Why is my German Shepherd losing weight with normal appetite and brown fur?

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.

As a breed, German Shepherd‘s tend to be thin dogs and some lines are more thin than others. Continue feeding him a high-quality, high protein diet. I recommend the brand Royal Canin. Be careful with exercise and make sure to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations. Lastly, Colt is not done growing yet. The first year of life is devoted to upward growth and the second year of life is when pets fill out so he is still developing. I hope this helps. You may speak with your veterinarian about sending off a blood sample for analysis to find out if the platelet count is truly abnormal or if any blood parasites or seen. Best of luck.

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!

Losing weight fast is usually a sign of a serious medical condition, unfortunately this is also a very general symptom, you will need to take him to the vet to get it checked first, he will need to have a blood test and xray/ultrasound done to start with.

It would be worth rechecking a stool sample to be sure the giardia is cleared and also to check for signs of poor digestion. German shepherds are prone to very sensitive digestion and in some cases are unable to digest regular food due to an enzyme deficiency from the pancreas. In these cases, diet change to a hydrolyzed food and enzyme supplementation can be very helpful to restore body weight

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If Titan is losing weight, I would suggest having his blood work run especially at his age. Ideally, at this age he should have a blood panel run every 12 months. A veterinarian really should examine him to take a look at his skin and perform blood work for further answers as to what this could be. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via text or phone based consultation if needed.

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