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Buddy's Appetite Is Diminishing....


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Buddy was doing so well. He still is, basically; but his appetite seems to be lessening. :( He still needs to get some weight back on!

 

I am wondering if it is one or more of his meds...he is taking rimadyl, tramadol, and gabapentin, and I notice that rimadyl and tramadol can both diminish the appetite....

 

I just wonder which one it is. He is going for blood work on Monday, to check his liver and kidney values. I am hoping we can discontinue the rimadyl. He's taken it without problems before, but only for maybe two weeks at a time. He's been on it since Jan. 31st this time.

 

 

Phoebe (Belle's Sweetpea) adopted 9/2/13.

Jack (BTR Captain Jack) 9/28/05--11/2/12
Always missing Buddy, Ruby, and Rascal.

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Well, he just heaved up what he ate for breakfast. :(

 

I think I will be calling the vet today to see about discontinuing something. Poor old guy.

 

Did I mention how happy I am that I gave him tuna this morning? :sick

Phoebe (Belle's Sweetpea) adopted 9/2/13.

Jack (BTR Captain Jack) 9/28/05--11/2/12
Always missing Buddy, Ruby, and Rascal.

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Is he getting any tummy meds like pepcid or carafate? Those could help a good bit.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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Is he getting any tummy meds like pepcid or carafate? Those could help a good bit.

No, he isn't getting anything like that. What would be the proper dosage?

 

I do have a call in to the neurologist's office, as our regular vet is out of town this week. They talked about removing the rimadyl from his medication mix anyway, so maybe we will try that.

 

Does tramadol upset the stomach, too? Anyone know?

Phoebe (Belle's Sweetpea) adopted 9/2/13.

Jack (BTR Captain Jack) 9/28/05--11/2/12
Always missing Buddy, Ruby, and Rascal.

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We give Beau needed 20mg of pepcid in the morning and 1 carafate every 8 hours.

 

 

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Is he getting any tummy meds like pepcid or carafate? Those could help a good bit.

No, he isn't getting anything like that. What would be the proper dosage?

 

I do have a call in to the neurologist's office, as our regular vet is out of town this week. They talked about removing the rimadyl from his medication mix anyway, so maybe we will try that.

 

Does tramadol upset the stomach, too? Anyone know?

 

Most any of those meds *can* upset the stomach but rimadyl (or any NSAID) and antibiotics are the prime offenders. Procedure here when using those types of meds is:

 

- Give 10mg famotidine (one regular-strength Pepcid)

- Wait 30-40 minutes

- Feed meal

- Give other meds as soon as meal done

 

That's assuming meds don't have to be given on an empty stomach; rimadyl, tramadol, and most antibiotics don't.

 

I don't like to give Pepcid more than twice a day unless vet recommends more.

 

You can ask vet about carafate. I prefer the Pepcid regime but needs/results vary with these meds. Good luck!

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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Is he getting any tummy meds like pepcid or carafate? Those could help a good bit.

No, he isn't getting anything like that. What would be the proper dosage?

 

I do have a call in to the neurologist's office, as our regular vet is out of town this week. They talked about removing the rimadyl from his medication mix anyway, so maybe we will try that.

 

Does tramadol upset the stomach, too? Anyone know?

 

Most any of those meds *can* upset the stomach but rimadyl (or any NSAID) and antibiotics are the prime offenders. Procedure here when using those types of meds is:

 

- Give 10mg famotidine (one regular-strength Pepcid)

- Wait 30-40 minutes

- Feed meal

- Give other meds as soon as meal done

 

 

 

That's assuming meds don't have to be given on an empty stomach; rimadyl, tramadol, and most antibiotics don't.

 

I don't like to give Pepcid more than twice a day unless vet recommends more.

 

You can ask vet about carafate. I prefer the Pepcid regime but needs/results vary with these meds. Good luck!

Thanks for the information. Fortunately he is not on antibiotics anymore.

 

I would much prefer to dose him on your suggested regimen, but sometimes it just isn't possible. My DH goes to work pretty early (7:00 usually, sometimes even earlier!), and I really need him here to help me. He opens Buddy's mouth while I put the pill-filled cream cheese ball back in his throat. I really cannot do it myself. So he generally gets his meds BEFORE he eats. Then he loses his appetite....

I think perhaps we will try giving him the pills AFTER he eats, in the evenings at least. I will have to give some thought to how to handle the morning pills.

He is just not ready to eat as soon as he gets up, even when he isn't on meds. :(

Edited by rascalsmom

Phoebe (Belle's Sweetpea) adopted 9/2/13.

Jack (BTR Captain Jack) 9/28/05--11/2/12
Always missing Buddy, Ruby, and Rascal.

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Pepcid really helps here.

After all he's been through he just has to feel better!

Yes, I agree! He was doing SO WELL, his appetite was wonderful, and now this. I just hope maybe taking the rimadyl out will help, if they say to do that, and I'm going to get some pepcid, too. I just hate the thought of shoving yet another pill down his throat. :( He "checks" every tidbit I give him for pills now. This morning he wouldn't even eat his post-pill pieces of chicken.

Phoebe (Belle's Sweetpea) adopted 9/2/13.

Jack (BTR Captain Jack) 9/28/05--11/2/12
Always missing Buddy, Ruby, and Rascal.

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Pepcid really helps here.

After all he's been through he just has to feel better!

Yes, I agree! He was doing SO WELL, his appetite was wonderful, and now this. I just hope maybe taking the rimadyl out will help, if they say to do that, and I'm going to get some pepcid, too. I just hate the thought of shoving yet another pill down his throat. :( He "checks" every tidbit I give him for pills now. This morning he wouldn't even eat his post-pill pieces of chicken.

 

I would be concerned about stopping the Rimadyl only because he may need it for pain. I do what Batmom suggests, I give the pepcid 30 min before meds and food.

Just an idea about giving the meds, it might be easier if you slip them in cream cheese or even ice cream. That tends to slide right down.

Misty is on a lot of meds so I just can't bring myself to shove them down her throat so the cream cheese and ice cream has been a God send.

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Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12

 

 

:candle For the sick, the lost, and the homeless

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Sugar was on so many pills (heart meds, arthritis meds, thyroid meds) that I just added a pepcid to the lot, and she got everything after her food. I figured, since she was getting it regularly, it didn't matter if it was after the food. It did help her a lot. I hope Buddy is feeling better!

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Guest ChasesMum

poor dude!

 

slices of soft processed cheese (Velveeta, etc) we call "magic cheese" around here. When George was at his worst, he would still eat a little of that around his Tramadol.

 

(not remembering if he can have this but...) What about something more tempting like a McD's cheeseburger or something in the fridge to use for his morning meds?

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Sending prayers. Feel better real soon sweetie. :grouphug :grouphug

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Ah, Buddy, it's counterproductive, you know, to fight your Mom with those pills. Please eat, sweetie. We're worried about you.

 

 

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put the pills in a fig newton. he should like it.

He really checks EVERYTHING we give him out of our hands. :( If he finds a pill, then he tucks his tail and it is really more traumatic on him than simply shoving them down his throat. So that's what we do. Put the pills in a ball of cream cheese, roll in parmesan for easy handling. That way, he doesn't have the actual pill stuck in his throat, melting and tasting bad.

 

Anyway....the vet tech FINALLY called back around 5:30 yesterday (the doctor wasn't in). She told me to STOP the rimadyl. In the meantime I had gotten a pepcid into him about an hour before I put his dinner down, fed him dinner, then gave him the tramadol and gabapentin. And the good news is, with only THREE pills to give him, I can get them ALL in one cheese ball, so only have to shove ONE thing down his throat! He was fine...did not vomit, even begged while we ate dinner! That's my boy!! :thumbs-up

 

The technician did recommend getting him checked over. Our regular vet is out of town this week, and Buddy was supposed to go for blood work on Monday (23rd) there....the tech suggested I bring him to them TODAY, and they might even do the blood work then, which would save me a trip to the regular vet. DH and I talked it over and that's what we're going to do....take him to the neurologist today, have him rechecked, hopefully just get the blood work done then--although I question if he really needs the blood work now, since we are discontinuing the rimadyl....will talk to the doc about that today.

 

Just let me say...I do not know how some of you deal with really, really serious illness (such as osteo) in your dogs. This has been so hard for me. Those of you who've been through much worse certainly have my undying admiration. :grouphug:wubsite

 

And many, many thanks to all of you for your continued support and suggestions!!

Edited by rascalsmom

Phoebe (Belle's Sweetpea) adopted 9/2/13.

Jack (BTR Captain Jack) 9/28/05--11/2/12
Always missing Buddy, Ruby, and Rascal.

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He ate his breakfast, too! Well, he didn't eat the FIRST breakfast I offered him...kibble with ground beef and some Nutro beef & rice chunks canned food....so I gave him a bowl of kibble with Chicken Soup canned food on it, and he liked that better! Talk about finicky! :lol At least he ate, that's all I care about....

 

 

 

Phoebe (Belle's Sweetpea) adopted 9/2/13.

Jack (BTR Captain Jack) 9/28/05--11/2/12
Always missing Buddy, Ruby, and Rascal.

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He ate his breakfast, too! Well, he didn't eat the FIRST breakfast I offered him...kibble with ground beef and some Nutro beef & rice chunks canned food....so I gave him a bowl of kibble with Chicken Soup canned food on it, and he liked that better! Talk about finicky! :lol At least he ate, that's all I care about....

 

Buddy, thank you for making my morning brighter!!

Claudia-noo-siggie.jpg

Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12

 

 

:candle For the sick, the lost, and the homeless

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