# Clover's 12 week check up



## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

My baby is 27 pounds...and looks AWFUL!!!! All tests have come back fine, and doc says he is "at the skinniest he wants to see him" I am to add wet canned food to his dry kibble and no more "waiting out the stubbornness". He is so scrawny looking in the belly at I was actually embarassed!!!! Doc says that he was on the verge of prescribing me dog food they give to ABUSED dogs who come in emaciated!!!!! I feel like a HORRIBLE mom and I am going to be working HARD on getting him good! We have a 10 pound weight gain goal for the next visit by next month.

Please pray I can get him looking like he should!

Other than that he loved on all the vet techs, made a very old female weimereiner shake with anxiety when he barked with his butt in the air and I was ashamed that he caused the 15 year old gal to shake so bad! And then....as he is now learning to do at every visit...he fell asleep in the exam room! LMAO!!!!

today 27.1 pounds at 12 weeks and a day. (last visit he was right at 20 pounds at 9 weeks and a day)


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

OH!!! And one girl who works there asked about his name and I was STOKED when she finished my sentence and said how very cool it was that I named him after the dog in Stephen King's new book "Under the Dome".


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Good luck with your boy. Just curious though, since a lot of people are used to seeing over weight dogs, and Clover should be entering the gangly awkward stage. Do you think you could post recent pics of your boy so we can see just how scrawny he is. lol Whenever we do weight checks. lol we need pics that look like this....these were from when I first got Dakota. You basically want one from the side. And one from above.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

i will get pics posted in the morning....he is finally quiet in the crate downstairs! 

I can tell you he is WAY thinner than your boy there.  At 15 weeks, or even 20 weeks I would get the gangly phase...but he is only 12 weeks and should NOT be this skinny. 

I appreciate all the help though and will be sure to post pics tomorrow.


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Not a problem.  That was at 19 months, but I understand what you mean. Looking forward to pics tomorrow. If he is underweight I know there are threads on here for dogs that need to gain weight. And has he still been having soft poop? And I'm guessing he is still not eating as well as he should?


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

well he has been snubbing his kibble (keep in mind that I went with the Innova after DAYS of research and even after he chose two different ones himself, I went agrainst even his wants. (he *is* the one eating it, ya know?) anyhow he *should* be eating 2-3 cups per meal 2 Xs a day....I am LUCKY if he eats 2 cups a day TOTAL! That would be the equivilant of us just eating breakfast every day...sure its going to sustain life...but we are going to look like crap doing it! (or super thin...which may be a new diet option for myself! ha!) Anyhow the doc wants me to try the richer canned foods and use 1/2 a can per meal mixed with kibble. I dont want to be roasted for following a doctor's orders, so I wont say what he is eating now...but his first meal was SCARFED down with begging for more and included 2 1/2 cups of kibble and 1/2 can of wet food. The vet likes the idea of me giving him the raw foods too (but did the usual warning against pork and chicken and salmonella with 2 small kids in the house) and wants me to continue the meaty treats too. I am thinking we may have hit pay dirt with a combo now and only 3 weeks will tell! He was a very lovable happy boy after eating such a big meal earlier...and I got all teary when he gave me kisses after finishing it all! I was so happy! I felt so bad for fretting so much over his welfare and he still was considered "maxed out skinny wise" by a vet who is awesome, and also does NOT support overweight dogs and DOES support Raw foods. (he is awesome!) I am also going to be trying the meat tenderizer tomorrow to work on the Coprophagia too. His poo has been on and off firm wise depending on the day really...and now that he is eating wet food, i know wet poo is coming...but it is all secondary to me. Right now I just want my baby boy to be healthy! 

Thanks for letting me ramble on!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

To add....his kibble has NOT changed. He is still on the Innova LB Puppy


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

You can't tease me like that Robin... not fair. What canned do you have him on? I was going to say if he needed to have canned added, there are lots that are great for mixing in with kibble. Eagle pack Holistic select is quite..... mushy so it mixes well. I am so Glad little clover is eating. Also since he still has some tummy upset, I would still add in a tad bit of canned plain pumpkin to help his tummy settle, plus pups think its yummy!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

I do need to get the canned pumpkin still....thanks for reminding me as I am shopping in the morning. The canned food is very rich in nutrients, but the doc assured me the "small" amount per day is not going to have more negative effects than positive. Right now I will leave it as the same company makes both his kibble and his canned.


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## VaBeachFamily (Apr 12, 2005)

2-3 cups per meal, two meals a day?

Wow.. I believe with CUllen, the TOTW serving size at his weight is like.. 1 1/2 or 2 cups per day! But then.. I only give him about.. 3/4 to a cup in the morning with a bit of wet TOTW.. and dinner he gets half of his recomended RAW....


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

he is on the innova though, which is way more empty calories than TOTW


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

plus i am not sure what the serving size is, thats what the vet wants me feeding him til his weight gets better if he can handle it...and so far meal one, he is!


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

Do you want to see a horrid skinny puppy? Anka at 12 weeks looked like a starvation victim. Her legs shot up and she was all kinds of awkward. She was well fed though, 3x a day as much as she would eat in a session and worm free...It was just a horrid skinny stage and she tended to be on the thin side until she started to mature. She seemed to change daily and within a week was no longer looking nearly as bad.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

OMG! THATS CLOVER!!!! Seriously!! You just saved me upload pics!!!

why was she so thin then??? when did she start to fill out? Do you remember what she weighed then?


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## VaBeachFamily (Apr 12, 2005)

I lied... Not intentionally.. but .. LOL serving size is 2 1/4-3 1/2 cups per day. forgot that I factor in the canned!

I will never give them food with grains again... but I don't think I am switching ot full raw. Long story, going to post maybe... but Cullen .. I can stick my hand in his bowl and he is fine.. but when it comes to Raw.. especially bones, at 9 weeks old he snaps and growls at me, and I refuse. Between the other Shepherds I have had, and PIT BULLS all my life, this is the first instance of food aggression I have ever had!


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

I have to admit to being a little remiss in taking pictures of Anka because she was child #2...I know that she was 16.5 lbs when we brought her home at 8 weeks. You can't tell but she's a pretty tall bitch. I think she's probably about 70lbs now.
But she was this at 9 weeks...








Then you can see above what 12 weeks looked like...
And then next set of puppy shots I have are from 6 months...You can see she's still lean, but not horribly so.








And at 1.5 years she's starting to fill out nicely.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

VaBeach- I understand completely. Clover is on the Innova LB Puppy and it *has* grains....hence why I know he didnt choose this one himself. (and I am aware of how stupid that sounds, but I was desperate for an opinion other that 500 differing ones on here, lol, and his seemed important enough to a degree) I finally went against my feelings and his and went with the Innova, which was great for the first 3 days...and then slacked off...and more...and more...til it has become nibbling enough to live and nothing more. 

Now I think we have it figured out and I am praying for this to work!! I love how easy going my vet was about feeding raw foods to him and I expected the worse seeing how many people here have had issues with their vets trying to talk them out of anything Raw related. I will never go 100% raw either...Kibble is too easy and is still a fine food for our dogs. I like having kibble on hand in case I get sick and cant get to the grocery store, or if money is tight he has a tupperware container of ready to eat food.  Having a few dead deer in the freezer next year wont hurt!  :wild:

JKLatsky Thank you SO much for posting those pics. I feel a LOT better knowing that maybe this is partly natures way....but considering she WAY eating and Clover *isnt* still may make this case a bit different with just the same result...a very underfed lloking animal! 
Either way I thank you all as usual for letting me get through this next hurdle! I am praying that we meet this goal in March!!! Lucky shamrocks is what I need!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

to add...Anka is beautiful!!


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

I am going to go out on a limb and Assume you are feeding EVO!!!!! lol Which is totally cool. if he is doing better with eating his food than woo hoo. Also, from what I can tell the Ca is not as high in the canned as it is in the dry, So i wouldn't even worry about that. 

One worry for me would be over feeding. Would it be possible to feed him 3 meals? I guess you can wait and see how is poos are for a week. If he starts firming up and then has runny poo at the end I would reduce some of the food, or give him some of his food for lunch so he isn't eating so much at once. Poor little guy.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

Thank you Kira! :wub:

You are very good at guessing games...if you could maybe lend me the mega millions numbers next? yes? 

I will deffinately be keeping an eye on his stools as always. I will see if he has any more issues and will be getting the pumpkin tomorrow.

Do you think the pumpkin and tenderizer will effect his stools? or should i wait a few days and see how the new food combo goes before adding more stuff in?

I went with my gut on the canned food since its by the same company and approved by the vet, and he also eats the dry kibble as training snacks with no itching or belly issues. (although honestly more than not his stools are nice and firm now...but good LAWD what do they put in innova??? holy ****!)

Thanks for not deep frying me!


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

nope I would never fry you. I am hungry though so i might fry some tomatoes! lol

I would go ahead with the pumpkin. I have never used Meat tenderizer, so I might wait on that. 

Also, once he starts doing well on this {fingers crossed}, you can switch around the added cans and give him some variety to keep him interested. Dakota has had most of them and loved the venison and beef, typical guy.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

LOL we started with the beef, since that is the one the kibble is made of that he is used to. He was jumping and whining for the bowl after I let him lick the spoon I used to scrape it out of the can. (MUCH to the squealing delight of the almost 3 year old watching from the counter...my kids thought it was so funny he "licked the spoon" although for a second I panicked thinking he was going to choke on it!)I usually dont allow jumping or whining for food, but my mommy emotions came over me and I was just tickled to see him so excited to eat all of a sudden! I did get a few different flavors. We have 3 beef, 2 venison, 2 chicken, and 1 duck..and 2 sow ears...his favorite snack! ( I hate driving to the feed store once a week now, so I stocked up just in case this worked)

Tomatoes....hmmm....its a bit cold here to pick them out back...have to get some at the store!


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Yes, I have been craving friend green tomatoes for so long and haven't had them. It was in the 60's today here so actually pretty nice. But I really need to go get some at the store. maybe tomorrow! I had some girl scout cookies so that should hold me over a for a tad.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

oh I too have the forbidden samoas!!!! ***drool***


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

georgiapeach717 said:


> oh I too have the forbidden samoas!!!! ***drool***


It's so bad, I can't leave a row unfinished, so one box only lasts 3 sittings at most. And If I had a camera on me I would show you my curretn box of Samoas. 


We bought 5 boxes on Wednesday. And we have 1 1/2 boxes left. really not good.

Or Maybe too good


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

LMAO!!!! I am suppossed to be on a fast for lent? with my grandma and give up sweets....but I ate 2 cookies!!!! <hangs head in shame>


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## GermanPrinceHero (Feb 13, 2010)

We got Prince at 11 weeks. He was the runt of the litter. We picked him because of that (he was going to be with 2 small kids and also seemed the most gently out of the pack) I don't remember how much he weighed, but he was very small, somewhere around 12 pounds. Mainly because he had recently been weaned and he did not take well to the kibble they were feeding him. We got weight on him quickly with hot dogs. Gave him 2-4 a day, usually chopped up in his regular puppy food with carrots or green beans. We took him off the puppy food at 6 months because I have heard of over bone growth if they are on it too long. I did not think he would ever get very big. He is now 90 pounds and very healthy. The hot dogs did the trick for us. Something he liked a lot, not very expensive and it gave him the protein he needed.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

GPH, so is your avatar pic a new baby? He is a doll!!! Thanks for the advise! 

Morning came, he SCARFED down his whole bowl of 2 1/2 cups kibble and 1/2 can wet food, eat most of a sow ear, went potty outside (it was nice and fim to my surprise!) came in and loved on the kids and fell asleep!!! A full belly is doing wonders already for my boy! YAY!

Also, he did not go after his poo last night or this morning after eating....coinsidence?


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## triordan (Dec 5, 2008)

raven was also the smallest inhis litter, 12 lbs at 12 weeks too, now 16 months old 95.5 lbs....wonder what the rest of his littermates look like! and his parents were average size


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

oh gosh...the blasting poo has started.  crap!!! i HAVE to remember the pumpkin today. That wont cause it to be *more* runny will it?


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## FuryanGoddess (Dec 26, 2009)

Ok, so WHAT are you feeding him? I"m kinda confused after I read this whole tread. 

Canned food will add to soft stools, even just a little bit at the end. When I give Zeva canned, and she preferrs the beef, she'll have a bit of softer poops at the end. 

I only feed her 95% canned meat. Newman's own has one, Evo or Before Grains. She's on Orijen Puppy. 

When we got her at 13 wks, she was only 23 lbs. She's still pretty lean, you can't really 'see' her bones, but you can feel them all... even her spine. 

I allow her to eat as much as she wants to eat. She can not scarf down a huge bowl at once, so she kinda eats around 3'x a day. 

Why are you putting meat tenderizer in his food? Does he at his poop? They make stuff for that and it might be better on his tummy. 

If he has chronic diarrhea, then there HAS to be a reason for it. Something he's eating isn't agreeing w/ him. 

Post pix and keep us updated.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

He is eating Innova kibble and now after the vet visit has started on EVO canned as well. (1/2 can in his food 2 times a day...although I am thinking as of this morning to change to 1/3 of a can to have less wet going in...with hopes of less wet coming out!) 

He has a Coprophagia issue that he has been dealing with since I got him. I know its a behavior and its up to me to curb it, and I know there is no "cure" but some things can help break the habit. He has been on the deter and has NOT been put on the meat tenderizer yet. I was waiting to see how the weight gain was going first to not change too many things at a time. (I posted a thread asking for advise or help and it wasnt touched) I am hoping this will pass eventually and I am working hard to curb the behavior and have spoken to my vet about this as well.

He doesnt have chronic diarrhea. He had soft serve poo on the purina puppy chow from the breeder as well as the diamond. His stools were getting firm and were perfect IMO on the innova (once in a while would be soft serve at the end) but now with 2 days on the canned food mix he is now having the REALLY wet squirty poo. I am thinking the only change I have made is adding wet food, so maybe thats it?

I wish I had taken the pics on the vet day, bc now just 2 days later he looks thicker in the mid section, but the pics that JKlaksty posted are exactly what he looked like. GSDSunshine was still a lot thicker than him. 

I hope that brings you up to speed


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

he has had a recent fecal and all is A-OK.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

this morning's pic makes me look like a liar  but i said i would post them:

(everyone say it with me..."he doesnt look skinny at all!") *sigh*


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## FuryanGoddess (Dec 26, 2009)

See, yeah, he looks fine to me. Even hearing the number of his weight, which was what Zeva was at that age. He looks good from this angle. I got a GSD from a shelter, owner turn in.. guess her last littler wasn't the best, and she was 62 lbs as a full grown 3+ year old.. SHE was skinny, scary skinny, deadly skinny... it only took a month or two to put it back on... she was 80lbs when grown.. but she would have been good at like 75. Nothing but skin and bones. 

Also, follow your gut. Dogs go through phases that they're not that hungry, just like humans do. Sometimes I can't keep food in Zeva's bowl and other times, it'll sit there all day before she decides to eat it. Most dogs will NOT starve themselves if food is available, no matter if they like it or how many grains are or are NOT in it.


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## GermanPrinceHero (Feb 13, 2010)

georgiapeach717 said:


> GPH, so is your avatar pic a new baby? He is a doll!!! Thanks for the advise!
> 
> Morning came, he SCARFED down his whole bowl of 2 1/2 cups kibble and 1/2 can wet food, eat most of a sow ear, went potty outside (it was nice and fim to my surprise!) came in and loved on the kids and fell asleep!!! A full belly is doing wonders already for my boy! YAY!
> 
> Also, he did not go after his poo last night or this morning after eating....coinsidence?


The picture was taken the 1st or 2nd day we had him. He is now just over 1yo. There are recent pictures of him posted in the same album. 
Sounds like you have it figured out. Hope he continues to do well.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Hmmmm... I have dealt with pups that won't eat. It is a drag!! 

I got a youg dog from a friend who wouldn't eat... okay, he would eat enough to keep himself alive, that's about it. My friend sent him to the vet school for a WEEK of testing! That was expensive, but nothing wrong was found. His food drive was deplorable. I took him at about 18 months old. He was 28 inches tall and barely 70lbs. Skinny and not pretty looking at all. 

I tried a lot of things. Went through too many kibble choices and cooked meals. Everything would work, for a short time! Sometimes very short. I sat on the kitchen floor a lot just shaking my head at him.

He was skinny for quite awhile. I did eventually try raw feeding and that seemed to awaken his food drive. He also did always eat enough to live and with maturity his appetite picked up. In the end, an avid eater who had to be watched so that he did not become overweight. 

I had a female pup after that who also had low food drive. Ugh! I struggled with her for the first year or so. She did eat more than the first dog and I didn't have so much frustration. With maturity, she was a food nut gobbling up dry kibble voraciously.

I don't know why some of these guys are such bad eaters. I think it is not a good idea to start down the road of changing foods, adding yummies, etc. BUT, that is way easier said than done. 

Have you tried missing a meal or two? I got so disgusted with mine... I said you're not eating, I'm not fixing. The next meal looked a lot better to them. You have my absolute empathy. Try not to get too crazy on the feed the puppy merry go round. Many people have had the "skinny" shepherd pup who doesn't eat well.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

GPH he is such a dollface! love it! 

Samba thanks for the support. I wish I hadnt I gotten the biggest bag of this Innova. I am glad to report that the squishy runny poo that was quite noisy on the way out came with Venison. Now I gave him the turkey and chicken this morning and his poo went to a more thick pudding consistancy....which is still way soft, but was quiet and had some form to it. (God how I LOVE the poo examiner I have become lately) I think I may do the beef and chicken and turkey for the next 2 days....then give him Venison again. (I know what a crappy thing to do...get it? crappy!) but I need to see if maybe it is the venison formula that upset his belly. I expected soft...but not squirty. Its all trial and error I guess til we get the right combo. 

Of course, he stole my daughters hot dog at dinner tonight and ate it in two bites so that may throw all my stuff off for the next day. *sigh* Its never ending.

My gut was telling me to be alarmed at his lack of eating. I didnt like how he would barely pick at 2 cups in a full 24 hours and then still wasnt excited for breakfast the next morning. My gut told me to go with a flavor food he chose, but I followed my head...and I shouldnt have I dont think. 

I feel like a failure at everything I am doing with him right now. In all honestly. I feel overwhelmed that I am sucking so bad at just raising a puppy. I laugh at the fact that I actually had hopes of one day him going to Nursing homes or doing agility stuff. I cant even get him to crap right, how the eff am I going to do anything else. 

sorry...I am tired tonight...its been a long day.


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## FuryanGoddess (Dec 26, 2009)

I think you need to stop, take a breath and stop switching foods on him so much. THAT is gonna upset his tummy more. Grain free will make them have squishy poohs the first few times, it's really rich and takes a few feedings to get used to it. 

Zeva had runny poop when I tried her on Evo. When I switched her over to Orijen, it didn't seem to be an issue, really. Even when I added some TOTW to it, low on dog food and huge snow storm. My Orijen is special order. 

She seems to prefer red meat, but I heard that it's just too rich for most pups and they tend to make puppy food w/ chicken based meat. 

Also when I used canned Evo, I only put like 1/3 or less of it in a bowl. More to just coat the kibble and entice her to eat. 

She had a bit of a moist poop today, but I gave her some cottage cheese this am, and it might have been from that. 

What is your budget like? Do you want to do grain free? Is it a supply issue w/ finding the food? Is it just trying to find a food that agrees w/ him? What all have you tried so far, grain free? Have you tried the Orijen? Evo is too rich for pups. TOTW is close. Orijen puppy is 40% protein, TOTW is 32%. Evo is 42%. I know lots of you know the cal/ph ratio, which I admit I do not and can't seem to wrap my brain around. 

Has he ever had a formed stool? Have you had him checked for worms and other parasites?


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

No don't give up hope! 

Have you tried the pumpkin yet Robin? 
Also, since it seems the canned food is a double edged sword (makes him eat like a pig, but makes him have runny poop), I think you should try to reduce the canned, but don't let Clover know. 

Make a gravy for him. Take a spoon full of the Evo, a spoon full of canned pumpkin and some water. Stir all ingredients until gravy-like. mix with kibble and enjoy. To make it even more appealing you can warm the gravy before mixing to enhance the smells!

You said he was starting to firm up on the Innova right?


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

You might want to ease up on the switching. There is nothing quite like that to upset what is known as "the German Shepherd gut". They can be notorious with GI upset.

You are not a failure and I can assure you that your experience is not actually so very unique! I have been so befuddled by a pup sometimes that I couldn't imagine how such a little creature got me into that state! It might be best just to let things ride so to speak for a few days. Keep the food the same. Don't get to anxious about the eating. Once you start offering a lot of different things not only can the GI upset be bad but you may find yourself in constant state of trying to find something new! That is not always the answer. 

Those dogs who drove me nutty in the early days did go on to win obedience ribbons and do therapy work at the nursing homes actually.

This too shall pass! Hang in there, really!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

Wow....so many questions.  

OK again he HAS been check for all parasites and worms...he is A-OK. It is NOT parasite issue. 

I have been trying to follow the advise of about 500 people on here when it comes to food....changing my mind about 45 times before landing on Innova (remember Furyan, you were the one who talked me out of the hollistic select bc of reviews you read online, lol) He has had treats with venison, chicken, and beef already and also eats meat bones of both beef and pork with no side effects, so switching flavored canned foods didnt seem to be an issue to me. *shrugs* I also said that I was going to reduce his canned to 1/3 of a can either last night or this morning..I cant remember anymore. By asking about the Orijen would you suggest that I change him again? Bc you just said thats likely what my issue with him is...see my confusion? 

Kira I wont lie...I have been up since 5am, then it was the fist warm sunny day in months and we went to the zoo. (AFTER begging my stepdad to come walk clover mid-day so he didnt have more that 3 hours in the crate bc of his poo issues...thankfully he did and we had no crate mess today when we got home! yay!) I am sitting here on my migrain meds right now and working on one of the 2 kids baths getting ready to go back to school after a week off for my son tomorrow morning. I skipped the grocery store in pure laziness I guess you could say, but have to cut coupons and make a list and am going in the morning. So he will get the pumpkin then! I promise!!!  I have made a gravy with the 1/2 can but its obviously too much too fast. Thats why I already said i planned on lowering the canned amount.

To answer, I can afford the Orijen and can find it easily and close by (yay TC Country!) but I was talked out of it by someone asking why I was so bent on grain free so here I am lost, spent, and saddened. 

Sorry for the pity party...this has never been so hard for my mom who raised a KENNEL worth of GSDs and who by the way thinks I am wasting too much time stressing this...as does my husband...so I am without any support on the food thing.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

Thank you samba...at your post I have officially started crying.  I think I need sleep. Thank you so much for your help and support and encouragment.


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Don't cry Robin! We are just trying to help you. I agree with Samba. Stick with what you are feeding now. Try not to rotate the canned foods yet. Stick with what you have a better feeling he would be better on. Give his tummy time to adjust and settle. Then go from there. He is eating,a nd happy. You are NOT a failure.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

No no, i started to cry at this:



Samba said:


> Those dogs who drove me nutty in the early days did go on to win obedience ribbons and do therapy work at the nursing homes actually.
> 
> This too shall pass! Hang in there, really!


It was just a good and tired but thankful for support cry. :wub:


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I am willing to bet your puppy will be fine. Get some rest and know that I have cried over such before. More than once probably! I can tell you are a very conscientious and driven person. That is a great asset and can get us in to trouble too!

I have yet to hear of a pup that has starved itself to death! It's not going to happen. Hey, a lean puppy is better than a fat one!!! 

Let your brain rest and his rumbley tummy settle!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks again guys!

Last night I let him pick at dry kibble...and he ate a few bites but nothing amazing. He was out in the sunshine with us all afternoon though and got some good socializing in with the 5 little girls who live across the street and played with his friend Boss then took a walk around the nighborhood before bed, so I am not surprised he was more interested in sleeping than eating.

This morning I made 2 1/2 cups kibble with 1/4 can of the chicken EVO made into a gravy and he sat and ate most of it. (then Blue *the russian blue* came over and he shared some too...LOL...I didnt have my camera!ugh!)

He still has the soft squishies this morning but I am going to the store in a few hours and will be getting pumpkin. The good news is that he doesnt have as much interest in the soft poo for eating. (thank God!) So he isnt trying to eat it as its coming out! Its a little hard to clean up but I am trying to do everything right. 

I will keep you all posted!


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

Samba said:


> You might want to ease up on the switching. There is nothing quite like that to upset what is known as "the German Shepherd gut". They can be notorious with GI upset.


 
I agree with this. Often times when I have a dog with explosive diarhea, I immediately go bland. Meal #1 is pumpkin, rice, and a very little bit of boiled chicken, Look at poop and evaluate. The next 3 Meals might be the same. Once I have solid poop, then I go back and start adding kibble. VERY slowly. Maybe a quarter cup to start with in each meal added to the chicken, rice, and pumpkin, and I build up the kibble, and reduce the rice until I am only at kibble and pumpkin. And then I take away the pumpkin. The minute poop starts to squish again I will go back and maybe feed the last solid poop making meal for a day or so, until it firms up again. No, this is not nutritionally complete, but it gives the tummy time to regroup. 

With my adult dogs who can afford to miss a meal or two I will fast them sometimes for 24 to 48 hours to give them a chance to "reset" their gut. I know you're concerned about your pup's eating and weight, but he may not want to eat if he doesn't feel good. The high calorie canned food can be pretty rich and hard on an already upset tummy.

Don't worry so much!! I wish more puppy parents were as caring and invested as you obviously are!! Relax and everything will eventually settle out although I know it can be very overwhelming!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> *2* 1/2 cups kibble with 1/4 can of the chicken EVO


Are you feeding twice a day? My dogs only eat about 1 1/2 cups TWICE a day. So maybe he's also picking cause he's just not hungry.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

yes i am feeding him twice a day. He has cleaned his bowl again this morning. I am thinking of reducing the night time feeding to one cup kibble and the 1/3 can gravy mixture. He has been doing great about eating all his breakfast since starting the canned. He is also getting better at the house breaking! YAY! 

I liked your suggestions JK, but I need to figure out a solution to get the firm poo again some day first then I can learn how to control it! Its still soft serve, but he seems a lot happier and peppier and only went poop twice yesterday so its not so bad now.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

the extra cups of kibble were the vets request for the next 3 weeks trying to hit our weight goal

usually I only feed him 1 1/2-2c per serving


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Feeding that much a day is about 2000 Calories. As much as we are supposed to be eating. Do you know about how much he is supposed to weigh as an adult. The recommended feeding for his age on a comparable food was between 3 and 4 cups. When you add in the canned that would be even more. Lower his meal to 1 1/2 cups per day and a little canned and see if that helps his appetite. 

Even though he hasn't been eating a lot lately, feeding him a lot now is good for him either. Slow weight gain is good. and if he is eating the amount he needs, he will slowly adjust to the proper weight instead of slightly under.


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Guess my reply took forever to post. 

When you were feeding him 1/2-2 c per feeding, I thought he wasn't eating it all. If he wasn't eating it all, I don't think anything was wrong with the amount.

Example: I made myself 4 hamburgers and 2 chicken sandwiches. If I only ate 1 hamburgers and one chicken sandwich, (and was underweight), I wouldn't add 2 more hamburgers and another chicken sandwich. 

Overfeeding causes pudding poop. And if he is not trying to eat his poop as much, that is GREAT!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

well i am feeding as much as I am right now per the Vet. Like I said, thats more than he was eating before. I dont know how much to expect him to weight. His mom is 107 and dad 110. His uncle on site is 108 and his brother from the same parents a little before him was 66 at 6 months and 111 at a year (they told me bc it was funny that at 6 months he was dead on 66 and at 1 year 111...i dunno...lol) so that give me a small idea I guess. But it can be anything I suppose. I have no idea how weight vs parents weight works. anyone? I would love to see him get to his dad's size, but my last one growing up (the one we took with us when alcohol killed off the kennel as a kid was 88 at his max and he was perfect IMO.)


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Well, If you still want to feed him that much and stick with the vets advice, divide it into 3 meals a day. 1 1/2 cups 3 times a day. that way you give his body a chance to absorb it all. With such a short digestive tract, there isn't much time for it to process it and absorb it. So it can only process so much food at once. This is why overfeeding causes runny poop. The body can't keep up and process it all, so it comes out "unfinished." This is probably one of the supporting factor of the poop eating. There are still nutrients in the food.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

personally I think you are spot on with the amount being too much. I would like to make his meals 1 1/2 c plus 1/3 can 2Xs a day for now. Anything is more than he was eating before his vet visit. Hmmmm...what to do....my gut says he is happy gulping down the one big meal in the AM but not so hungry at night, but him not eating at night is putting me right back at the main issue even with a big meal being finished in the morning....

My gut says to ignore th Vet a little, go down to 1 1/2 c with 1/3 can 2 Xs a day. But if he doesnt hit this goal the vet set up for him I am going to feel like I cheated him, ya know?


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

*Do what feels right*. i think he will most definitel gain 10 pounds in a month. And I don't think 5 cups a day will be needed. Eating his food consistently will help. And eating 2 good meals a day will help. 

Any way you can enlist your 5 year old to do a big boy job? Reading the scale numbers! Can you weigh him every other day? Or everyday? (i'm insane about things like that though) He is still small enough you can hold him with you on the scale and subtract your weight to get his. If you gave me his weight every time you took it, I could make it into a chart and you can see his rate of growth. i know it would make you feel better seeing it go up over time, versus just seeing it every month at the vets. And that way, even if he doesn't hit the 10 pound mark, but he gets 9 pounds, you can see that he has steadily gained weight the whole time. THAT is what is important!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

hmmm that sounds great but we dont own a scale. (personal reasons...lol) When he gets done with his Parvo shots next month and I can take him to places like petsmart I can weigh him more frequently. 

I think you are right. I think I am going to reduce the amount in his meals, and stick with the canned. (chicken and beef for now, Venison and Duck later) and get the pumpkin. (female related headache again today and still havent gone to the store! it is raining in my defence, lol)


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

Kira you have been such a doll helping me out so much! Thank you!!! I love you guys on here!!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

good news!!! his poo was semi solid this afternoon!!!


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)




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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

Samba said:


>


LOL! gotta love our excitment over the finer things in life! :wild:

i think we have a winner with smaller amounts of kibble and 1/4 can of canned at a time  I was going to get pumpkin today (and still plan on it) but ummm....my day took a different route than expected!


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Yay!!!!!! Very good news! Glad we figured out his problem...now he just needs to keep it up! Go Clover go! (And you too Robin!)


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks Kira! He pooped in my livingroom earlier and even though it resembled Jabba The Hut (or whatever its name is, lol) it came up in one clump in the bag so its not watery at all now, just soft!  He also ate both his meals today too! I cant thank you all enougb for all the help and support and love!!! XOXOXO!


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

As long as you don't thank me by sending me proof of his fabulous  then I think were are fine. lol

I *will* accept cute pics on a regualr basis as payment. uppy:


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## FuryanGoddess (Dec 26, 2009)

> Thanks Kira! He pooped in my livingroom earlier and even though it resembled Jabba The Hut


OMG, that is soo freakin' funny!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

<unpackes box of fabulous poop> LMAO!!!!

I have some super funny Wubba pics from this morning before the accident but SOMEONE chewed through my camera USB cord....hmmm...WHO could that be???


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

I bet it was Laci. She looks guilty. lol Couldn't have been that same little angel that gave you modeling clay in your livingroom today or a homemade lip piercing.


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

LOL! laci is ALWAYS guilty...i just dont always know of WHAT!!! HAHAHAHA!!!

Nooooooo not my sweet innocent puppy....he is WAAAAAAAAAAAY to well behaved and sweet to chew my cord in half....or eat half my computer chair, or eat a whole roll of TP, or chew the head off a barbie doll, or rip my bedskirt.....nooooo....not HIM!

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!

woohoo! lets hear it for percocet!!


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I have a brand new bedskirt in the basement still in the package just waiting for the day that it might be "safe". The current one has a certain tattered flair!


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## georgiapeach717 (Jan 28, 2010)

yes its Tattered Chic  LMAO!


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