Hi, folks! New poster here - please be gentle!
I'm not a new greyhound owner. I'm on my third and forth currently and have rescued hounds for something like 18 years.
I've got one of those weird situations, though, so I thought I'd look for advice from fellow houndies
So, my oldest boy is 12 and a half and over the past year has had a bladder infection and a rat bite that went nasty (poked his head in a neighbours hedge - came out with a rat on his face!) so diet got a little messed up, but he was back on normal food (Arden Grange kibble, softened with hot water and some Chappie wet food mixed in) and stomach all good. A little over a year ago he had a cancerous growth removed, but they got it all and he recovered fine.
2 or 3 months ago though he started skipping meals - just looking and walking away or even not bothering to look. He would get the odd bout of runny poops for seemingly no reason (I know that just happens with greys, but more often than usual this time), but then get better. Went back to eating. Went off it again. I did the usual of adding a little interest (cooked chicken, sardines etc) but that seemed to result in upset stomach (as we know it does with some) which is worse than not eating much.
Over the period he's lost 3 kilos, (was 31kg normally) so is looking a little skinny. It seemed to be getting worse, so I went to the vets for blood and urine tests. Nothing.
What makes me think it's senility or something is recently I've found he will turn his nose up at his food, but be interested in what the humans are eating. Not unusual, but it means he must actually be hungry I thought. For some reason I thought to try him on the dry kibble alone. He took it when I hand fed him and then ate some if I lead my hand to a bowl of dry kibble. He ate it slowly so not too worried about choking... The last couple of days, though, he won't even eat it from a bowl, but will if I hand feed him! Just today he won't take a whole load from my hand but will eat one after the other from my fingers!
It's feels like if his brain thinks it's a 'treat' situation he'll keep doing it over and over, on doggy autopilot, but a 'food' situation he can't be bothered with.
I know dogs don't starve themselves and usually, if a dog doesn't eat for a meal or two, it's ok (in fact starving them when they have upsets is what some do), but this has happened for too long and too often to just let him 'get hungry' to force him back to eating what we know his gut is good with (or has been for many years).
I'm not sure if I'm explaining it well, but hopefully you've read this far through my waffle and might have some advice for me?
I'm quite worried, since I've been through something similar before. My previous girl lasted until 14 but in the last few months went through something very similar. Nothing was 'wrong' wrong with her, but she lost her appetite in conjunction with upset stomach and slowly disappeared. We had lots of tests done because we didn't want to give up on her, but I get the feeling we maybe kept her around too long. She was effectively starving and weak and unhappy a lot of the time. The vets basically said "She's old. Her guts just aren't working well any more" and eventually, with nothing left to test or try, we made 'that decision'.
My current boy is mostly still himself - some senior moments, but still enjoying walks and cuddles and bounding up the stairs at bed time. I know he's quite old and they don't last forever. I just want to give him the best quality life I can no matter how much he has left.
Vet-wise I guess my next step can only be ultrasounds and x-rays (and MRI?) but I'm not sure what would show up that doesn't show up at all in bloods and urine.
Anyone have any advice? At the moment I'm doing the hand feeding kibble and giving him a paste probiotic twice a day. I'm hoping if his gut feels better he will just start eating his normal food again.
Anyone have this experience themselves? Is it 'normal' for a grey to get senile and/or go off their food? What would you do re. feeding?
Thanks in advance for any and all advice!