Hair loss and weight issues with my Berner. Help!

sadiemac_2004

I have a 10-month old 90-lb male Bernese Mountain Dog. When I got him at 2 months old I was feeding him Iams Large Breed Puppy, but at about 7 months old he began having diarrhea and, even though housebroken, would go on the floor. There was also minimal blood in his stool. My vet put him on a steroid treatment. It helped until the treatment was over and then it went right back to bad. I switched his food since it was the simplest and most cost effective thing I could do at the time. I began feeding him Nature's Recipe Easy-to-Digest Large Breed Puppy (the cost was most comparable to Iams). He's been doing well over the past few months on it with absolutely no digestive issues. However, he has begun losing great amounts of hair on his backside and it is thinning drastically. His skin in that area is very dry and flaky. Also, I can't see much of a weight gain (only 8 pounds in 2.5 months). His appetite hasn't diminished and he's still eating. I've thought of putting bacon grease or some other type of animal fat in small amounts on his food, but with his previous allergies I'm hesitant to do so. What do I do about the hair loss and weight issue? I've been giving him omega3 fish oil and vitamin E for two weeks, but not a lot is changing.

Laila4you

Where do you keep him, inside or outside? Bernese dogs can`t stand warmth that well, and if you are keeping him in the flat, it might be the issue. My doggy has a part of the garden for himself, and even if he is welcome to come inside the house he rarely does it, even in the winter . It can be just because of too much warmth.
Also, don`t give too much fat if he is prone to loose stools.

Cracker

Honestly, hair loss and skin dryness is indicative of thyroid or adrenal gland insufficiency and I would have some blood work done. You are assuming it is food related, and yes it COULD be, but if it is something organic going on it's best to know before you start messing with his food again.

bully

+1 Good idea.

MoosMom

Agree with Cracker, get the vet to look at him

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sassykzt

Agree w/ Cracker!!


Steriods are usually just a bandaid. Did your vet do a full blood panel? This sounds like Cushing's disease -- more accurately referred to as hyperadrenocorticism -- the production of too much adrenal hormone, in particular corticosteroids. It can be naturally occurring or due to over administration of corticosteroids such as prednisone (iatrogenic Cushing's). The latter is easy to cure - just cut out the corticosteroid administration slowly to allow the body to return to normal function. The former is more difficult.

Hyperadrenocorticism occurs for two reasons --- a tumor of the adrenal gland that produces adrenal hormones or stimulation of the normal adrenal glands from the hormones that control it. The primary reason for this to occur is a pituitary gland tumor that produces excessive ACTH, which stimulates the adrenal gland to produce corticosteroids. Adrenal gland tumors account for 15% of the cases of spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism. Pituitary tumors account for 85%.

Cushing's disease causes increased drinking, increased urination, increased appetite, panting, high blood pressure, hair loss - usually evenly distributed on both sides of the body, pendulous abdomen, thinning of the skin, calcified lumps in the skin, susceptibility to skin infections and diabetes.

The diagnosis of Cushing's can be done with several blood tests. A general hint of Cushing's can be obtained by a blood panel. To confirm it, a test known as a low dose dexamethasone test is done. A baseline blood sample is drawn in the morning, an injection of dexamethasone given and a follow-up blood test done 8 hours later.

Sorry this is so long! I had two dogs w/ similar symptoms that turned out to be Cushing's. Had to go to three diff. vets before I got a proper diagnosis.

Agree w/ everyone -- get him to a vet! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Labsnothers

Yes, get back with the vet. Be careful not to over feed him. His joints should still be developing and any excess weight can cause problems.

There was an extensive discussion of weight in a recent newsletter from a service dog school.

''Obesity is the number one nutritional disease affecting dogs. It's estimated that 25-45% of dogs in the US are obese. Studies have shown that joint and locomotive problems increase by 57%, circulatory problems by 74%, respiratory problems by 52%, skin problems by 40% and cancer by 50% in animals that are overweight.

Large breed dogs that are overweight also are more prone to developing hip dysplasia. Obesity is especially dangerous for young puppies, as their underdeveloped frame cannot support the extra poundage that it must carry.''

Check the ends of the leg bones. If they are still much knobbier than an adult's, the growth plates are still open and it is still growing. If not, do not expect much more growth.

You may find this link interesting, http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/134/8/2027S

Cracker

Labsnothers..the OP is worried the dog is NOT gaining weight normally, combined with the skin etc this is most likely an organ/gland issue than a feeding issue.

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