My GSD has seen better days - help please - Page 3

VomMarischal,
She mentioned in the first post that the vet did operate...
" He said it looked to him like a sock. He also said she has worsened and wanted to operate. We said OK as we were led to believe it needed to be done asap. 2 hours later we get a call - NO Blockage - just a gas pocket. "

I have fed Solid Gold before....the only reason that I dont feed it is that all the dogs lost weight on it. Since the fat content is low. My one Czech female looked like a rack of bones. But she is a very active dog.  TOTW is a very good dry food. If I was you I would feed that one.

 

Good luck...hope your dog continues to get better....
 

I have fed a raw diet for years with great success with two dogs.  However, I did have one dog that just never seemed to like the raw and had some minor issues with digestion.  I then switched to feeding the Solid Gold with great results especially with a very picky male.  We have a new puppy that I've started on TOTW bison and venison and are happy with that.  Solid Gold is a very good food if you find someone that sells it regular so that it doesn't sit on the shelf for extended periods of time.  

Each dog's preferences and digestive tracts are different.  Once your dog has recovered her body should indicate what food is best for her system.    If they don't like the taste of the food that is an indication that it is not right for their body.  Also, check for stool quality, I know yuck.  But this is a great indicator of digestive intestinal function.  I have one dog that has lose stools on anything other than raw or Solid Gold, my others don't.   Just my humble input. :)

 In comparing Solid Gold to TOTW I see that Solid Gold does not incorporate probiotics. So, I would have to add these in if I feel it is important, and I am beginning to think it is. 
Which Solid Gold did you use? Barking at the Moon uses potato as a filler where as others use barley and rice.

By the way - anyone have a Shepherd that does not pee very often? Since I have had her, she has been this way. My 1st Shepherd, who lived a full life to 15 would pee and mark alot. My knew girl goes  twice a day if I'm lucky. She goes alot though when she does. I hope this is not a problem - I wrote it off as just the way she is - she also does not bark all that much, another big difference from my last...................

The Solid Gold that I used was the Wolf King. I have also fed the Hund n flocken. It is a very good food. Like I mentioned before the only reason I stopped feeding it was because our dogs lost so much weight on it. We fed it before they have the Barking at the Moon one.

tomfmal,  I would like to see a dog urinate more than twice a day. The problem is that toxins can build up in the body. I have had very old dogs that didn't pee more than 3 times a day, but that was more because of joint problems with rising and walking, even with Rimadyl. I have also had females recovering from surgery (spaying) that didn't want to go out often and that was also due to pain; when they recovered, they went out more often.

When your dog gets well, if I were you I would try to get her out at least once or twice more per day. Take her on a leash if you have to.

As for barking, lucky you! Mine are very vocal.

I used the millenium Solid Gold mostly buthave used the hund n flocken as well.  My fussy male prefered the milenium whihc suited his system better as well.  Some dogs do require assistance with the use o probiotics in addition to quality foods.  I would add natural garlic to her food to increase her water intake which should increade her urination quatitiy.  Checkout thi site www.springtimeinc.com for high qualtiy garlic and probiotics. The garlic is great for immunity, digestive and coat issues, if you can stand their garlic breath !  :)

VomMarischal,
I fed raw chicken backs and necks - bones included........had to replace carpets...........

I tried doing it 4 times and the last time was most definately the worst......by then Mattie and Sita had already learned to shoot their watery poops out the crates...........with the other two, it didn't bother them a bit. The whole house smelled like a really crappy petshop.

Okie Amazon - I have a picture like that..........only with many more smaller gas pockets. cost me about 375$. Sita ate a bunch of paper towels and chased them with sticks...........she was plugged up. The x-ray didn't show any either the sticks or the towels.........mineral oil and a good enama did the trick......long night, longer day.

LOL the visual of your dogs aiming their asses out the crate door is pricelss.

 Sam - When I mean she does not urinate much I don't mean I don't give her the chance. I can take her for a 1/2 hour walk and she will not go - doesn't even try. It's like she has no interest in marking and can hold it forever. My last girl would go a couple times on every walk - though small amounts. 

I have read some old posts about trouble with Diamond food (makers of TOTW). A recent one talked of TOTW changes that were very  negative. I also just read today that Solid Gold is also packed at Diamond. Does Diamond have their paws into evreything? This all concerns me.

It seems that Fromm is family/owner produced. I am now looking deeper into this option. 

www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/bulletins_read/203404.html

www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/bulletins_read/37003.html

www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/bulletins_read/302027.html

PS - Still on just hamburger and rice and very stable - doing well! And now finally off the antibiotics.

I did a quick scan of the comments here... I didnt recall seeing if your vet did bloodwork before performing surgery.  That certainly would have told alot about the whole picture... Not eating and seemingly lethargic certainly could have also been Pancreatitis (and your dog would have been doing the right thing on his own by not eating).  I can not imagine a vet NOT doing bloodwork for a surgery as serious as an Exploratory ... but then, I dont know your vet.

I agree with some of the other posters regarding xrays... one person mentioned "series" of xrays.  That is called a "Barium series" in which they give the dog a white fluid called Barium and watch the barium move from the stomach through the rest of the body to see if it flows through or stops due to a blockage.  This would be a standard procedure... UNLESS the blockage was very clear and very visible on radiographs.  The vet would NOT want to give Barium in that instance because it would hinder doing surgery. 

Your pets temperature should have been constantly monitored during surgery and should NEVER have been allowed to drop to a temperature as serious as 85 degrees?????  That is insane to me.  I am a vet tech and anything below 95 would require immediate attention...