Skinny Dog

[Paul]

I have an eight year old Weimaraner who is so skinny he looks like an ad for animal cruelty. He gets fed eukanuba 3 times daily, and is wormed regular. He suffered from an **** prolapse about twelve months ago but other than this is healthy, and is his usual 'Forever Young' self.
My vet says she is not overly concerned but he looks really bad and i can see people giving me sideways looks when i walk him. Any ideas ??

[lou3]

i see you are form England so i suggest PET CLUB PREMIUM, its definately available in the North east - not sure about elsewhere, but its fantastic food and keeps the weight on my skinny english pointers better than any other i have found.
Lou

[RWDVM]

Hello. I am a veterinarian. Some dogs natrually have a thin build, just as some people are extremely thin no matter how they eat. There is, however, a condtion in dogs called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI, that can cause abnormal thinness. With EPI, the dog's pancreas lacks the ability to secrete the enzymes necessary to break down ingested proteins and fats. As a result, these nutrients cannot be absorbed and go right through the dog's GI tract. A simple blood test called a serum TLI can be run to test for EPI. Since you are pulling blood anyway, you might as well have a standard blood panel performed to check for other causes of protein loss or systemic disease. Good luck to you. When you have a chance, please visit my veterinary advice and helath management wesite at http://www.askdvm.com

Roger L. Welton, DVM