ZoomDoggy
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Looks like a corn. But if you're lucky in that it doesn't bother her, I'd just leave it be.
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Lookit that wee little dollface! Adorable!
Oh, and welcome to Greytalk.
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You can try offering various things like boiled beef with brown rice, boiled turkey, baby food, etc. (you'll find many suggestions on novel foods here, no doubt)
But if nothing else works...
Having all-too-recently been through the not-eating thing with my Marla, I can tell you that if no foods can tempt your pup, and you don't want to shove food down her throat, syringe-feeding is not as bad as you might fear. Your pharmacist can give you an oral syringe, and you can puree the dogfood in a processor or blender with chicken broth until it's a nice smooth liquid. Then, one syringe-full at a time, slowly squirt the food into the side of her mouth, between her teeth. With Marla, once the liquid food hit her tongue, she started just licking and swallowing. I adjusted the speed of my syringe-plunging to accord with the speed of her swallowing. She didn't seem to mind being fed this way at all, even though there was no food left on earth that she would eat on her own.
The advantage I found to doing this rather than continuing to scour the earth for more novel foods for her to reject (after four weeks, you run out of ideas), was that this way I could return her to the consistent diet that worked well for her, and it cleared up the diarrhea she got from eating so much weird stuff all the time. The downside is that it is time consuming, and it takes a lot of syringe-fulls to equal the amount of food a dog must eat daily in order to maintain weight. Many small meals daily, is what I did.
Good luck.
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I'm so sorry you're going through this. Darcy sounds like an amazingly strong girlie. Here's hoping for a quick recovery.
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I was forced to let my little Marla go tonight.
Yesterday she was weaker, and had intermittant spells of wheezing. Today her breathing became very ragged and difficult, she couldn't breathe while laying down, and she stopped being able to hold down food and meds. I brought her in for new xrays, and it showed that the lung mass had grown huge, taking up most of one side of her ribcage and atached itself to her sternum.
My poor little black velvet girlie, my little Marzie-doates...
I'll create another remembrance thread later. I just can't bear it right now.
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... one way we found to get him to eat was changing the way we served him.
Interestingly, that is how I lured both Sissy and Chancy into eating when they were sick. What they wouldn't touch from their bowls became a delicacy when served on a small plate. It worked surprisingly well for whatever reason.
: Doesn't work with Marla, sadly. And Cynthia, thanks for the link. I'd read that before, but currently I prefer to syringe-feed even though it takes longer, as long as she doesn't fight me on it, rather than cramming chunks of food down her throat against her will.
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A less good day today. Last night after I gave Marla her cipro and tramadol, I offered her a little frozen yogurt. But I accidentally let her swallow about a teaspoon of it whole, which caused her to vomit (the same happened last time I accidentally let her swallow ice cream, rather than just licking it).
I was unable to identify either of the pills I'd just given her in the vomit, and feared ODing her if I re-pilled her. So I'm fairly certain in retrospect she didn't absorb the Tramadol, which resulted in a restless night. Marla stirred and repositioned herself often, and is breathing a little harder today. I hoped the morning dose of Tramadol would help, but hasn't so far. 
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I have a tiny piece of good news: Last night Marla ate a small scoop of frozen yogurt, four tiny nibbles from my pepperoni pizza, and three spoonfuls of Auntie Carole's home-made doggie pasta salad.
I'm still syringe-feeding her the kibble/supplement soup, but the fact she ate something without me shoving it into her, I call that progress, however minimal. She also had monster moose-dookeys on our am walk today, so I feel reassured that I'm giving her the volume of food she needs to try and regain some weight.
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Yes, just like with people that haven't been eating for a while - tummies shrink, and need disappears.
i'm assuming she's older, and also pickier. And there are also medical issues at work here. But if she is showing life, and wanting to eat, then you can get her to eat.
small meals througout the days. cooked foods - usually proteins like eggs, meats. parmesan cheese, or garlic powder on things. i also use an organic chicken broth on something. evo kibble is good too.
1. find an acupuncturist - there are points that will trigger her food need - www.ahvma.org is one web site that lists them. this works.
2. treats - dried liver is something they all usually love. chicken jerky. all natural proteins are good treats for them, and they usually like.
hope this helps.
claudia
Thank you for the suggestions. I really have tried most of the foods you've listed already, and many others. Nothing tempts her anymore. I still offer her various things each day, but nothing passes her lips anymore except syringed food and pills.
She wasn't picky at all until six weeks ago. She was a regular drooling little glutton. 
: At first I'd thought it was behavioral/depression, since we'd lost our Chancy the week before Marla started refusing food. But bloodwork and xrays two weeks ago revealed fluid and a mass in her lungs. I haven't tried acupuncture for her yet though, that's one I hadn't thought of... Thanks!
ETA: I forgot to add, Marla is ten years old.
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No, she won't voluntarily eat anything, liquid or otherwise.
Each time I syringe-feed her, I offer her the bowl, just to see... She won't even try it, just turns her head away. She hasn't even licked the spoon in two days. -
Well no major changes to report. No real progress, but no loss of ground either. Marla seems content to be syringe-fed for now. And now that I've returned her to her kibble & supplement diet (in liquid form, of course) her little bout of diarrhea has subsided. That's one small piece of good news, I guess.
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No, not yet. I spoke with the vet two days ago to ask about starting Tramadol. That seems to have helped a little, even though I don't know what hurts. Might go in for followup bloodwork next week to see if her WBC has changed since being on Cipro for two weeks now... Possibly new xrays then, to monitor the fluid...
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It's been about six weeks since Marla went off her food (short version: she has pneumonia and a possible mass on her lung). The first few weeks I cajoled and bribed her with various novel things only to have her routinely reject everything after one or two meals. I was finally reduced to feeding her baby food and yogurt, as it seemed that she just wouldn't eat any solid food or treat. After she decided to refuse that, the last few days I've been syringe-feeding her. I am liquefying her regular kibble with supplements and chicken broth and squirting it into her mouth many many times daily to try and keep her weight up. She doesn't seem to mind the feedings at all, in fact she may even kind of like it.
I think getting her back to her old kibble (even in liquid form) has helped her, calmed her upset bowels at least. This morning she even came into the kitchen (which she hasn't done in days) to ask for a treat. But when I offered her several different items in succession, she rejected each one. But she was drooling profusely all the while, just like she used to do when she wanted a treat.
So what gives? Has she forgotten how to eat solid foods? Is that even possible? I would SO love to see her just eat food again. I'm frankly exhausted from syringe-feeding her all the time!
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Oh honey, I'm so so sorry...
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I don't go to Banfield for the same reason I won't go to a VCA vet. Revolving-door vets who are overworked, used up and replaced so often you'd rarely see the same vet twice in a year. That's what I've witnessed.
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Well I've given up on the "appetite stimulant" medicine as it appears to do nothing for her. Marla hasn't eaten any solid food in several days, and hasn't voluntarily eaten anything since Monday evening. I've been syringe-feeding her. I've found a fairly easy way to liquefy her regular kibble, so at least I can get her old "regular" diet back into her. I'm hoping that helps her poor upset bowels (the baby food and yogurt diet with the cipro was starting to take a toll). She really doesn't seem to mind the syringe-feeding, but she doesn't even try to lick the bowl anymore.
I've sort of become resigned to the fact Marla may not ever get better. She's been off her food for about six weeks now. I'm now focusing on just keeping her steady and comfortable for as long as possible.
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Here's the progression I experienced with my Chancy:
With Chancy, I had noticed a hoarse sounding bark and back feet that always scuffed the ground when she walked from the time I adopted her at 10.5 years of age. I didn't think too much on it because she had other more pressing health concerns at the time. Once we got her stabilized overall, the hoarse bark and foot-scuffing continued. She couldn't "roo" but she'd try to join in if the others started, until she started to turn blue. I figured it was LP, but it wasn't really problematic then, as it only affected her voice, not her breathing. For the first 1.5 years I had her, it wasn't really a problem.
I tried chiropractic treatments and acupuncture for the walking probs, assuming it was LS, as xrays showed no other spinal or hip probs. To no avail. Then this past spring, as the weather got warmer, I noticed Chancy having significantly increased intolerance for temps above 70f. Panting and scuffing and becoming more wobbly on her feet.
Over the course of the following six months, Chancy's breathing became rapidly worse. It went from becoming out-of-breath just when walking outside, to becoming winded even when being indoors in the AC, to the point where she would gasp and wheeze and pant even when laying down trying to sleep. We had kept our house cooled to 72f all summer for her, and minimized her exercise and excitement as much as possible. It was so sad to not allow her to even be happy to see me arrive home, because even that much excitement would cause her to wheeze dangerously. I had many nights when I feared my sweet Chancy would suffocate in her/my sleep. I often laid awake just to listen to her harsh frantic gasping. Walks with Chancy that used to be brisk 2-mile strolls became painfully slow wobbly staggers around the block. I finally decided that despite her other unresolved health issues, I would risk the surgery because I couldn't stand the thought of doing nothing and allowing her to to suffocate to death.
The surgery went very well, as I said in my earlier post. There was nothing I could do to save her from her other medical problems, but at least I was able to help my poor sweet baby breathe easily again for a little while.
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I want to add, after reading the above, that my vet did not perform the surgery. A surgical specialist did, with my vet supervising the anesthesia.
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The back-end weakness could very well be related to the LP. From what I've read, it's quite common to see both occurring at the same time. They are both problems of the nerves and muscles not responding correctly. My Chancy had both as well. I did choose to do the tieback surgery after many months of the same agonizing you're doing right now. In our case, the unilateral tieback surgery was a success, but sadly Chancy had other physical problems going on with her spleen and liver that stole her from us only a few weeks later. My only regret about the tieback was that I should have done it sooner. My vet was very reluctant too, and talked me into waiting longer than I should have. We never figured out the causes of her liver and spleen issues, but at least she didn't suffocate.
I'm not trying to scare you. Just wanted you to know that if it were not for Chancy's other health problems, she would be breathing wonderfully and freely to this day. Audrey here on GT also has a senior (Darius) who had the same surgery as a senior. Fortunately, he had no other major health problems, so they have longer-term success than I did.
One important factor related to post-surgery complications, is whether your boy is commonly a barfer. Meaning, is he prone to vomiting often? Chancy was never a barfer, so I considered her risk of aspirate pneumonia to be low.
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I experienced this with my Chancy. I'll write more in detail later today, I promise. Don't lose hope.
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Maybe Dreamer and Marla are barking at each other in dreamland.
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Gorgeous boy. Happy birthday, beautiful.
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Mary, I tried cooking up some chicken livers last night. She ate about a tablespoon of it, minced up. I might try some more again later today. For breakfast she had one little jar of veal baby food with missing link added for nutrients, and 1/4 cup of yogurt. I had to syringe most of it into her, but she did enjoy licking the yogurt bowl at the end. I'd have liked to stay and feed her more, but I had to get to work. I did give her a Tramadol last night and this morning. It may have helped a little. It's hard to tell.
One interesting thing is, in the last few days, she seems to be having a lot of very loud yippy barky dreams. Wonder what that means.
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Oh, Aimee, just seeing the latest
Solid Gold's Green Tripe(canned) is smelly and may get her going.....I know this is so hard, believe me.
When we discovered Gypsy had a lung mass, she was still happy and playful, but they go so fast and the ultrasound showed much more was involved
Prayers for more good days and quality time
Lisa
Tried and rejected the green tripe already.
Still have 90% of the single can I opened in the fridge. May I ask, Did Gypsy show any symptoms besides not wanting to eat? I'm going crazy here trying to figure out if something else is in play here. Marla just doesn't show the classic signs of pneumonia.
We're not really having quality time now.
I'm spending almost every free moment trying to coax her to eat, or shoving medicines down her throat. I HATE that I'm having to do this again so damn soon after poor Chancy. I'm just having an impossible time accepting that Marla is terminally ill. I just can't make myself believe she won't bounce back and be my playful little stuffie-plucking black-velvet girlie anymore...What does a nervous breakdown feel like?
: Doesn't work with Marla, sadly. 
I was unable to identify either of the pills I'd just given her in the vomit, and feared ODing her if I re-pilled her. So I'm fairly certain in retrospect she didn't absorb the Tramadol, which resulted in a restless night. Marla stirred and repositioned herself often, and is breathing a little harder today. I hoped the morning dose of Tramadol would help, but hasn't so far. 
I'm still syringe-feeding her the kibble/supplement soup, but the fact she ate something without me shoving it into her, I call that progress, however minimal. 
: At first I'd thought it was behavioral/depression, since we'd lost our Chancy the week before Marla started refusing food. But bloodwork and xrays two weeks ago revealed fluid and a mass in her lungs. 
Darcy Deerhound
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
I'm glad to hear Darcy made it through the night with few problems. She will no doubt get up to "potty" when she needs to. It is amazing how long they can hold it though, esp when under duress, like post-surgery... or rainstorms.
