Bear (the GSD) update!

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
IMG_20220929_080342661~2.jpg
This was taken a few weeks ago, that ear is finally standing up most of the time!!
 
This is bad!! My dear, wonderful Bear is having serious health issues! He has pancreatic insufficiency, common in German Shepherds. I give him an enzyme powder on his food for that. Now he's showing signs of diabetes, also common in GSDs. And hind end weekness. Scheduling another vet appointment, really afraid I am going to lose him!
 
We had a Dachshund that we adored. His name was Kirby and he had diabetes. We gave him insuline shots every day, and he never even whimpered. He was a great little guy. Ran everywhere. Never walked. Hope Bear outgrows his maladies.
 
Pearl said:
This is bad!! My dear, wonderful Bear is having serious health issues! He has pancreatic insufficiency, common in German Shepherds. I give him an enzyme powder on his food for that. Now he's showing signs of diabetes, also common in GSDs. And hind end weekness. Scheduling another vet appointment, really afraid I am going to lose him!
Click to expand...
Oh no!!! I am so sorry , he's such a beautiful dog. My previous GSD had lots of allergies and I had to give her very expensive steroids sometimes and feed her completely grain free food. She did live to 10 , so maybe you can fix this with medication? I hate to hear this, makes me worry about mine....he eats A LOT and I do wonder if that's normal.
 
sonya123 said:
Oh no!!! I am so sorry , he's such a beautiful dog. My previous GSD had lots of allergies and I had to give her very expensive steroids sometimes and feed her completely grain free food. She did live to 10 , so maybe you can fix this with medication? I hate to hear this, makes me worry about mine....he eats A LOT and I do wonder if that's normal.
Click to expand...
Bear was abandon and starving at 4 months old. GSDs are prone to the three issues Bear has going on, and his rough start probably doesn't help. The enzyme powder really helped straighten his digestive issues out, was hoping to avoid diabetes. Diabetes can cause muscle weekness in the hind end of GSDs, so hopefully that's what's going on and not early hip issues. He is well put together, doesn't have that bad hip build! My first thought when I knew I could have this sweet boy was " German Shepherds have so many health issues"!! All breeds have their problems, guess I'm not over losing my Doberman yet! Hope your boy is a healthy one Sonya!!♥️
 
I looked it up and from what I found diabetes in puppies is not very common and not in GSDs either? Maybe it's something else ( or typical misinformation online ..remember when the internet was actually useful?!)
We have one rescue dog also that was found by my daughter's friend abandoned starving and in a garbage bag on side of road ( hope there is a hell to go to for the person that did that!) . He is the healthiest dog I have ever had strangely enough. He's about 9 now, mixed breed maybe lab and pit mix.
 
I talked with a friend who is a vet and also a holistic vet! She is a dear old friend!! I will start Bear on Fenugreek tomorrow, along with his enzymes. Fenugreek is an herb/spice that naturally controls sugar in your body. Starts working right away. Hoping for the best. Guess I've gotten more attached to Bear than I thought I would!!
 
Pearl said:
This is bad!! My dear, wonderful Bear is having serious health issues! He has pancreatic insufficiency, common in German Shepherds. I give him an enzyme powder on his food for that. Now he's showing signs of diabetes, also common in GSDs. And hind end weekness. Scheduling another vet appointment, really afraid I am going to lose him!
Click to expand...

Oh no, I'm sorry to read that.
 
Update! This is day 4 taking the herb "fenugreek" for balancing blood sugar! He has his energy back, and is peeing and drinking a normal amount! Acting like his old self ( if he can have an old self at 9 months old)! Glad I didn't jump on insulin shots! Did a lot of homework on this! Glad that I asked my friend who is a holistic vet for advice!
 
Happy for you youngen! Glad you took the time to look around for something that works.

“The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable” by Juliette de Bairacli Levy

I've posted this book before... She has a few books for house pets also, dog and cats, nothing exotic. They are still for sale on amerzit. Great books, much of modern holistic veterinarian medicine comes from her writings and teachings.

I use her book often. In some ways more relaveant today than in 1954 when it was written.

Want to offer another though on pure breed dogs. The akc, for all the good they've done there are not so good side effects. One being... promoting a "look" for certain breeds. For example, for several decades german shepperds were bred to look like the akc said they should, tv shows didn't help. They were bred for appearance to the exclution of almost any other concern. All sorts of "genetic illnesses" began appearing in numerous breeds. Thankfully not all shepherds fell into the akc trap.

Working dogs, they were bred for a much wider range of attributes including health. For the last 20yrs I've only had dogs from working bloodlines, wonderful animals. I don't see the typical problems found in akc dogs.
 
Thanks Peanut, I'll check out Juliette di Bairclai Levy's books! Will also ask my vet friend if she has read any of her stuff! Over the many, many years I worked with obedience dogs I have seen many breeds change as breeders try to achieve a "look"! It's a shame! I always had the philosophy that all breeds were made for a "purpose"! When breeds developed into status symbols, dogs were ruined. And most of these new breeds mix different purposes! Golden doodles for example!! Golden Retrievers were made to sit patiently until they were sent to retrieve a duck/kill. Standard Poodles were originally hunting/tracking dogs. Two different brains! I don't like what dogs have been "developed" into today! Bears big ears are a prime example. I was reading that is something some GSD breeders are doing for a look! It's a shame what the AKC and other breed organizations will allow just because of a "look"!
 
Pearl said:
When breeds developed into status symbols, dogs were ruined.
Click to expand...

Amen to that! That's how I ended up with Chase, or at least it's my belief. The guy that bought him for 1500 bucks is a reserve cop. I firmly believe he got the dog as a status symbol, then discovered that a Malinois is no joke and it was more than he could handle and ended up crating him in his garage for the first 9 months of his life.

Chase is soooo lucky we found him, I doubt anyone would have stuck it out with him and he would have been put down. We went through 2 years of working him through his issues, we both suffered a couple major bites, but he has turned into a great dog. He still has his triggers and I know he would still bite if pushed, but I have gotten to the point I can go hands on if I have to without getting chomped on................that's huge with this guy.

The first full day that we had him, our youngest stopped by to visit and meet him. She came to the door and he started to move toward the door, I grabbed his collar to keep him in check, and he checked me immediately........................with teeth, lol.
 
Curmudgeon said:
Amen to that! That's how I ended up with Chase, or at least it's my belief. The guy that bought him for 1500 bucks is a reserve cop. I firmly believe he got the dog as a status symbol, then discovered that a Malinois is no joke and it was more than he could handle and ended up crating him in his garage for the first 9 months of his life.

Chase is soooo lucky we found him, I doubt anyone would have stuck it out with him and he would have been put down. We went through 2 years of working him through his issues, we both suffered a couple major bites, but he has turned into a great dog. He still has his triggers and I know he would still bite if pushed, but I have gotten to the point I can go hands on if I have to without getting chomped on................that's huge with this guy.

The first full day that we had him, our youngest stopped by to visit and meet him. She came to the door and he started to move toward the door, I grabbed his collar to keep him in check, and he checked me immediately........................with teeth, lol.
Click to expand...
Bear was bought at 3 months, abandon at 4 months. Puppy time is hard, certain puppies (GSD) are even harder to deal with. People get "status" dogs with no clue what they are getting into!! I can only imagine what it would be like raising a Malinios pup!!😳
 
Pearl said:
I can only imagine what it would be like raising a Malinios pup!
Click to expand...

Malinois are GSD's on crack! LOLOL

It is a shame that people don't completely think things through. I had a guy contact me yesterday wanting to rehome his GSD. Beautiful dog, AKC registered. He just needs to find a good home for her, not asking a rehoming fee at all. She just became more than they could deal with, coupled with his work schedule it isn't working out.
 
Lord only knows what Teddy Ruxpin is. Mostly Austrailan Shepard, maybe some some Chow, a lot of "smart ass farm dog". More than once the wife has yelled" that dog is just like you !!!" Can there be a higher compliment :p
 
Last edited:
This is COOL! I have a Christmas bell hanging on my backdoor handle, been there for about 20 years. Forgot to take it off after Christmas one year, so it stayed (🤔)! Bear is good to go to the door and whine if he needs to go out. Yesterday, four times, he went to the door, whined, AND NOSED THE BELL when he needed out. It was a cold rainy day so he was inside more than usual. Hope he keeps up the good work, he never ceases to amaze me!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top