It's Flash

[patricia]

Ugh! Flash...my little chow hound the past few days has been off in the eating department. He just had his wellness exam and all was well with the exception of his elevated liver values. The only changes have been adding SamE and Milk Thistle to his medications. I thought he was tired of his Chicken Soup so gave him the girls Kirkland Lamb and Rice which he ate readily but just one meal and wouldn't eat it again. I am mixing everything under the sun in his food to get him to eat. HOWEVER...he eats his cookies...bones...and wants and will eat my food? It kind of reminds me what we went through with Angel Sophia in her senior years. All body functions are working normal and he is acting normal. Should I just do the tough love thing and pick his food up until his next meal and hope after a few times of doing this he will be hungry and eat again? Ugh...it's so frustrating and it takes me forever to get a meal into him.

 

Things aren't getting any better. Flash refuses ALL kibble and trust me I have bought it all...he won't take the Nutritional Yeast...I found EVO in Wheaton so I drove there yesterday and picked it up...he likes it...but will only take a few bites if I hand feed him. He is pooping and peeing and wanting his bones and cookies and of course my food. I really don't know what he is pooping out as he isn't taking much in. He checked out good at the vet as far as no weight loss or temperature...teeth are good. She wants me to stop the Milk Thistle and SamE to see if this makes any difference...and put him on Carafate three times a day. If he isn't much better on Thursday he will be having x-rays and an ultrasound. The fear is that something is going on in his liver with his elevated liver levels. It's hard to see them age.

Edited May 5, 2009 by patricia

[TheFullHouse]

Been there and done that Patti. I know how totally frustrating it is. The only thing that got Emmy eating again was Nutritional Yeast. It nothing but B vitamins and stimulates the appetite. You can try some. I just put it in Emmy's food and she loved it (Thanks Claudia)! I hope he starts eating again for you. You've got so much on your plate right now.

[Guest Energy11]

Our Cari did that for THE LONGEST time! It started when we moved from Florida last year. She would eat all the treats, but NO food. We ended up MIXING high quality, ground up treats in her regular food, which helped greatly.

 

Today, she is fine. She LOVES all varietys of the Merrick Food. Sooo, you never know.

 

If yours is eating the treats, I might try grinding them up and putting in the Chicken Soup food.

 

Good luck! D

[MP_the4pack]

Pearl's like that too. She take 7 different meds (a total of 18 pills a day) and some are a little hard on her tummy. So her appetite isn't always the best. She used to be a magician like her sister and made her food disappear. But over the years as we added meds, her appetite decreased.

 

Luckily she still craves liver (which is what she gets her morning meds in) and PB, which she gets her evening meds in. She'll still eat people food too, so if I have leftovers and they gets some, I might put her meds in there instead. But she's very blah with dog food. And I change all the time.

 

 

 

[Jiffer]

Ours have been on their "Ain't gunna eat" kick this week. It always happens in conjunction with spring and warm weather. After a week or so, they do start to eat normally again. Odd how treats are not affected by this phenomenon.

 

What about giving him a bit of scrambled eggs?

[Burpdog]

Get some EVO canned and see how he does!

 

Sending prayers.

[CaliforniaGreys]

I sure am in favor of the Nutritional Yeast, no doubt about that.

Misty's liver enzymes are elevated, and white baked Tilapia was suggested for a liver diet.

I don't know what it is about that fish, but it's what Misty will eat and it's a clean fish and very easy on the liver.

Please try it Patti, it's also what RobinM used to get Beau to eat

 

Wayne wants the Flahman to know he really misses him and he wants his friend to eat, please!

[nyGreys]

Oh Patti, we'll be sending prayers for our Flashy. Hope it's just a little upset tummy.

Abby does this quite often & with her being 11 this year, it really worries me.

Eat your food Flashman. :hope For all you're going through Patti,

he's some hugs. :grouphug

Edited April 30, 2009 by nyGreys

[robinw]

i'm facing the same problem with Loca, probably because of the meds she's been on. the only thing i can coax her to eat is by nature 100% organic chicken or turkey. it's just chicken or turkey with well water.

[Guest KyGrey]

Oh Patti, I have never tried it but I have heard the nutritional yeast is the bomb. I hope he starts eating again soon.

Do you think he is feeling the stress of the household? That might upset him. I'm just guessing at why my little buddy won't eat.

Sending prayers to Flashman and the whole family.

 

 

I miss you.

[RobinM]

Have you tried Tripette?

 

I feel your pain. I have had 2 dogs who refuse food and it's maddeing.

 

 

[Guest jade1046]

I'm having the same problem with my Bizzie - for about the past six months or so she will eat treats and people food but turns her nose up at her regular food. I kid you not, I have 12 different kinds of dry food in the house! Sometimes if I mix in enough people food (like ground beef and gravy) she'll eventually eat it. And when I leave for work I put her food in two kongs sealed with peanut butter and most of the time she'll eat it that way, but that's probably less than a cup of food total. If she eats 1 or 1-1/2 cups a day I'm ecstatic. I give her good quality treats, so I guess that makes up some of her diet, but I don't over do. This is a girl that used to inhale her food and then try to eat Minnie's. I marvel every day when she has two good sized poops - where does it come from when you don't eat? She's not losing any weight and seems perfectly happy otherwise. Am I crazy to even worry about it?

 

Could someone please tell me more about Nutritional Yeast - where do you get it, what form is it in, and how much do you give? Thanks!

 

Edited to say to Patricia that I hope Flash will be okay - you really don't need any more to worry about right now. I'll be praying for your daughter and all of your family at this difficult time.

Edited April 30, 2009 by jade1046

[CaliforniaGreys]

I'm having the same problem with my Bizzie - for about the past six months or so she will eat treats and people food but turns her nose up at her regular food. I kid you not, I have 12 different kinds of dry food in the house! Sometimes if I mix in enough people food (like ground beef and gravy) she'll eventually eat it. And when I leave for work I put her food in two kongs sealed with peanut butter and most of the time she'll eat it that way, but that's probably less than a cup of food total. If she eats 1 or 1-1/2 cups a day I'm ecstatic. I give her good quality treats, so I guess that makes up some of her diet, but I don't over do. This is a girl that used to inhale her food and then try to eat Minnie's. I marvel every day when she has two good sized poops - where does it come from when you don't eat? She's not losing any weight and seems perfectly happy otherwise. Am I crazy to even worry about it?

 

Could someone please tell me more about Nutritional Yeast - where do you get it, what form is it in, and how much do you give? Thanks!

 

Edited to say to Patricia that I hope Flash will be okay - you really don't need any more to worry about right now. I'll be praying for your daughter and all of your family at this difficult time.

 

The Nutritional Yeast is available at most health food stores. Some carry it in bulk and some carry the cans. Either is good but don't let them sell you Brewers Yeast and say it's the same.

It comes in flakes and has a cheesy taste to it so it's usually appealing to the dogs. It's loaded with the B vitamins to enhance the appetite.

It has B-1,B-2,B-3,B-6,B-12 along with lots of other things, but I think it's all the B's that get the appetite going.

I sprinkle it all over the food but always let them get a taste of it first to entice them

[greysmom]

Flashman yu gots to EET!!!! Yuz iz makin yuz Momma wurree an shee duznt need anee mor wurreein rite now!

 

Missin da Flashman too!

Dude

[Guest ChasesMum]

what effect would him not eating for a few days have on his liver enzymes? If it would wack them out then I wouldnt do the take up the food trick for too long... but if not then that is something else to try at least.

 

 

silly man! food is goood!

[Guest Pipi5]

Aww Flashy, you need to eats!

[patricia]

Well...our Petco and Petsmart did not have EVO. I will get to health food store soon and try that but he is pretty picky right now as to what he will and won't try. BUT...I cooked up some ground beef and rice and mixed in 1/2 cup with his 2 cups of kibble and added some warm water and.....he ate! He ate every morsel and it only took him 5 minutes to eat! Now...will he eat it again tomorrow...that is the question.

[Batmom]

Any chance he has a sore tooth, Patti? Glad he ate for you!

[patricia]

Any chance he has a sore tooth, Patti? Glad he ate for you!

No...I checked and all is fine and he is eating cookies and his bones. I think he is sick of his Chicken Soup...I think I need to start researching kibbles again. Anyone have any ideas regarding a kibble for the now fussy Flashy?

[Guest KyGrey]

Costco has some good food with a choice of flavors.

[Xan]

Picky Flash! *tsk tsk*

 

Sounds like you found something good for him, which means, at least, that his appetite isn't gone, so that's good. If he eats better in the evening (as it seems picky dogs do), maybe it's better to concentrate your efforts on dinner rather than make everyone stressed out over breakfast?

 

Always throwing in my vote for nutritional yeast (or "nooch", as it is affectionately nicknamed in some circles )! If you need to, a cheesy sauce can be made with water and nooch in the blender. It is also pretty high in protein for the volume, so it's truly a high nutrition item!

 

Good luck!

[duncan41]

Oh, Flashy! Flashy, mashy, mooshy, wooshy! Wuts dis knot eetin stuph? Yooz gotzta cepe yur studlee lookz, yuu hunka-hunk! Itz won ting to be pikkie, butz yooz gotzta cepe Momma hapy, two!

 

We wub yuu Flashman! EET! K?????

 

Suze, Fuzz and Anna

[Guest vahoundlover]

Well...our Petco and Petsmart did not have EVO. I will get to health food store soon and try that but he is pretty picky right now as to what he will and won't try. BUT...I cooked up some ground beef and rice and mixed in 1/2 cup with his 2 cups of kibble and added some warm water and.....he ate! He ate every morsel and it only took him 5 minutes to eat! Now...will he eat it again tomorrow...that is the question.

 

Flashy for eating Keeping fingers crossed the hamburger and rice will work again tomorrow!

[patricia]

Updated in first post.

[CaliforniaGreys]

Ugh! Flash...my little chow hound the past few days has been off in the eating department. He just had his wellness exam and all was well with the exception of his elevated liver values. The only changes have been adding SamE and Milk Thistle to his medications. I thought he was tired of his Chicken Soup so gave him the girls Kirkland Lamb and Rice which he ate readily but just one meal and wouldn't eat it again. I am mixing everything under the sun in his food to get him to eat. HOWEVER...he eats his cookies...bones...and wants and will eat my food? It kind of reminds me what we went through with Angel Sophia in her senior years. All body functions are working normal and he is acting normal. Should I just do the tough love thing and pick his food up until his next meal and hope after a few times of doing this he will be hungry and eat again? Ugh...it's so frustrating and it takes me forever to get a meal into him.

 

Things aren't getting any better. Flash refuses ALL kibble and trust me I have bought it all...he won't take the Nutritional Yeast...I found EVO in Wheaton so I drove there yesterday and picked it up...he likes it...but will only take a few bites if I hand feed him. He is pooping and peeing and wanting his bones and cookies and of course my food. I really don't know what he is pooping out as he isn't taking much in. He checked out good at the vet as far as no weight loss or temperature...teeth are good. She wants me to stop the Milk Thistle and SamE to see if this makes any difference...and put him on Carafate three times a day. If he isn't much better on Thursday he will be having x-rays and an ultrasound. The fear is that something is going on in his liver with his elevated liver levels. It's hard to see them age.

 

That's quite a bit of Carafate. Obviously I'm guessing but if it was due to an upset stomach, he wouldn't want to eat anything at all would he?

Misty's liver enzymes were elevated due to the Cushings and although my vet was not alarmed by that, he did start her on a human liver drug which obviously we never got to see if it was going to help, but all 3 internists suggested it.

I sure hope this gets resolved. Patti, what about trying the liver diet with the white baked fish?