Dog lethargic, hair loss, doesnt lift head and moves slowly
My friends dog is 4 years old. She is a colly and lab mix. She has been sick for about a year. She emits a unpleasant smell. The smell is similar to concentrated human saliva. She has been taken to two vets. They tested for tick panel, kidney failure and blood, stool and urine analysis. All came back normal.
Video 1: Walking with back in U shape. Back looks slightly humped.
Could this be a spinal problem?
Video 2: Laying down. Will not lift neck up to look at me. Nails long and not bitten.
About a year ago and when the symptoms started she was around some insecticide about 3 hours after application. She is currently taking heart worm pills, Trifexis. No other medications. She moves around very slowly. She has heavy hair loss around the belly.
This is a high energy very exciteable dog that has been reduced to the energy levels of very senior dogs.
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I'm not a vet but the first possibility that occurred to me was hypothyroid. This would explain the extreme lack of energy and loss of hair. It can also make the animal sensitive to cold and subject to infections, as explained here. The test shouldn't be expensive.
That said, if the idea occurred to me, I'm sure a vet would have thought of it too and may have ruled it out without needing to do a test. Still, I think it's worth asking the vet if hypothyroid is a possibility.
I suggest your friend clip the dog's toenails, as walking on them will probably be uncomfortable.
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