Neuter, spay, weight won't stay

Having new fosters around means repeated trips to the vet.  I use two.  The Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA does spay/neuters for the public and for rescue groups at a very good price.  Whenever possible I get them to speuter and vaccinate my foster dogs.  Nice folks and they do a great job; a wonderful asset to the community.  It would be nice if they someday become obsolete because everyone takes responsibility for their own animals, but that's not likely to happen anytime soon.

My personal vet is Old Dominion Animal Hospital in Charlottesville.  They also work with VSGR, Animal Connections, and a number of other rescue groups and SPCAs in the area.  I can't say enough good things about the vets and staff there.  I trust them with my own dogs and my fosters and I depend on them when I get a dog with any kind of medical issues.  They've seen my dogs through more diseases and problems than I care to name.  And just when I think I've seen them all, some dog brings in a new one.

The white shepherd, Anastasia, (above, left) went in yesterday for basic vet work.  She tested positive to hook worms, but no heartworms, thank goodness.  She was spayed and is now recuperating in a crate in my office, which is now rather full and busy with 4 foster dogs at night (Anastasia, Trooper, General, Colby), plus Molly and Zachary during the day.  Ana is a nice girl.  I got her on the web and have already had a couple inquiries about her.  She is good at adoption events and is going to do very well for herself.

The General (right) is at Old Dominion today for vaccines and neuter.  He is a bit of a marker and I'm hoping that behavior will abate a bit after the surgery.  I brought him indoors because he just sat outside and barked in the kennel.  He does love being out in the dog yard playing with the other dogs though.  I'm not sure my guys would be crazy about having an intact male around, so I really wanted to get him neutered as soon as possible.  His pictures are hitting the web today too.  He's a great dog.

Thor went to the vet yesterday for an appointment timed to coincide with picking up Anastasia after her spay.  Thor had already been vaccinated and neutered by CASPCA several weeks ago, but the boy is still too thin.  The scale at the vet's office confirmed that he has gained only two pounds in the month that I've had him.  I had wormed him and his fecal sample was clear yesterday.  He's been eating about 4 cups of food twice a day, so his lack of weight gain is suspicious.

Because he's a German Shepherd, you have to suspect pancreatic enzyme deficiency, food allergy, or some sort of digestive problem. We did some basic bloodwork but not the enzyme test because he wasn't fasted.  I have a bottle of the pancreatic enzyme powder, so I'm just trying it on him for a week or so to see if that does the trick.  If not, I'll switch him to Zachary's diet, grain free dry dog food supplmented with some raw food (chicken backs). 

It's doubtful that there is a "cure" so it means he will need an adopter who is willing and able to do the supplement, special diet, or whatever is going to be needed for this guy.

We may or may not find out what is wrong (these problems often seem to defy diagnosis), but I am confident we will find a solution that works.  Right now he looks like a skinny teenager who will be a good looking young man when he grows up and fills out.  I think he will be a spectacular looking dog when he puts on 20 pounds. I wish I could give him 20 that I don't need.