Anorexic Miniature Poodle Please HELP.

by Carmel Breen
(Pallasgreen, Limerick, Ireland)

I purchased Fraggle my 14 month old min Poodle at 11 wks of age. He seemed healthy and happy not over or under weight. The next day I brought him to my vet as he was due his final vaccination shot. The breeder reared him on Eukanuba puppy and tripe. I continued feeding him Eukanuba puppy food and it was apparent he didn't have much interest in it or a big appetite but as he was seemingly healthy I dismissed him as a small eater.

At about 6 months of age he seemed to be eating very little following this he started to lose weight. Blood tests showed an elevation in liver enzymes consequent tests and scans didn't find a suspected liver shunt. In the meantime I had resorted to forcefeeding him 4 times a day as he was now refusing any kind of food dog food, human, cooked, raw, bones etc. Over the following months he made little or no improvement yet amazingly was in good spirits and had loads of energy to run around with my papillon and border collie (by this stage his body condition was very emaciated).
About 2 months ago all his organs were x rayed they were sent to specialists for a second opinion. Again all appeared normal they did however pick up on an abnormality on his spine saying it looked slightly deformed but didn't seem to think it has any signigicance to his anorexia.

While he is now starting to eat some food he is still in a very emaciated state and doesn't appear to be gaining any weight. I am due back in the vets in the next couple of days. I'm just wondering has anyone had an experience like this or know any reason for it?? I am very worried for him and just wish to find a resolution to my problem. I don't know if this is significant but I was told back secondhand (not from the breeder) that when the litter was born the mother dog didn't produce milk until she was brought to her vet for an injection. Also I have since heard that his paternal grandfather has epilepsy. These are probably insignificant but I'm clutching to anything that may help me find an answer. Any advice or information or confirmation that someone else out there has had a dog like this would be very much appreciated.
Carmel