thyroid problem?

lee

My 2 year old doxie is 23 bls. the vet want's him to be 19 lbs. He is a very picky eater, when he does eat, it is only every other day!! I have him on Purina fit & trim (the vet said to feed him this), we walk about a mile every day. He still can't loose weight!! Has anyone had a dog with thyroid problems?
I am worried what the drugs will do to him in the long run!! I have not gotten a blood test yet, but he seem's to have all the signs of thyroid problems!!
I want him to be happy and have a long life!! I wanted to know if there is something I can do to "jump start" his thyroid without putting him on meds.
Thank you for any help!! I am worried sick!!
Lee

Dieselsmama

The only way to tell if he has a thyroid problem is with a full thyroid panel run by your vet. Purina foods IMO are cr*p. Find a better quality food and feed regular small meals, say 2X/day somewhere in the neighborhood of 1/3-1/2 cup per feeding depending on the food. Exercise is very important in weight loss, walking is fantastic exercise for him. Free feeding a dog with the issues you mention is asking for trouble. You might have to play the tough love game to get him to eat regular meals. Offer his food and what isn't eaten in 15 minutes or so, pick up. repeat at next meal time, soon he'll be getting it and eating when he's offered his meal.

briteday

You would probably be amazed at how little this small dog needs to eat each day. My dogs are 8-12 pounds each and get less than 2 ounces two times / day = about 3-1/2 ounces per day. That's less than 1/2C for dogs with no problems and no weight issue. I would start at 1/2 cup per day divided into two meals, put it down at the regular two times you've decided each day,leave it for 15 minutes and pick it up. A healthy dog (thyroid isn't a huge issue IF the test is positive) will not starve itself. If your dog does not lose weight on this amount then I would take it down to 1/3 cup divided into two meals.

I would also change to a dog food without corn or lots of other grains in it. Although you will pay a bit more for the same amount of food your dog will need less. They are able to utilize more of the food. Grains are merely cheap filler material and makes it easier to extrude kibble from a machine.

Doxies should have their weight controlled from early on or your dog will most likely end up with back problems, I've even seen paralysis frequently, due to obesity. Start measuring food with a measuring cup and only feed twice per day.

lee

Thank you for the info!! My vet said to get Purina fit & trim!! What is your cohice of good food? I have let food out all day, and he does not eat it !!
He gets hic -up's and throws up bile, is that from not eating??
I guess because I eat every day, I think he should!?
I could try the 15min. and take it away thing, I guess he will eat when he is good and hungry!! But the bile vomit worries me. I thought that ment his stomach was empty? Any way, please let me know what is "good dry food"
I have went through so many bags of food to get him to eat I could burry myself in it!!!
Thank you again!!!
lee

Dieselsmama

There are lots of good foods out there, Eagle, timberwolf, orijen, innova, nature's variety, avoderm, california natural, etc. many more than I can list. The vomiting would be quite alarming to me, what does your vet say about that? I'm a little surprised he didn't draw bloodwork and run a thyroid panel already. Unfortunately many vet's hand out less than ideal food recommendations I've found. Try looking for some of the foods I mentioned and talk with the people at the places that sell them for their recommendations. Visit the food section on the forum for other food/diet info. read on my friend... Just about anything you can find at the grocery store is to be avoided.

Of course he should be eating daily, preferably twice a day. Leaving food out isn't such a great idea, try the scheduled meal times offering small amounts and picking it up if he doesn't eat. Eventuallyhe'll get the hang of it. Maybe a different vet is in order here.

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lee

I think a new vet is first on the list! He is more intrested in weight, than the cause/cure!! He doesn't seem worried about the vomiting, just the weight!
When I told him about Emitt not eating much and only every 2 days, he said "every one tells him their dogs don't eat much".
I think there might be more involved than just not liking the food I have for him!! I'll try some better food, and the 15 min. thing, maybe I just think he should eat more than he needs to!?
Thank you so much!!!
lee

Dieselsmama

If you measure out his food, it's totally reasonable to expect him to eat twice a day. Keep us posted on your results with a new vet. I'd want to have him seen ASAP

Lorina

If your dog does have a thyroid problem, NOT giving the medication would cause more harm than any long term effects of giving medication.

A thyroid condition is a hormonal imbalance, and it's the medication's job to balance it back out again.

briteday

First you need to find a vet that is more interested in finding facts about your dog. A complete blood work up is in order, chem panel, blood count, and thyroid panel. Once you have those results you will have the info needed to make a proper choice of foods. Thyroid medication does more good than harm and I would certainly give it to your dog if indicated from the test results. But don't be surprised if all the results are normal. One of our dogs gained weight over a short period of time and it was not thyroid, or anything else. So I chose a kibble without grains. Once I eliminated carbs from her diet she lost about one pound every 2-3 months. But there are so many reasons that a dog could be gaining weight and maybe even have a poor appetite.

You can also avoid buying food that your dog won't eat by asking independent retailers for sample bags. I advise that you should find a store in your area that carries high quality foods. Do an internet search on a couple of the ones mentioned above and look for a store locator function when you get into the manufacterer's website. If you find a store that carries one of them, they will carry others, usually.

Take your dog and a list of your concerns, questions, budget. The folks are usually pretty knowledgeable. They will have free small sample bags for you to try before you buy. Even our local livestock feed store carries a few specialty dog kibbles and has samples.

In the meanwhile I think you should put a measured amount of food down two times per day. I think you may be surprised at the amount your dog really is eating.

Anela

I think you need a new vet also. Any vet that says you need to feed Purina is just not with it.

I had a dog that lived to be 14, she had thyroid problems most of her life, I now have another, same issue. Meds keep things under control with no side effect. A blood test is the only way to confirm the problem.

I would say you need a "quality" low calorie food, perhaps a prescription.

I don't understand this issue people have with their dogs being fussy eaters. The only thing that makes them this way is their humans.

Feed the dog twice a day, every 12 hours unless your new vet tells you differently, if dog does not eat everything in about 15 minutes, take it away and feed NOTHING until the next meal. Your dog has you under control, this needs to be the other way around.

Free feeding is the worst possible thing you can do for a dog, but especially if they have a weight problem.

Anela

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