This Is Not Working- Beau Is Not Eating

[dmswartzfager]

Just chiming in here re: cooking of chicken. I have done it- cooked chicken leg quarters in the crock pot on low overnight. The bones do turn to mush, and I used a potato masher to break up the bone. I believe I poured off the fat as it accumulated, though I don't remember - it's been about two years. There was an article in he Winter 2006 edition of Celebrating Greyhounds with some recipes.

[Guest SoulsMom]

BTW- poops were still soft serve.

 

And... labs came back "normal"

 

DA*N. I had hoped he could be treated with enzymes or something easy but easy doesn't work in our lives right now.

 

Have I said DA*N yet?????

 

Well, normal is good, at least they didn't tell you something dreadful. Same situation here, everything is "normal" but he poops blood. . . . Argh!

 

So glad to hear he's eating again!

[Guest Tenderhearts]

I cook up a batch of the Isaac's Stew once a month to add to Raven's kibble and to keep weight on her 15 1/2+ year old frame. The chicken is cooked on low for 24 hours in my crock pot, and the bones mash up nicely. She's actually put a little weight back on.

[Guest Greensleeves]

You can also use Tums as a calcium supplement. I'm not sure what the dosage is--your vets should know. Nelly (70 lbs) was getting 4 per day.

 

(I totally sympathize--I am NOT a cook, and yet there I was, cooking for Nell. :rolleyes)

[Guest pappiea]

Robin;

Your family and Beau have been in my prayers. Though I have not dealt with the type of problems you are currently facing, I wanted to add some information that might help. I have a 11.5 year old with chronic pain in her hips that has been treated with rimadyl and now on to tramadol. To protect her GI tract I have also used prilosec. Finch has always had a very poor appetite and with the meds it was even worse. One of the changes that I made was moving her prilosec to bedtime. It used to be part of her morning regime, but then I read something about how it works. The action is to block gastric acid formation, by waiting til morning, all night as the levels of this med were wearing off, she most likely experienced increase gastric acid. With this acid building during the night, it might have contributed to her issues in the morning. Breakfast is also her most troublesome meal. In changing the time of the med, it should be doing some of it's best work during the night and providing a nice well belly! Maybe someone else has had more experience, but it has helped Finch.

 

I used to do the recipie on CG and the slow cooker. It really works! I would put chicken breasts and quarters with water on low for 24 hours. I also took off most of the skin to help reduce the fat. The bones just mashed up real easy. Many times I just put them through the food processor. Once that was all mashed, we also added some veggies and brown rice. Then we made cakes, and kept them in the freezer. Unfortunately, after about 2 years, Finch became bored and would not have anything to do with the cakes.

 

Sending lots of healing light for Beau!

[RobinM]

BTW- poops were still soft serve.

 

And... labs came back "normal"

 

DA*N. I had hoped he could be treated with enzymes or something easy but easy doesn't work in our lives right now.

 

Have I said DA*N yet?????

 

Well, normal is good, at least they didn't tell you something dreadful. Same situation here, everything is "normal" but he poops blood. . . . Argh!

 

So glad to hear he's eating again!

 

If they were not normal ie: pancratic enzymes off, then all it would have been were the enzymes or vit b12 shots etc. So that's what I meant by da*n.

 

So, now we will wait to see if being off the meds he starts eating regulary, poops close to normal .. if not, we have to do the bx.

 

[Batmom]

Calcium is easy. If you or your dog eats eggs (but doesn't like to eat shells), rinse out shell; 30 seconds in microwave; if still wet, 30 more seconds in microwave; let cool; crush in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Instant calcium supplement, @ 1 eggshell per lb. of meat.

 

If not an egg household, calcium supplements are available at most any store that sells vitamins. Usually not a lot of crud added to a calcium supplement so generally odorless/tasteless; they can be crushed to powder just like eggshell, fed with peanutbutter, or for many dogs just dropped into the dish of food.

 

Over the short term, for a mature dog, you don't need to worry about it tho.

[Guest wmlcml6]

I cook Hope's chicken and steak on the George Foreman grill. Thaw it overnight, spray on some Pam, and bam, 5 minutes later you have a grilled meal for your baby. If you want to really get fancy, microwave some elbow macaroni (with extra Omega 3 and calcium) and then throw in other stuff like ricotta cheese, wheat germ, bee pollen, nutritional yeast and maybe some sweet potato or other veggie.

 

Like you, I really don't cook.

[Guest tricolorhounds]

If you are at all interested in cooking chicken in a crock pot, which I highly recommend as I have a couple that are getting pickier with time and this is their favorite dinner. And not only that but the smell/aroma of the cooking chicken stimulates their appetites. Mine are drooling by the time it's ready and will harass me until I fix their dinner.

 

You can pick up a large crock pot fairly inexpensively at Target or Wal-Mart... (and even if you only used it to make the famous chocolate crock pot cake, it would be worth it.)

 

I only cook the thighs!!! There is only one bone in the thigh piece that needs to be removed, so 12 pieces go in, 12 bones come out... I only cook our for 10-12 hours so the bones are not completely mushy... When you cook it 24 hours to the point of mushy bones, the chicken smells odd and not pleasant to have in the house.

 

 

In the beginning, I would stick to chicken only... once the appetites are back, you could consider adding more ingredients. I prefer barley over rice or potatos and I frequently add a bag of baby carrots.

 

 

This takes absolutely no skill... Less than 5 minutes to load the crock with chicken and water.... 12 hours cooking time, a little cooling time and then about 15 minutes to debone, serve and store the leftovers.

[RobinM]

Calcium is easy. If you or your dog eats eggs (but doesn't like to eat shells), rinse out shell; 30 seconds in microwave; if still wet, 30 more seconds in microwave; let cool; crush in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Instant calcium supplement, @ 1 eggshell per lb. of meat.

 

If not an egg household, calcium supplements are available at most any store that sells vitamins. Usually not a lot of crud added to a calcium supplement so generally odorless/tasteless; they can be crushed to powder just like eggshell, fed with peanutbutter, or for many dogs just dropped into the dish of food.

 

Over the short term, for a mature dog, you don't need to worry about it tho.

 

We do have eggs, but I don't know what a mortar or pestle is and I don't have coffee grinder a coffee grinder. I guess that is easy enough to get. I do know where bed bath and beyond is. I really don't do the kitchen so please bear with me.

 

I think I'd like to do the egg shell over the calcium supplement but by microwaving the shells to dry them out, won't I be destroying the vitamins???

[ahicks51]

We do have eggs, but I don't know what a mortar or pestle is and I don't have coffee grinder a coffee grinder. I guess that is easy enough to get. I do know where bed bath and beyond is. I really don't do the kitchen so please bear with me.

 

I think I'd like to do the egg shell over the calcium supplement but by microwaving the shells to dry them out, won't I be destroying the vitamins???

 

The important bit to eggshells is the calcium they contain; calcium is unaffected without heat WAY higher than what is found in the kitchen.

 

Really anything can be used to mash up the eggshells. A plate and the back of a spoon will do. The idea is to reduce it to a fine powder. If he's eating chicken without it, as Batmom has noted, it's not important at this stage for an adult dog. You don't want to do it for too long (several days), but right now it's calories and protein, not calcium, that's in shortest supply.

[Guest MomoftheFuzzy]

Robin, I'm so sorry to hear about this frustrating situation with your little boy, Beau.

 

Sending more positive vibes for him (and you)... sounds like you're getting some good advice.

 

Please let me know if you need anything or if I can pick up anything for you guys. I know I've been quite MIA lately, but I'm still here in Queens, still with a car, and I have a three-day weekend coming up this week so, after I move on Saturday, if there's anything I can do, just give me a holler. Hugs to you all.

 

[Remolacha]

I am so sorry to hear Beau is still not 100%

 

since he likes chicken, and you don't cook (I can relate ), have you tried the cooked rotisserie chickens at the grocery store? You'd have to pull off the skin, bones, and any fat, of course, but all my guys, cats and dogs, go nuts for that. The smell has them climbing over each other to get at it. I don't know if he likes turkey, but the same goes for the roasted turkey breast you can buy. I swear it has doggie (and kitteh) crack in it

 

and, unless you are veggies, if they don't like it, you can eat it!

[Guest Vinnie]

I am so sorry that you are still having issues with Beau's eating (or not eating). I understand the cooking for the pups - Mark usually does the cooking now of chicken and pork in the oven though they love the grilled chicken as well. I did find an easy way of grilling chicken and pork in the microwave and it still leaves it juicy - it's called a micro grill - and you can even cook from frozen. So even if you don't cook much, this is mostly the microwave doing everything for you - we just get boneless chicken fingers or breast and slice up pork chops to throw on there when I am at work and need something for our pups. Also, both pressure cookers (fast and easy and can use from frozen) and slow cookers will turn the chix bones to mush when cooked long enough. Takes very little time in the pressure cooker and we use an electric one that is a set and forget type thing as the stove ones scare the heck out of me. Whatever your choices, just wanted to let you know we have you all in our thoughts and prayers. Sending hugs and scritches.

[Guest greydogluvr]

Thinking of you and Beau today

[Guest Hollys2hounds]

Hi Robin,

Thinking of you and Beau.

How is your boy doing today?

 

[RobinM]

Thanks all. I haven't updated since we are at more of the same...and it's redundant. There have been some slight improvemnets.

 

He is now only on prilosec 1st thing in the morning. He is now eating breakfast which is grilled chicken breast. Not a lot, maybe 3/4 cup. This is about 7:30 AM.

DH is NOT feeding him when he gets home but we are making him wait till 5 ish pm to eat and he is. He won't finish it so I give him the rest at about 8.

 

His poops are still liquid. Soft serve.

 

I know he only lost 3 pounds, however when you look at him, his face looks sunken and his body looks much thinner. He is not well and there is something definitely wrong. I know my boy.

 

We will give it another 5 days and if no change, we will have to rethink which path to take.

Edited January 16, 2009 by RobinM

[mangos_mom]

Robin, I'm so sorry to hear that Beau's not doing much better yet. No advice to offer, but keeping you and Beau in my thoughts and hoping for a turn-around soon.

[gracegirl]

Please keep us updated Robin. I hope there is a miraculous turnaround in the next 5 days for Beau.

[Guest Hannah]

: hugs for you all

 

when fluffy (cat) had liquid poop with her hyperthyroid we (after discussion with the vet) added arrowroot powder to her food.

its a flavourless powder you can buy from health food shops (and the supermarkets too here in the UK). I just mixed a heaped teaspoon into her wet food twice a day.

 

IIRC its a bit like cornflour in that it thickens things but it also slows the bowels down giving content more time to be digested and moisture extracted to form a firmer poop.

 

it might be worth a discussion with your vet, although with fluffy we knew there was nothing wrong with her guts, just the hyperthyroidism making the whole process work in overdrive (and give her an appetite to match).

[Guest IrskasMom]

 

 

Some more

[Guest vahoundlover]

Please keep us updated.

[Guest Billie]

Robin, how is Beau doing today?

[Guest greythopes]

I'm glad he's eating a little for you. Still praying for him.

[duncan41]

Sending prayers and hugs. Frustrating............................