeping it there.

I would be concerned about a dog (active or not) that eats that volume of food and has lost 20% of her normal body weight..

I would run a full blood panel with a CBC, A thyroid panel (could be hypo thyroid), a tick borne disease panel and possibly a blood screen for pancreatic insufficiency. (which I think you said they are doing)

My most active dogs don't eat even close to that volume of food and any time in the past when one of my dogs has lost a noticeable amount of weight there has been something else going on. (I.E. foreign body in the gut, open pyometra, cardiomyopathy)

Well, sorry to burst the bubble here but yes, it happens all the time, just like humans animals also loose weight and then bounce back, it’s not just the exercise it’s the stress of training as well.

I agree with all, this dog is being fed way to much,But is the food really that nutritious? we only feed once a day max five cups, and 55lbs -thats 26 kg's is not bad – for a Bitch, I think you did a great job thus far,of checking to see if she was ill, if the energy is up and the eyes are bright with a tail wagging –and the vet had no problems – then I would say she is just running lean.

 Quote:

Originally posted by REINIER Geel:
Well, sorry to burst the bubble here but yes, it happens all the time, just like humans animals also loose weight and then bounce back, it’s not just the exercise it’s the stress of training as well.

then I would say she is just running lean.

Sorry to "burst your bubble" but any animal that looses 20% of it's body weight in a short time may have a problem.(unless this dog was grossly overweight to begin with which I doubt)

If it's a medical problem, regular vets may miss it and the blood work will give insight. If the dog has lost that much weight due to stress then I would re-evaluate either the dog's suitablity to the jobs she is being asked to do or rethink her training. I know if I lost 20% of my body weight because of stress related to my work, it may not be the best job for me!

No criticism meant to your dog Jeannette <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> after working in the veterinary field since the early 80's I worry when a dog loses weight and appears ok (especially when eating so much!).... I guess I have seen too much!! Keep us posted please.

I have to side with Cindy on this one. There is more of a chance of a problem here than not. When a dog looses 20% of its body wieght and its being fed what tbhis dog is being fed there is something going on and its not over exercise.

Too much stress in training will cause medical problems - the pancreaous being just one of them.

I too would worry from a medical standpoint about a weight loss of that magnitude.

I would have my canine tested with a chem panel to have his kidney function evaluated.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the input. First let me say I don't have Bella with me, so I am going by what her handler called me to talk to me about. That being said, I agree that that much weight loss is alarming.
But, wouldn't a dog who is losing weight from illness appear to be sick in some way? Apparently that isn't the case with Bella, she is seeming to be fine......This of course doesn't mean that she shouldn't be checked for an underlying medical problem, and they started w/ the pancreatic tests.I'll find out if any of the other panels(tick, thyroid,cbc, renal)were done, and if not, suggest them for sure.

So, lets say all is well, perhaps she should be on a food of higher nutrient content? Can anyone suggest a different approach to her nutrient intake?

Cindy, I can't even begin to describe how much this dog loves to work, I truly hope she is ok, as I love her with all of my heart.