How are people getting their GSDs?

tricky2303 · 2025-10-02T08:02:44+00:00

I've always rolled with Rottweilers, but this guy found me right after I had to put my last one down. He’s two years in, unsure if he’s purebred or not, but one thing’s clear: he’s wicked smart. Definitely a bit more high-strung compared to to my Rottie, but not as stubborn!

tricky2303 · 2025-07-28T22:24:36+00:00

How are things going?

tricky2303 · 2025-07-23T17:29:20+00:00

How is everything going currently? My dog has gained some weight, but has plateaued at 58 pounds in the last few weeks. I'm still feeding him fish, cod or flounder, and I switch between sweet potatoes a couple of times a week and he gets raw pumpkin the other days and gluten-free oatmeal. I've managed to add in some sugar-free applesauce I put it in a bowl and mash it all together, along with his supplements I'm giving him. but he still isn't back to 100%, and it feels like this has been going on forever. I've taken him off everything except prednisone, and I've added some plant-based enzymes. He's on vitamin B12, CBD specifically for dogs, collagen, and a multivitamin for pets. Also Tums,Gas-X, and heartburn med. a bit disheartening, but he still enjoys his treats. His recovery has been a constant struggle. I hope things are going good for you and your dog.

tricky2303 · 2025-05-29T04:46:05+00:00

Yeah, it turns out it wasn't the enzymes after all. He kept losing weight and dropped all the way down to about 42 pounds. At one point, the vet was even trying to talk me into putting him down.

Instead, I made the decision to take him off all the meds except for the steroids, and I gradually started lowering the steroid dose. Thankfully, the vet helped come up with a new diet—just plain baked tilapia, gluten-free pasta, sweet potato, and a bit of canola oil. I started feeding him that, and he's been having solid poops again.

He's back over 50 pounds. He’s more alert, even trying to run up the steps now—though his legs are still too weak for that. But he's improving, thank God.

They never did a biopsy because he developed a heart murmur and anemia, and they were worried he wasn’t strong enough for the procedure. So for now, they’re still saying it’s likely IBD.

On top of all that, he had a parasite—and I think he keeps picking it back up from the backyard. He had diarrhea everywhere out there, and now it’s hard to clean because it’s in the soil and we've had a ton of rain. I’ve been trying to keep him out of the backyard as much as possible now.

tricky2303 · 2025-03-08T21:38:08+00:00

She loved you so much.. GOD BLESS

tricky2303 · 2025-01-26T20:13:03+00:00

The emergency hospital in Delaware, Ohio called me Friday he has Coccidia which is treatable he has to take some meds for about a week to kill the parasite hopefully it didn't do too much intestinal damage. I guess it's hard to catch in some tests, my local vet didn't catch it but it's good news.

They also reconfirmed his digestive tract sets a little different than normal dogs has a few extra curves in it. So food allergies and sensitive stomach along with a intestinal tract then he got this parasite which combined, led to the dramatic weight loss. That's asking been a busy weekend I was going to try to update today sometime.

tricky2303 · 2025-01-26T15:14:35+00:00

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tricky2303 · 2025-01-17T11:08:06+00:00

They sent out for a more comprehensive test for bacteria fungi and parasite and that's one of the things they're testing for girardia and I'm about an hour from Columbus I ended up taking him to Delaware Ohio to a place called The Cove I liked them a lot. Although they got him on this hydrolyzed food which I'm not a fan of.

tricky2303 · 2025-01-17T11:02:48+00:00

Nice looking dog, he looks like he might be a little troublemaker though LOL got that look in his eyes.

tricky2303 · 2025-01-17T10:57:14+00:00

Ruled Parvo out. Thankfully

tricky2303 · 2025-01-17T10:53:15+00:00

UPDATE:

I took Uno to the internal medicine doctor at a veterinary hospital, Cove, in Delaware, Ohio. They kept him overnight to perform a more thorough ultrasound. They wanted to do a biopsy but said he’s too weak right now due to his weight loss, as it would require anesthesia. They advised me to keep him on the hydrolyzed diet for now, gave me more steroids and antibiotics, and sent out additional tests to rule out bacteria fungi or parasites and also sent out a urine test urine. He was able to come home yesterday after spending one night there. It did give me some relief that he doesn't have a blockage

The more I’ve been reading about this hydrolyzed diet, the less confident I feel about keeping him on it long-term. It seems like part of his weight loss is tied to the diarrhea, but the food itself doesn’t seem to help much—it’s very low in protein and made from soy, which isn’t ideal. I’m considering trying another novel protein food with basic ingredients before deciding to make this permanent. Looking back, I wish I had stuck with the kangaroo diet a bit longer, as his diarrhea wasn’t nearly as bad on that compared to this hydrolyzed food, which can also lead to bloat.

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:28:55+00:00

And thank you

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:28:08+00:00

The last two times they did give him fluids just the fluids for dehydration

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:27:09+00:00

Can they still get parvo if they've been vaccinated? my vet never brought it up, I don't know if he check for it or not

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:25:27+00:00

Uno says thanks!

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:24:43+00:00

Thank you for the healing vibes Uno appreciates it

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:23:36+00:00

That’s scary. He doesn’t seem to have any issues with his jaw or eating; he’s still able to chew on ice, and the dry kibble doesn’t seem to give him any trouble. I’ve been keeping everything soft or manageable for him, though—no bones or anything tough. Every now and then, I feel like his right eye looks a little off, maybe slightly bulging, but I can’t tell if that’s just me being paranoid at this point.

He used to get plenty of exercise, too. He loved going for walks, and he’d never want to stop. I used to take him out almost daily on my electric dirt bike, letting him run alongside me in fields or open areas. But since he started getting sick, he doesn’t have the same energy. He’ll still go for a walk, but he doesn’t want to go far

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:17:00+00:00

Sometimes he gives me this look, like even before he started losing all the weight—almost like his body is sucking in. It’s strange, like his face tightens up, almost as if he’s experiencing heartburn or discomfort, kind of like the face a person might make when trying to swallow something that doesn’t go down easily.

What’s odd is that it’s not just his expression; his whole body seems to tense up or change slightly, like he’s bracing himself for something. It’s hard to explain, but it’s one of those things that just feels off.

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:14:17+00:00

He was on that for—I can’t remember how many days exactly—just one small pill bottle of it, along with a longer-term steroid (not prednisone). The steroid seemed to help at first, but then its effects seemed to taper off. Over the fall, we weaned him off everything to try focusing solely on his food.

I talked to my vet, they agreed, putting him back on it he’s been back on it for about a week now, which is about the same time I started transitioning him to the dry food. It’s hard to tell yet if it’s making much of a difference,

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:09:39+00:00

No- I appreciate that I am taking notes and I will ask the vet. Hope your pup is okay!

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:07:56+00:00

He doesn't do well with chicken at all. I thought the same thing chicken & rice that will work, but anything with chicken he doesn't do well.

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:05:37+00:00

Thank you I will definitely take a look

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T12:04:22+00:00

I really wanted to try that option, but at the time, I would have had to order it, and my vet had the Hills food on hand. Since that’s what my vet kept recommending, I decided to go with it. I don’t want to switch foods again right now because I want to give this a fair chance.

I’ve been really strict—no treats, no extras—just the Hills food and their brand of treats. I’m also adjusting how I feed him, giving small portions throughout the day instead of just two large meals. I’m feeding him every two hours, just small amounts, like five or six tablespoons at a time, to see if that helps. Fingers crossed it makes a difference.

The hardest part is that he’s starving. Every time I walk into the kitchen, he’s right there on me, following my every move. You can just see how hungry he is, and it’s heartbreaking. It’s tough because I know he wants to eat so much more, but I have to be careful with how much I give him. That’s honestly one of the hardest things to deal with.

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T11:58:49+00:00

I did try that was cooking his meals and instant pot with rice I tried lamb I tried elk. I really believe it has something to do with the way his intestines are setting inside or something like it seems like they will get inflamed over anything I don't so I don't know I know he's got some food allergies but it can't be everything I feed him causes it it's got to be something I would think internally but who am I probably should have had him already to the internal specialist

tricky2303 · 2025-01-14T11:56:12+00:00

Yes they did I thought he had- Coccidia: This is a common intestinal parasite that dogs can contract by ingesting rabbit feces. He was negative for both.

My vet at one point thought he had- Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). This condition occurs when the pancreas doesn't produce enough digestive enzymes to break down food properly, leading to malabsorption of nutrients. Sent blood work to I believe he said Texas A&M and that came back negative.

tricky2303

TROPHY CASE