My German Shepherd has weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea. Is dewormer okay?

I am sorry to hear that your dog isn’t feeling well. Many different problems can cause the signs your are seeing. These include Addison’s disease, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and exocrine pancreatic Insufficiency , and even cancer. EPI is common in shepherds and this could certainly happen in young dogs. Ideally an examination and blood work should be done by a veterinarian for a diagnosis. If that is the problem then adding pancreatic enzymes such as Prozyme and feeding a bland diet such as hills i/d can make a big difference. Best of luck and I hope you get an answer soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor guy! Causes of vomiting are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, dietary indiscretion, foreign body, food allergy/intolerance, new food/treat.human food, intestinal disease (inflammatory bowel disease) or pancreatic disease. I am in agreement with you about your dog. German Shepherds, at least in the US have a lot of intestinal and pancreatic disease, specifically Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). Sometimes they have both conditions. Symptoms of IBD are weight loss with or with out vomiting or diarrhea. Signs of EPI are weight loss and diarrhea. I recommend deworming him 3 weeks apart with Drontal plus to cover parasites: https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1459 Then I would start him on a prescription hydrolyzed diet, you will need a prescription from a Vet. I like Royal Canin Ultimino or HP or Purina HA: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-hydrolyzed-protein-adult-dry-dog-food If there is no improvement in weight or vomiting in 2 months then consider a trial of pancreazyme (supplement for EPI), again you will need a Vet to prescribe it for you: https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=11245 I know there isn't a Vet close by but I highly encourage you to find one and have them examine your dog. It is best to figure out what is wrong with someone who can help you along the way. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

German Shepherd Dogs are predisposed to a disease called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) which causes chronic diarrhea and weight loss due to maldigestion. This disease is fairly simple to diagnose and treat. Here is a link with more information on this disease: https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1627

I am concerned that something serious is going on with your dog. I understand there may be no vets nearby but I think in this case ironworks be worth making a trip to a nearby city or town to seek out help. Vomiting and diarrhea together is commonly referred to as gastroenteritis. There can be several causes for gastroenteritis such as metabolic issues, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites and a foreign body/blockage. Because this has been going on for a while and your dog is losing weight I would recommend taking your dog to the vet to be evaluated. Your vet may recommend blood work and X-rays to figure out what exactly is going on. Your dog may need fluid if dehydrated, nausea medication and antibiotics. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on your description, it is difficult to say for sure what the primary problem is as there are many causes of these symptoms. I do worry about him becoming dehydrated from the diarrhea. If this is a persistent problem and he is losing weight, I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would have his blood tested in addition to the examination to begin with and go from there. I hope this helps and that Woody gets better soon! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear that Uma is losing weight! Typically, EPI affects younger dogs, and you are correct, they typically affect German Shepherds. A lot of the time, the cbc and chemistry panels are normal. Occasionally, you can see elevated liver enzymes like ALT on the chemistry. However, to properly diganose EPI, you need to send out a special test to a specific lab. This blood test is called canine serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity. This is a direct look at the pancreas' functionality. Given Uma's age, she less likely has EPI since she is almost 10 years old. Therefore, there may be another reason she is losing weight. If her bloodwork is all normal, then I would recommend abdominal radiographs or an abdominal ultrasound. Good luck and I hope she gets better soon!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Alex! I would worry if Alex is able to hold down liquids but not solids. If this has been going on since you have had him then I would worry about a congenital defect causing constriction of the esophagus (PDA=patent ductus arterosis). if this is a new thing it could be intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections (especially parvo), food intolerance/allergy, or foreign body obstruction. I do not recommend human dairy products in animals as they are lactose intolerance. It is also not nutritionally appropriate for a 4 month large breed dog. I would try canned dog food or wet dry dog food in a mush. See if he can hod that down. If he can not he needs to see a Veterinarian for a work up. We are not legally allowed to diagnose and prescribe drugs over the internet as we can't examine the pet which is required to prescribe drugs. I wish you and Alex the best!