voodoopitbull

Well...we finally came to a conclusion on Azzo's crap. Nope, he does not have a pancreatic disorder but it is believed he DOES have SIBO...small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. We'll be giving him B12 shots twice a month for two months, Metronidozol (sp?), Vitamin E and some lactobacillicus (dairy-free). He may never have perfect stools but atleast this medicine combo will help him to absorb the nutrients he's lost. It's an intermittent thing and will come on and off throughout his lifetime...atleast it's not EPI! Phew!

We got Azzo at 7 to 8 weeks old or something around that age and he's about 14 weeks old now and he's had the problem ever since. He's currently on Science Diet EN and will be for the next three weeks or until we find out what he has and how to change his diet accordingly. Our vet said we should possibly get the results in this afternoon. I've read about so many things it could be I'm about the explode from anxiety.

NO Iams or Euk! Bad, bad, nasty. Nasty company, nasty ingredients. NO Wellness or Innova in my book. If you're like the many GSD owners with GSDs who have sensitive stomachs...both foods will do you no good. They're awesome foods with great ingredients...but it's WAY too rich for most dogs. Three fourths of my rescues (all different kinds of breeds) had loose stool and LOTS and LOTS of it when on Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken. We plan to switch our GSD to Royal Canin adults German Shepherd Dog formula when he is old enough. Our other dogs are on Foster and Smith. I have really liked Royal Canin foods.

Depending on what the tests say, I'm going to talk to his previous owner. Currently Azzo's on the mildest food possible...EN by Science Diet. This morning his stools were reddish brown and slightly formed by still far from normal. This after one day of IBS meds...I'm hoping within the next few days his stool will improve. Until then...I just gotta keep my fingers crossed.

We should get the results back Monday. Fingers crossed it's either a weird strain of IBS, something curable or it is EPI and nothing horribly worse! Have you tried Royal Canin GSD formula? I've heard it's good on the GSD's stomach and have even had people in my local SchH club tell me their dogs do well on it. Azzo LOVES to eat...but it's not like a starved-dog hunger...more of a normal, food-loving puppy hunger. His stools tend to be dark and grayish yet foul smelling and loose. His activity level is actually pretty high. He loves playing fetch and will do so until he wears ME out. I dunno if it's because his possible EPI hasn't hit him hard yet or if he has something else or what.

Thanks for the link! Sooo informative. Azzo's about 13 weeks now. He had firm stools the day we got him and when we transitioned him to Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken (puppy) he got the squirts. We've tried Authority brand, Iams (which his breeder had him on) and Royal Canin. Same result every time. Grayish/dark brown, smelly cowpatties. Azzo has lost weight but his energy level is fine. He doesn't have two of the common symptoms of EPI...a greasy backside (from the undigested fats) or the desire to eat his feces from hunger. We ran a blood test on him today for EPI and we should get the results Monday. Currently, we're treating him for IBS with a stronger medication because his stools tend to have a jelly-like casing around them. Strange dog.

I was wondering if anyone has or had a dog with pancreatic deficiency...what were the symptoms, how was it treated and how much did the medical treatment cost? My vet suspects my GSD Azzo may have pancreatic deficiency. He has had very loose stools despite the fact that we've given him four different types of food, dewormed him twice, treated him with Panacur, treated him for IBS and given him EN (VERY mild food by Science Diet) to soothe his stomach. My vet'll be running the pancreatic deficiency bloodwork today.

Nowadays...you can never tell. It depends on if she bought it from a good breeder (with show or working lines) or a bad one. With a good breeder, there are many set standards you can go by like the ones mentioned above. With a poor breeder...you can never tell. Pit bulls are extremely popular today with the wrong types of people and breeders so looks can vary. Just because it doesn't have a big head or a muscular body doesn't make it a pit bull. I've seen many APBTs range from tiny (I rescued a purebred male APBT who was only 35lbs) to huge (100+).

I will be using (AKA needing) a prong collar on my GSD, Azzo, for training when he gets older. I've actually tried both a prong and a choke chain on MYSELF (on my wrist and arm) and I find the choke chain to be more painful than the propely used prong collar. I'm referring to the prong collar with rounded edges, not the spiney/sharp edges. My pit bulls don't need a prong collar for either walking or training, though. I like the prong collars for more difficult dogs...I would never use it on my pits. They're too soft and sensitive for any firm correction.

Nothing is like a German working line GSD pup. It's a totally different dog that any dog I've ever come in contact with. It's SO hard to get through puppyhood...adolescents will be hell. I'm already dreading it. With a years (or a little more) time, if I'm consistent and I work hard, I'll get whatever I deserve. Hopefully it'll be a good dog.

Most of my rescues are females and I generally do not have as many problems as I have with male-on-male aggression. I'm not a vet or a scientist so I dunno. I know that in the terrier world it's a purely matriarchal society. Or from what I've seen and heard of.

Azzo is so like that, Shenanigans! Strange how they're so similiar! Sometimes Azzo will let his guard down. Sometimes. Like when I get him out of the crate or when he's tired. He'll snuggle and kiss me a bit and lay his ears back and wiggle. That's about the only time throughout the whole day he is affectionate. The rest of his agenda is as follows 1) Kill cat 2) Bite things 3) Get silly human to feed me treats when I do mindless things like setz and platz. 4) BE ALPHA MALE 5) Sleep on the air vent Dim-witted humans are no match for Azzo's ego. It will engulf you.

Finally! Something good about pitties in this pit bull-loathing world. :wink:

Yep, he's my Schutzhund boy. Gotta channel that insanity somewhere...and not on me! He's started basic obedience already and I'm doing a tiny bit of tracking. Plus robust tug-o-war games. Now...just gotta teach him to do my school work.

Azzo is like no other puppy I have EVER raised. I usually am raising rescues puppies/dogs and I have to generally nurture scared, nervous, frightened dogs. Azzo was such a shocker. Scared of nothing. Wanting to put his mouth on ANYTHING. Bold. Fearless. Dominant. Dominant. Dominant. Rude. Wild. Confident. And he's not even an adolescent yet! *faint*