Cause of fatigue in 5 yr old Yorkie...so worried

[cinnamonmon]

I am so concerned about Cinnamon. She is almost 5 and seems to have no energy left. She has been this way for awhile but since she is one of 3...sometimes its hard to keep up with them.She is the youngest of the 3 but has the least energy. She doesnt ever play anymore. Even a short walk seems to leave her tired. She seems older most days than my 11 yr old Maltese.
Healthwise she is overweight...about 9 lbs. She does have what i believe are environmental allergies and is on medication sporadically through the year when things flare up. She also has luxating patellas and has had a couple incidents of pancreatitis. I did have major bloodwork done a few years ago because of her allergies which didnt find anything wrong ($250) She also pants alot in the summer but I just thought it was her being overweight a little.
I have tried so hard to be a good dog mom to her. I have gone between home feeding and high quality dog food...neither seems to make a difference. I have tried vitamins, but struggled to get them in her. I get regular vet care but cant afford to get expensive tests done as my husband has been unemployed for a year and we are trying to survive on my salary alone.

This dog is my heart and is especially precious to me as I just sent my last child off to college. I want to do what is best for her but cant imagine going to the vet with this vague complaint. I can imagine him ordering a bunch of expensive tests which will probably tell me nothing. I dont know what to do.

So, at 5, should my dog still be playful and full of energy? Am i looking for trouble here? What kind of things could this possibly be so if I do go to the vet at least I have some direction? I am a nurse and have tried to think of al the things it could be in a human (none of them good) but dont know if this would be true for a dog. Any advice would be appreciated. I want this dog in my life for alot longer but she doesnt seem to be that happy right now.

[kalina82]

well first things first i would get your dog on a diet pronto. being overweight with bad knees is no fun. she may not want to run around and play because the extra weight is too much for her knees.

i don't know what else to tell you because nothing besides the weight problem stands out as something to work on. The allergies can be a problem too, if she doesn't feel well she won't want to play either.

[MyFairLacy]

Bloodwork done a few years ago doesn't mean something hasn't changed since then. My main recommendation is to have her thyroid tested. Hypothyroid is very common and symptoms are weight gain and fatique/sluggishness. If she's hypothyroid, she can easily be treated with inexpensive medication. If thyroid comes back normal, I'd redo all bloodwork. It could also be that she just needs to lose weight...a healthy weight can really make a difference in activity level of a dog.

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by kalina82

well first things first i would get your dog on a diet pronto. being overweight with bad knees is no fun. she may not want to run around and play because the extra weight is too much for her knees.

i don't know what else to tell you because nothing besides the weight problem stands out as something to work on. The allergies can be a problem too, if she doesn't feel well she won't want to play either.

Originally Posted by MyFairLacy

Bloodwork done a few years ago doesn't mean something hasn't changed since then. My main recommendation is to have her thyroid tested. Hypothyroid is very common and symptoms are weight gain and fatique/sluggishness. If she's hypothyroid, she can easily be treated with inexpensive medication. If thyroid comes back normal, I'd redo all bloodwork. It could also be that she just needs to lose weight...a healthy weight can really make a difference in activity level of a dog.

Totally agree.
A diet is necessary as well as restricted jumping.
If you can't afford all the blood work, it is good to start with the thyroid.
If it comes back normal though, the rest would need to be done.
It really all should be done anyway.

[cinnamonmon]

thanks for the answers. I thought about the thyroid but also read that it is very rare in toy breeds. I will ask my vet though and if he thinks it is a possibility I will do it. I think its easy to say to get all the rest of the tests, but frankly I dont have the money to just let them guess as to what may be wrong. I take good care of my dogs but with only one income...I have to make choices. If they are sick , they go to the vet, I find a way to pay...but its hard to justify spending money without at least some direction to go on which is why I asked for some ideas.
I am thankful for vet care but I also know there are times I have been ripped off...for instance 2 weeks ago my 11 yr old Maltese had a second bout of diarrhea and vomiting in 3 weeks. The first time they gave her fluids, meds, and charged $75, which I was glad to pay. The second time they did the same things, but also added expensive xrays and special blood tests. (a total bill of $250) If theY had taken a more cautious approach and even waited till the next day, she was completely better and didnt need those tests. I am getting more and more cautious about running to the vet. I want to save the limited money I have for when I really need it, in a emergency . thanks for all the suggestions. i am making an appointment for next week.

[MyFairLacy]

Originally Posted by cinnamonmon

thanks for the answers. I thought about the thyroid but also read that it is very rare in toy breeds. I will ask my vet though and if he thinks it is a possibility I will do it. I think its easy to say to get all the rest of the tests, but frankly I dont have the money to just let them guess as to what may be wrong. I take good care of my dogs but with only one income...I have to make choices. If they are sick , they go to the vet, I find a way to pay...but its hard to justify spending money without at least some direction to go on which is why I asked for some ideas.
I am thankful for vet care but I also know there are times I have been ripped off...for instance 2 weeks ago my 11 yr old Maltese had a second bout of diarrhea and vomiting in 3 weeks. The first time they gave her fluids, meds, and charged $75, which I was glad to pay. The second time they did the same things, but also added expensive xrays and special blood tests. (a total bill of $250) If theY had taken a more cautious approach and even waited till the next day, she was completely better and didnt need those tests. I am getting more and more cautious about running to the vet. I want to save the limited money I have for when I really need it, in a emergency . thanks for all the suggestions. i am making an appointment for next week.

Hypothyroidism is very common in dogs period. There are certain breeds that are even more prone to it, but it's not uncommon in toy breeds. In fact I have a friend whose 3 year old yorkie was just diagnosed this past summer..he didn't really even have many symptoms other than hair loss and it not growing well. His vet decided to test his thyroid just in case and it did come back low. I can't tell you for sure without a test but I really think hypothyroidism is a good posibility and a feasible place to start. A thyroid test shouldn't cost too much..it will take a couple days to get results. And if it is hypothyroidism, fortunately it's inexpensive to treat (although it's a treatment for life).