# Skinny and Sore



## JOBUCH

Hi, my poor dog has me and 2 different vets stymied. Chester is about 18 months old, we got him at about 8 weeks from a shelter and he was already neutered, which I have read, may cause him to be a little taller than usual. He is allowed to free feed and is fed Taste of the Wild dog food. I wouldn't worry about him as much if he didn't have hip pain. He runs and plays but does not want to have his hips touched and will cry and run away if I try. I have had 2 vets rule out hip dysplasia. Any ideas?

Thank you very much


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## Fodder

Ruled out by x rays?
Also, I’d get blood work on him ASAP... has he always been this thin? How long has he shown signs of pain?


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## JOBUCH

Yes, he has always been thin and hip dysplasia was ruled out by x-rays. Blood work has not been recommended. What should I have them look for? We did a fecal sample and there were no worms.


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## tim_s_adams

Worms wouldn't cause the pain you described. Has he seen an orthopedic specialist?


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## JOBUCH

I thought maybe his lack of muscle caused the pain. I will look around for an orthopedic specialist for dogs. I live in a small town in Montana and never thought about that. Thank you!


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## January

The blood work I imagine would help to rule out kidney issues which could possibly refer pain to that area? I would also consider bursitis/bone pain. With very little padding like that, it could lead to increased inflammation in the joints/pressure points when he lies down.


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## Magwart

Have you done good, sedated x-rays of the SPINE? I'm now at a point where if I'm xraying hips in a dog with hind end pain, I ask the vet to get the back half of the spine at the same time. It's astonishing how often we see evidence of spinal problems when we go looking for HD in rescue dogs. It seems like the "secret" breed problem that's rampant and not talked about nearly enough.

If it's not the spine, then the next candidate would be a ligament (like torn ACL).

Lastly, I might run a tick panel just for peace of mind too. It's way down my list of worries, but in a ribby dog an unknown vet care history, it's on the list. I would probably rule out spinal and ortho causes first though, as long as the dog isn't lethargic. I do think routine blood work is probably always a good idea in a newly adopted dog -- if the dog is healthy, it will be a reference guideline for the future; sometimes it points to subtle things that need further investigation. I'm in the camp believes that routine bloodwork should be run annually anyway for young, healthy dogs (and twice a year in elderly dogs)....but not everyone does that.


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## banzai555

OK I'm no expert but feel like I remember reading that not putting on weight even with sufficient food could be a symptom of EPI? And that requires a special blood test to diagnose? 

As for the hip pain yeah I don't know, unless not getting sufficient nutrition is just hard on the joints.


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## Shane'sDad

In July we adopted a now 9 year old ( Meesha )who weighed 42 lbs it wasn't as easy to see as your dog because she's long haired and hadn't been bathed or brushed in a VERY long time--so all the dead hair made her look fuller--once she was cleaned up it was easy to see how skinny she was....here's where her story may relate to you she would yipe and cry out whenever I touched her hips or patted her on the butt etc.....all I could feel when I touched her was bone--no meat...she now weighs approx. 53 lbs a good weight for her--she's not a large framed shepherd--the yipes have stopped and I can feel "meat" on her hip bones--legs and shoulders.....

Could be in my old age my vision is completely shot but your dog looks very very thin to me based on both pics you posted...frankly i'm surprised you've been to 2 vets and they haven't mentioned you need to work on putting weight on him....I'd try another kibble--I'm not against TOTW..... a few years back that was all I fed one of my picky eaters quit eating TOTW and I moved on---also I think it can be hard to judge how much a dog is actually eating when you "free feed"......look for a kibble with a 30% ptotein to 20% fat ratio.....you might also do a internet search into a home made recipe called "satin balls" as an addition to kibble--I was adding two satin balls at each feeding for Meesha and in about 4 months she was where she needed to be weight wise...

It was mentioned in another post about blood tests...so again I'll say I would think that out of 2 vets at least one would suggest blood work on the chance Chester is eating enough and just can't put on weight...checking the pancreas by blood work is one thing that comes to my mind....keep us posted i'd like to know where this goes


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