# Dog lost weight after spay?



## The3DChis (Jan 17, 2011)

My 3 year old chihuahua Daisy was spayed in November last year, and ever since she has been losing weight.
I opted to have the pre blood work done before the spay, which they told me after doing the op, showed she had slightly elevated liver enzymes, but wasnt serious enough not to go ahead with the op.
Hmm, well i wasnt chuffed at not being told about it anyway.

I was told to bring her in again in the middle of January, well i took her in at the start of the month to mention the weight loss, so they weighed her then and she was 4.9lbs.
Again they said come back later and see how she goes.

She has always been around 5.3lbs.
She was actually a bit chubby when i first brought her home in 2009.
She was about 5.6 at one point.
Anyway today she was in for another blood test and weighed again.
She is now 4.4lbs, which is worrying me, she is looking thin and her tummy is quite sunk in.

I have even been feeding her 4 small meals a day rather than 3 and giving extra treats, but she is still losing no matter what.
She eats all her food no probs, runs around, poos and pees normally too. Doesnt act ill in any way.
All 3 chis are fed Acana and they love it and do well on it.
The vet may want to put her on the stuff they sell now, and i am no keen on that idea at all.
The only food they have is Pro plan, Science plan and Royal canin.

I have to call today around 4pm for the results, but i just wanted to know if anyone else had experienced this before?
You hear of dogs gaining weight after a spay, but not losing like this.
I do think something else is going on, i just hope it's nothing serious.

Before she came to me, her breeder said she had a litter, well 2 pups and one died.
She had complications with her C- section, her stitches burst, and she had to have part of her intestine removed poor wee soul!
I saw her there when i was going to see Darla for the first time and Daisy was being rehomed so i gladly took her too.

Anyway sorry so long, but that is her background etc...
Am really worrying about what these results will show.

Any thoughts welcomed.


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## celicababe1986 (Jun 22, 2009)

No advice im afraid, but didnt want to read and run.

hopefully someone will be along soon~best of luck for your girl


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## The3DChis (Jan 17, 2011)

LOL thanks, no worries.
Appreciate you taking the time to read all that. :thumbup:


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## SashaXx (Sep 3, 2010)

Sorry I don't know what it could be  Hope the results are fine and it's nothing serious x


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## The3DChis (Jan 17, 2011)

Well i got a call a few mins ago, and they said her liver enymes are still slightly high, but lower than last time, so that is good.
The next step is to check the liver function with a bile acid test.
So she will be going in again, they are going to call with an appointment and she will be in for a couple of hours for that.

The vet did mention changing her diet, even temporarily.
I did say she was on the same food before the spay and it's onlly since then she has started to lose the weight, so that was why she then said to do the other test.
Maybe it's just a coincidence.

If she has to change food then obviously i will do it for her, i just wish it didnt have to be Royal Canin.
The vet has never heard of Acana, or any of the other better quaility kibble.
I have to take in a breakdown of the Acana when i take her in anyhow.

Am wondering if it's a thyroid problem?
I may ask when i am in.


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## Sparkle (Jan 28, 2010)

Terri I wouldn't change her diet to one of those you are feeding way better quality than those suggest (yuck) I'd maybe add a topper or something and go from there!!

I know my daisy lost a pound after her spay and has only gained 1/2 of that back (but she was a puppy when spayed and well covered)

Did the vet say she was underweight?? She didn't look it in the last pics I saw but a few ounce on a chihuahua is like stones on us so I can see why you're worried!! I would just carry on what you're doing add some toppers in and see how she does and go from there!! It's really frustrating trying to get weight on a dog that won't!! But I do wonder if this was just meant to happen??

Give her kisses from me xx


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## The3DChis (Jan 17, 2011)

Thanks Sarah.
I just took a note of all the ingredients for the vets next week. lol

I do think she could do with gaining a little back though.
I can see her ribs a bit when she is just standing or laying down and her tummy does seem sunken in more since her spay.
I do hope they dont just think oh it's the food, when like you said after her botched C-section and the fact her womb was stuck to her bowel, it could very well be that her bowel was damaged during her spay.

I am going to just add more carbs to her food, since Acana is quite low on carbs and see how that goes.


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## henry (Mar 16, 2009)

The Vet didn't think the raised liver enzymes were caused by the Acana, did they? When I first did all my research that was one of my worries - liver and kidneys and all the info. said higher protein wasn't the cause of it. Actually, I think that was about Orijen which is quite a bit higher than Acana, isn't it? Hope you get your girl sorted.


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## The3DChis (Jan 17, 2011)

henry said:


> The Vet didn't think the raised liver enzymes were caused by the Acana, did they? When I first did all my research that was one of my worries - liver and kidneys and all the info. said higher protein wasn't the cause of it. Actually, I think that was about Orijen which is quite a bit higher than Acana, isn't it? Hope you get your girl sorted.


No they didnt even know about Acana.
Yeah Orijen is slightly higher in protein and for more active dogs i think.
That was why i chose Acana too.
No doubt they will say it's the Acana so they can sell me some RC. lol
But i have already said on the phone how i dont like the ingredients in RC and it has loads of bad fillers etc... she was ok about it, and said to do the bile acid test first.
Daisy has been on this food a good while with no problems so to me it is something else.
I feed all 3 flavours too, after each bag finishes i change.

When i actually look at her sides they are not that bad it's mainly the really sunken in stomach, which only happened after she was spayed.
It didnt hapen to Darla, but then she didnt have Daisy's background.
I will push to have it all checked out further that is for sure!


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## henry (Mar 16, 2009)

I think the RC is not that much lower in protein, anyway, is it? I'm with you on the ingredients of the RC - lots of cereal and fillers and little meat. Do you know which one they were recommending to you? Would be interesting to have a look at the ingredients.


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## The3DChis (Jan 17, 2011)

henry said:


> I think the RC is not that much lower in protein, anyway, is it? I'm with you on the ingredients of the RC - lots of cereal and fillers and little meat. Do you know which one they were recommending to you? Would be interesting to have a look at the ingredients.


No they didnt mention which one they would want to try, but to me they are all pants! lol
When they do her test she is to be starved the night before, so nout after 8pm, then go in at 10 am, get the test, then is to be fed something fatty by them, then they will check again.
They will be keeping her for a couple of hours they said.


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## henry (Mar 16, 2009)

Hi - just wondering how Daisy got on today with her tests? Claire


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## The3DChis (Jan 17, 2011)

Hi Claire.
I dont get the results till Tuesday, but she was good as gold, thanks for asking hon.
I did think it strange that they used her own food to do the testing with though.
I had only taken the bag in to show the vet. lol
The other nurse said they would be giving her a fatty food of their own during the test. hmmm
Hopefully they know what they are doing eh.

I had also written a breakdown of the food and the vet did agree that the Acana has all good ingredients in it so maybe all Daisy would need is the extra carbs like have started doing.
She weighs 4.5lbs now, so gained .1 ha!
I dont think she actually should be much heavier to be honest.

Anyway see what happens Tuesday.
Hoping for good numbers to come back. x


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