My Nina is loosing weight

myninagirl · 02-29-2008, 01:30 AM

/Hi I would like to see if anyone has ever experienced what I am seeing with Nina. When I got Nina she was a little under weight she was only 55 lbs, she is a small girl so 8 lbs did the trick and she looked great. I adopted her from a single man and after trying to figure out why she would not eat and spending awful amounts of money at the vet I discovered she had no idea how to eat out of a dog bowl. Anyway after teaching her she is infact a dog and should not have food thrown to her she started to gain weight well. Nina looked great at 63 -65 lbs Like I said she is not too big I am 5-.8 and her nose hits the top of my hip. Nina was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy a year ago. You would never know because she is still so puppy, she paces all aound the house day and night, I have a 1/2 acre and she runs around outside as if she was a Jack Russel. However 3 cups of food a day has always been good it kept her where she needed to be. I use Wellness and California Natural and Prarie (frozen and dry) I mix the dry foods together and give her the frozen pattie (obviously thawed out) in the evening and the dry food in the am. Here are my questions.... Nina has ALWAYS had a weird smell to her, I was told by the vet it is normal for Dobie's but she is very oily and foul smelling, I bathe her and it comes back within 3 days. When Nina is sitting she constantly gets up and smells where she has been sitting and then sits again and then repeats. I have had urine tests done, no infection. Nina has been spayed. Now Nina is loosing weight she is down to 53 lbs the vet has done blood and urine tests everything came back fine. Occasionally she gets a long strand of yellow mucus come out of her and still the tests show no infection. She has developed some lumps on her body different locations they are not very big and the vet says because of her cardiomyopathy it is not worth it to sedate her to remove the lumps they feel they are just fatty lumps. I have increased Nina's food to 5 cups a day she eats it but now there is twice the amount of poop still good poop no discoloration or change in consistency just more of it due to the increase in food. I feel she wants it or she would not eat it, she does stop when she is not hungry (unlike my Boxer) but she is not using it because she poops it out and is still loosing weight. Please any ideas would be great.

Murreydobe · 02-29-2008, 01:14 PM

It could be the progression of the DCM..it's not uncommon for dogs to lose muscle mass as the disease progresses. Fish oil capsules can help with this, although I doubt it's going to be able to restore muscle mass that's already gone.

Is she seeing a cardiologist?

BTW..it's NOT normal for dobermans to have a foul smell. I don't know what could be causing that problem but it's not something I've found to be common among dogs in this breed.

**Doberdog** · 02-29-2008, 01:21 PM

I wish I could help. The only thing I can offer is that is not normal for Dobes to smell. Quentin smells good and he has only had one bath in his life. I wipe him with a wash rag often but that has been it (as soon as it warms up I'm going to give him a good soaking in the tub).
Is your dog have anal glad problems? It can be a very bad smell. Good luck and you may try a second opinion,just in case.

**sebsyd** · 02-29-2008, 11:47 PM

I have to agree with the above, I have never had a dobie or heard of one who has a foul smell like that. Maybe some of our vets will post on this. I hope you have taken her to a cardiologist for a consult. Keep us posted.

tjmom · 03-01-2008, 07:49 PM

We have had three dobies and none of them had a bad odor, well unless they rolled in something foul. Your vet is incorrect in stating that Dobies have smell. I would have a cardiologist check her out. As Murreydobe has said her weight loss could have to do with her cardio.

**ellenm** · 03-01-2008, 07:55 PM

My girl dropped a lot of weight as she lost muscle mass with the progression of DCM. The cardiologist check up recommended above sounds like a good thing if she is not under the care of a specialist.

The odd smell is not normal....I've had 8 Dobes and they never had that bad smell. I'd get that checked out also.