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Please help - desperate

4K views 33 replies 17 participants last post by  carmspack 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm new here and new to the German Shepherd breed. Someone we know currently has a 6 or 7 year old German Shepherd male dog who they are threatening to put to sleep because of developing problems. The dog has allergy issues, has had multiple ear infections, sheds excessively, and recently began urinating and pooping in the house. I dont think the dog is on a good quality food - previously blue seal and then iams. Their vet switched the dog to a beef and potato diet (and said to feed this only), but I dont believe that helped so they went back to the regular food. They had the dog tested for allergies and he came back allergic to 10 different things (dust, cockroaches, trees, etc??). He was also put on a shot regimen, but is not longer on it. The dog basically is not allowed in the regular house and lives in an 8' x 8' room in the basement (where it has lived for the past 4+ years), where it is now crated almost 24/7 most of the time because of the pooping/peeing on the floor issue (i think this is a newer problem). So since this recent issue developed, they are saying they are going to put the dog down.

My husband and I recently moved into a house from a condo and we have 2 cats. I think the dog is ok with cats. We are thinking about trying to give this dog a good home on a trial basis, but I am concerned about fixing some of the problems. I have no problem switching the dog to a grain free, high quality food because this would probably help some. But I am not sure what else to try. I could take him to my vet (different vet) beforehand to see what they think. Please let me know what your opinions/ideas are. I don't want to see this dog put down without trying something. Or if it does not work out with him in our home, do you know of any other rescue groups or places we could talk to?? Thank you!
 
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#16 ·
If you get a chance to go up to the User CP (in narrow black band along the top) and put your general location it will show up with each and every post like my Poconos stuff.

If you are willing to take it on, I say try it with the dog. Make sure you do take the crate and set the pup up to succeed by realizing it will initially be alot of work and maybe clean up.

There are many people with dogs with allergies on the board, so they can help. Just being consistant with exercise, love and feeding should be a huge help after just a week or so.

:)
 
#5 · (Edited)
PotentialGSDowner...kudo's to you for recognizing a despairaging situation for this poor dog and perhaps taking on the responsibility to give him a new lease on life.

I think with the right protocol (radical to some, normal to others), this issue can be turned around.

Keep in mind that allergies are a symptom of the immune system. The best way to boost and assist the dog to naturally recover would be to feed RAW with an antioxidant boost of some pureed green leafy veg...some digestive enzymes, probiotics raw organic coconut oil and fish oil.

Carmen - who posted, has a line that will cover noted along with added herbals that detox the kidney and liver as well as reduce inflammatory conditions and support and compliment a raw diet - and I suppose, a good quality kibble (secondary), but focus needs to be on bringing the dog back into balance - the gut, bacteria and yeast are prevelant and sugars have to be removed - that is in the form of carbs...there is NO kibble that is carb free.

The choice is ultimately up to you if you can or want to take on that resposibility - but it WILL do the dog better and for all - his health and your wallet in the long run.

The people must have had him in and out of the vets a ton - so it likely the dog has been over-vaccinated, this is a contributing factor in immune response to foreign invaders syndrome - "allergies".

An herbal detox, raw food, good suppl. exercise in the sunshine and a caring compasionate family...this dog will be happier then a pig in poop.:)
 
#6 ·
That is really sad, even if you can give the dog a few months of love and a proper home I'm sure the dog would be so grateful :(. Who knows, with proper care the dog might be perfectly fine!

Take Carmen up on her offer, she has a lot of experience and I'm sure she could help with some suggestions as well. Find a good vet to guide you as well
 
#7 ·
I'm with Carmspack and Gatorbytes ... it's a LOT of work, and won't be cheap, but if you have the patience and time to put into this dog, I'm sure the rewards will come back a thousand fold ...

Make sure you guys do lots of research on the breed though, and try not to get scared off LOL ... they can be a trying breed, but let me tell you ... once they are under your skin, they are there for life!
 
#8 ·
I want to caution you, it sounds like you are pretty convinced this is a diet issue, when in reality they've already spent the money (which is hundreds of $$ usually) to allergy test, and they are enviornmental allergies.

That is NOT to say that a good/better diet and/or supplements may not help the dog somewhat, but so many people think allergy issues are an immediate sign of diet, when in reality the vast majority of them - like with people - are envioronment related.

The peeing and pooping is likely a house training issue because the dog is crated all the time and stressed, and/or because it's crated all the time and has no freedom, and therefore has lost what housetraining it had previously.

Allergies can usually be managed, sometimes easier than others. It will not be inexpensive though. Expect to spend a good chunk of money on a proper diagnosis, unless you are comfortable with their vets dx and can get the list of the allergies. Then you'll have to pay for maintenance shots to help keep the allergies at bay. Is your house carpeted? Are you prepared for potentially big messes early on in housetraining? Are you familar with common house training methods? Is the dog crate trained, which means it will settle in a crate and not potty in the crate? If the dog is pottying in the crate, you will have your work cut out for you. That is a VERY VERY difficult problem to break in an adult dog.
 
#9 ·
Rerun is right. Only some 10% of allergies are food allergies.
A good diet and all may help some but if the dog is allergic to other things in the home, there's going to be a lot more to it than just diet.

I will say that some dogs blossom on love and better food, alone. Just be aware that if you take the dog, do not expect diet to fix all.
 
#10 ·
Pollen related allergies may be able to be controlled with local raw honey. A teaspoon per day helped my dog. Dust is going to be a harder one to control. I suspect this would have to be a multifaceted approach based on the allergy testing results.

I agree with Rerun...most allergies are not food related but environmental. And not every environmental allergy has a "fix" to it as simple as raw honey.
 
#11 ·
All of this information has been very helpful. I was thinking food would help some, but from the allergy tests, it's sounded like there were environmental issues too. The dog does not soil in his crate, just when he is out. Since we don't have the experience with the breed and bringing a dog in makes me nervous with the cats (who aren't used to dogs) and costs to treat the problems, is there a rescue who would take him in? I know rescues have their hands full with lots of other animals so im not sure if that is an option. Not really sure what to do, he is a good dog, just seems like some lifelong issues and not a very good life thus far.
 
#12 ·
Doubters -- shhh -- I have done this so many times , seriously , working with shelters , rescues . Just the other day a person who had tried the supplements was so amazed at the radical and rapid , within days changes , that she ran to the person who sold her the supplements with proof -- over $2,000 in vet bills for this last last year with no change and no hope. There was a forum member with chronic (and vet attended) staph infection which prevented him from spaying her . Another forum member found a dog in pretty sad shape in a ditch and that dog was brought around. I have the before and after. Done it so many times. I am not here to sell - or convince - just give some facts.

I have a soft spot for animals that have run out of options and will gladly help see their way to better health - no cost .

that is my offer -
 
#15 ·
This OP is right; there's far more that goes into the decision than the health aspect.
I would recommend you get in contact with the rescue, offer to foster the dog if all pans out.
That way you have the backing of a rescue, and it could work out that the dog is cat-safe, and can be helped by diet and TLC.

Try going on Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder and on the left side, search for rescues local to you. You can try All breed rescues as well as GSD specific ones.
 
#17 ·
I rescued a dog who had huge bald spots on his body and lick granulomas. He was under the care of an expensive dermatologist, special prescription diet, allergy testing, the works, nothing helped.

Whe he arrived, I switched him to raw chicken, thought it cannot hurt. Two weeks on raw chicken - I could not find the lick granulomas. The hair on his legs was growing in. After all the expensive treatments, the raw chicken took care off the problem. I just kept him on good food.

This example shows that sometimes expensive vets, treatments etc. do not solve the problem. Natural, healthy food did.

I suspect it was the preservatives and additives in the dog food that bothered my dog. He also had ear infections that cleared up with the new diet. He also got the Nupro supplement.

The solution can but it does not have to be expensive. Why not give the poor dog a chance?
 
#18 ·
As someone who uses Carmspacks products I can tell you they produce amazing results. My dog has been on her products for about Six months and the problems I dealt with before that have disappeared.

My dog had extremely bad Staph infections over and over, continuous trips to the Vet and Dermatologist where they wanted her on antibiotics, steroids, creams over and over, wanted her changed to the crap food they sell and taken off the raw diet, $7200.00 spent in the previous 12 months before starting Carmens products..( I don't want to add up the bills for the year before that..LOL). Within a few weeks she cleared right up and have had no problems since then. I highly recommend taking Carmen up on her offer, it is very generous. If I knew how to post pics
I would post some of her Staph infections to show how bad they were.
 
#19 ·
I am not a doubter, but I AM a realist. The OP sounds wary of the situation in the first place, and they have reason to be IMHO. I have done rescue for many many years, well over a decade and the vast majority of those dogs were GSD's (though certainly not all). I have had a lot of very sick very malnurished dogs come through my house, and allergies are just the worst to deal with in a dog that has a lot of them.

I am not a believer that a supplement or two fixes everything, and sure it's a great offer but what happens if (when) the supplement doesn't work? OP is still stuck with the dog, now likely bonded to it, and going to be out a lot of money. I am not saying not the give the dog a chance, but I AM saying not the give the dog a chance if OP isn't prepared for all that may come with it.

Best case scenario - they get the dog, love on it, dog snuggles with the cats at night, allergies are easily managed with diet, supplements, and allergy shots. Dog is housetrained quickly in their brand new house, doesn't have any behavioral issues that the owners haven't disclosed or don't know about due to not doing anything with the dog, taking it anywhere, etc. All ends well.

Worst case scenario - dogs allergies are out of control, not very manageable without a ton of effort and lots of money down the drain very quickly trying to find the right combination of everything, dog kills or terrorizes the cats who then start peeing all over the brand new house because they are so stressed, dog has weak nerves, reactive aggression behavior, nips, jumps, pulls on the leash, jumps the fence, marks and poops any chance they let it out of their sight for a second....

Just want OP to be prepared. They know the dog has issues. So are they ready to tackle any and all of them? I worry they aren't, given the nature of the original post and follow up post. There is no sense in the yeeha crowd convincing someone to take on a dog that they aren't ready to take on, issues and all.
 
#20 ·
SO I would really like to at least give him a chance because there really is nothing to lose, but I'm definitely a little nervous. And I also contacted some rescues to see if they could help if it did not work out in the long run.

Carmspack - could you please let me know how I can take you up on your offer to try? Send me a private message if that is easiest.

Also, could you please let me know how to do the RAW diet? Do you have to buy the food special somewhere? I'm a little confused on how it actually works and where you need to buy the food. AND switching to a RAW diet - do I do it gradually? Or do you just switch immediately?

Also CATS, the dog seems ok with cats, but he is a little hyper (probably because he is caged/never gets exercise). One of my cats is very outgoing and should be fine quickly. The other one would probably take a little while, but should come around eventually. But any tips?

Since the dog does not soil in the crate, we could leave him crated while at work and just pay attention to him while we are home to try to re-train him. Any links or sources to look at to help with this? Should I also look into obedience training?

You guys have been great so I will definitely keep coming back for more tips and keep you posted. Any additional information in the mean time will be very appreciated.
 
#22 ·
I would do it because I have taken dogs on before with serious health and behavioral issues and seen them turn around. I would take Carmen up on her offer--she's been at this a long time and will advise you.

I have not used her products but have heard good things about them and I did turn a dog around who had lost almost all of her fur due to environmental allergies, was severely depressed and lived with a cone on her head, a t-shirt and socks because she couldn't stop scratching herself. She is now healthy and happy. The key was finding the right food, the right supplements and the right amount of exercise.

Stress greatly exacerbates health problems and exercise, attention, training and a loving home should also help in the healing process.

ETA: This will not be a stress free process for you and there will undoubtedly be a lot of ups and downs but the rewards are all worth it. Rafi, in my avatar, was in such bad shape when he was found that although he was only a year old everyone thought he was a doggie senior. Now everyone thinks he's a puppy (at age 6)!
 
#23 ·
Kudos to you for wanting to help this dog. I say, "Go for it!" Take Carmspack up on her generous offer. The worst thing that could happen, is the dog shows no improvement and would have to be put down. At least you would know you gave it your best shot. It sounds like you are a very caring person who will make sure this boy knows love. That is more than he has now.

The best case is that most of his issues will be resolved and you will have a great family pet. He will thank you many times over.
 
#24 ·
Hi PotentialGSDowner!
When you look up the word “compassion or help” your name should be there! I think it is wonderful that you are willing to take on this poor baby. Will it be trying in the beginning?....Of course….Will you have to learn some new, possibly unfamiliar alternative health modalities to help him?.....Yes…. but, sounds like you and your husband are up for the task since you are asking questions and considering it! BRAVO!
I can send you a list of members from CT of the AHVMA (American Holistic Veterinary Member Assoc.) if you’d like to help this dog with a DMV from the holistic side. Conventional vets will just want to stick him with more steroids to stop the allergy itching or more and more antibiotics, and, of course “keep him up on his vaccinations” which IMHO will harm this dog more than help him. These may all have their time and place but I feel this dog may have been overloaded with them!!! Remember, the vaccination box clearly states “for healthy animals ONLY”!!! This boy is not healthy right now. Conventional vets are trained to “cover up” the problem instead of “getting to the root” of the problem and “healing” it……It’s a “HIDE” or “HEAL” choice and if your conventional vet is unfamiliar with or suspicious of alternative therapies, you’ll be in for a whirlwind of resistance from him/her and confusion on your end. BUT to have CARMSPAC by your side directing you would be the ultimate! Take her up on her offer! With her guidance and your willingness to learn new things, I feel you'll be able to help this poor boy!
I have helped many dogs over the years and can offer you the information on how to detox your dogs with homeopathic’s so that his system can begin to regain balance and heal. Homeopathic's are different than herbals BUT the herbals are DEFINITELY needed too! As others have said, his immune system sounds like a mess and both of these things along with some raw food will help.
You also mentioned that the defecation in the house is “new” so that should give your hope of him re-gaining his balance there with frequent outdoors bathroom breaks.
PM me anytime if you want the homeopathic info.
I’d be honored to help along with the others on this post.
Wishing you the BEST of luck!
Mom's :)
 
#25 ·
It's really generous of you to offer to help this boy:).. I am in CT as well, there is a couple things I would suggest as well as the advice given.

First if you take him, I would start off with a good vet workup. I'd keep things low key for a few weeks and let him re adjust to living IN a house. His potty problems IN the house where he is, could just be from not letting him OUT to potty vs a behavioral issue..If he's fine with a crate, then yes, definitely crate him when you aren't home, can't supervise.

I'd treat him like a new puppy with the housebreaking issue, since again, it may just be an issue of taking him out.

If you want to look into obed training, that's great but i would give him time to settle in and get some of his medical issues under control.

If you want to feed RAW, there are two great sources here in CT,,Bravo or Oma's Pride. You can google either, there are distributors around the state or you can go directly to the source.

Not sure what part of CT your in, but if you want to pm me with your location, or put your town/city location out there, some may be able to reference a good vet in your area..

Good luck with him, it sounds like his issues may be from lack of care / continuing care by owners/ leaving him in the basement is NOT a good thing for him.

Please keep us updated on him
 
#27 ·
op, i hope this works out, but if this is your first gsd, along with all the issues he comes with, you are going to need to some training. i hope there is a training center near you that you have already checked out. there is a proper way to intro the dog and cats, i hope some one here can tell you the best way to do this. good luck if you decide to do this.
 
#28 ·
Thank you all for your support. I am taking the time to research now and contact people for information to see if this is something we will be able to do. I think more than the shedding/allergy issues, my biggest concern will be our cats at this time. I have asked the current owner to give me a little time to research/look into some options and see if this is something I will be able to take on or to see if I can find a rescue willing to help. Thank you again, I've been back and forth on this a few times, so now I just want to take the time to research it thoroughly before making a final decision.
 
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