Zastava's body condition/type

[Katyusharocket]

It could be related to both, the thyroid being under attack and her heat cycles since they are both hormonal and the thyroid can be affected by the heat cycle.

I can see that, now that you mention it. I also wonder to myself if the hair loss could be an allergy that is so slight that it only shows up during the hormone swings. This heat cycle has been notably less hair loss than the last one, and I kind of think that the blood plasma might have helped? I can't prove a thing, but, I can say that all of my dogs will have that supplement for life. It's also something very available to me at my work. I work in livestock feed and it's an ingredient in almost all feeds for piglets.

I would suggest seeing if your vet will prescribe a low dose of levothyroxine and re-test in 3 months. Not through OFA obviously, as they need to be off of meds for that, but through your vet to see what her values are. Also, observe if her coat improves over the next 3-6 months while on medication.

I will bring that up with one of her vets. I don't think it could hurt, and as I recall from a previous dog that needed it, it's very affordable. I think at our clinic, they will still have to send it off to an endocrinologist. After they saw these results they said that their in house test would have shown all normal results.

I figured with my vet that we wanted to preserve the thyroid early before it goes into failure, and it has worked so far for 3-4 years now! I have not had to increase dose either since she started that many years ago.

Even more reason for me to ask her vet about trying that.

 

[Katyusharocket]

Yeah that’s a good idea and let us know!

I weighed her this morning and she was 66 pounds and i re-measured her and she stands at 26 inches today.

 

[remy]

I think it was here, as I recall it but am not part of any other forum. It might be a few pages back in the Pepper thread, IIRC, and I think @remy put it out there, but I can't say for sure from memory. That was an educational diagram to see.

I think this may be what you’re referring to! It’s from the DPCA Illustrated Standard. It doesn’t depict Dobermans at different weights, but rather how different structure/amounts of “rib spring” looks.

 

[JanS]

Olive has a bit of a wasp waist and so did Della. Not glaringly bad in either one of them but you can see it.

 

[Katyusharocket]

I think this may be what you’re referring to! It’s from the DPCA Illustrated Standard. It doesn’t depict Dobermans at different weights, but rather how different structure/amounts of “rib spring” looks.

Yep, that is the one I had pictured when it was mentioned. Thanks for re-posting that here!

 

[Ravenbird]

Olive has a bit of a wasp waist and so did Della. Not glaringly bad in either one of them but you can see it.

I prefer that wasp waist look to the "correct" look personally. But the sketch I think is referring to spring of rib. But I still like it better than the first illustration!

 

[Katyusharocket]

I prefer that wasp waist look to the "correct" look personally. But the sketch I think is referring to spring of rib. But I still like it better than the first illustration!

I prefer the wasp waist look, too, more than any of the others. I guess using that illustration, I would call Z the wasp waist. I did spend some time today looking at her medical records, and her vets have always noted her body condition as ideal, so maybe I am overthinking it. Also with her gaining about 3 pounds since February, i guess the increased kibble is working, I just don't notice it, seeing her all the time.