Guest BooBooMama Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 (edited) Hi All, BooBoo is on a lot of meds daily- Tramadol- 300mg, Gabapentin- 300 mg, and Deramaxx- 50 mg. As a result she has NO appetite. I have tried changing her food 3x's, feeding her chicken w/ rice and chicken broth, salmon and rice and crumbling her favorite treats into her food, etc. She won't even eat her Nature's Variety raw organic chicken. She gets terrible diarrhea from beef, duck, turkey and rabbit so I am fearful of trying to change her protein source. Does anyone have a suggestion? She has lost 2 1/2 lbs in two weeks and I am worried. Worried BooBooMama ADDED: I have also stated giving her 1 Prevacid (15 mg)- the slow release 24 hr formula first thing in the morning. Edited April 13, 2010 by BooBooMama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Is she on anything for her tummy? What I usually do is: - give 10mg famotidine (1 regular-strength Pepcid but I use the generic 'cause it's cheap!) - wait 30-40 minutes - feed a meal or substantial snack (piece of peanutbutter toast for example) - give other meds right after feeding I adjust meals/snacks to accommodate medication schedules. For a weight loser, I usually try to feed at least 4 times a day. Depending on her digestive system, might try some things like scrambled eggs, freshly sauteed chicken livers (not too many at once!), warmed canned tripe (Tripett or Solid Gold), cinnamon bread, spaghettios, almost anything with honey, molasses, or vanilla ice cream drizzled on top ....... Quote 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 IllinoisWe 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Another vote for Pepcid. If you want to try the Nutritional Yeast, I have almost a full can and I'll be happy to send it to you. It's helped so many pups kick start their appetite and was a huge help here with Misty in the beginning of Cushings. It has a cheese taste and usually the pups love it. I'm headed to Fed-Ex later today or in the morning to do some shipping so if you'de like to try it, pm me the address and I'll get it sent Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BooBooMama Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Is she on anything for her tummy? What I usually do is: - give 10mg famotidine (1 regular-strength Pepcid but I use the generic 'cause it's cheap!) - wait 30-40 minutes - feed a meal or substantial snack (piece of peanutbutter toast for example) - give other meds right after feeding I adjust meals/snacks to accommodate medication schedules. For a weight loser, I usually try to feed at least 4 times a day. Depending on her digestive system, might try some things like scrambled eggs, freshly sauteed chicken livers (not too many at once!), warmed canned tripe (Tripett or Solid Gold), cinnamon bread, spaghettios, almost anything with honey, molasses, or vanilla ice cream drizzled on top ....... I forgot to add that I DID start her on Prevacid this weekend- still no appetite. I give it first thing in the morning, wait 1/2 hour then give her the meds with a dog treat. Someone told me to try rubbing a little maple syrup on her gums before I give her food. I will try some of these suggestions. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheDoggfather Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 You can try giving her a B12 tab.. that'll usually stimulate 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sriddle13 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Has she been on all of the meds for just two weeks? I am assuming she is on them for arthritis and or neuro pain. Maybe you could try a different NSAID or see if she does ok with just one or two of the meds. Another thing to consider is if she would get relief from a different modality like acupuncture or therapeutic laser and if that might allow her to back off some of the meds. Is she already on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM/Omega 3s? She isn't having any dark tarry stools or vomiting is she? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BooBooMama Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Has she been on all of the meds for just two weeks? I am assuming she is on them for arthritis and or neuro pain. Maybe you could try a different NSAID or see if she does ok with just one or two of the meds. Another thing to consider is if she would get relief from a different modality like acupuncture or therapeutic laser and if that might allow her to back off some of the meds. Is she already on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM/Omega 3s? She isn't having any dark tarry stools or vomiting is she? She has been on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM/Omega 3s for years. These pains started back in mid-February. She began to yelp and scream whenever she tried to get up or lie down. I rushed her to my vet. X-rays show no arthritis and no signs of cancer - just a small amount of calcification between two discs. We believe she has a pinched nerve in her left hind leg or spinal stenosis. We started her on Rimadyl and a low dose of Tramadol but after two weeks of no exercise and meds the pains wouldn't go away. So we started chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture with a holistic vet (two sessions so far but no relief yet.) After her first visit with the holistic doc she changed her to meds to Deramaxx and a muscle relaxer. We ended up in the emergency vet hospital the next day - lots of pain. So the emergency vet put her on back on the Tramadol at a higher dose, added the Gabapentin and told me to continue with the Deramaxx but discontinue the muscle relaxer. That was the first time she lost her appetite. So then she had a Depo-Medrol injection two weeks ago. After the injection I started to decrease her Tramadol and her appetite began to return, but sadly so did the pains so we upped the dosage and her appetite went away again. We did not see the results we were hoping for but we are going to try another shot this Friday. No blood in stools, no vomitting, no gas, no gurgling stomach AND no appetite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sriddle13 Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Has she been on all of the meds for just two weeks? I am assuming she is on them for arthritis and or neuro pain. Maybe you could try a different NSAID or see if she does ok with just one or two of the meds. Another thing to consider is if she would get relief from a different modality like acupuncture or therapeutic laser and if that might allow her to back off some of the meds. Is she already on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM/Omega 3s? She isn't having any dark tarry stools or vomiting is she? She has been on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM/Omega 3s for years. These pains started back in mid-February. She began to yelp and scream whenever she tried to get up or lie down. I rushed her to my vet. X-rays show no arthritis and no signs of cancer - just a small amount of calcification between two discs. We believe she has a pinched nerve in her left hind leg or spinal stenosis. We started her on Rimadyl and a low dose of Tramadol but after two weeks of no exercise and meds the pains wouldn't go away. So we started chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture with a holistic vet (two sessions so far but no relief yet.) After her first visit with the holistic doc she changed her to meds to Deramaxx and a muscle relaxer. We ended up in the emergency vet hospital the next day - lots of pain. So the emergency vet put her on back on the Tramadol at a higher dose, added the Gabapentin and told me to continue with the Deramaxx but discontinue the muscle relaxer. That was the first time she lost her appetite. So then she had a Depo-Medrol injection two weeks ago. After the injection I started to decrease her Tramadol and her appetite began to return, but sadly so did the pains so we upped the dosage and her appetite went away again. We did not see the results we were hoping for but we are going to try another shot this Friday. No blood in stools, no vomitting, no gas, no gurgling stomach AND no appetite! Maybe since the anorexia just started after adding in the gabapentin you could try reducing the dose of that. It has quite a large therapeutic range and maybe she can get by with a lower dose. And if you can find someone with a therapeutic laser, we have had pretty good luck with it on our patients. Maybe some Sucralfate for the stomach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BooBooMama Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Has she been on all of the meds for just two weeks? I am assuming she is on them for arthritis and or neuro pain. Maybe you could try a different NSAID or see if she does ok with just one or two of the meds. Another thing to consider is if she would get relief from a different modality like acupuncture or therapeutic laser and if that might allow her to back off some of the meds. Is she already on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM/Omega 3s? She isn't having any dark tarry stools or vomiting is she? She has been on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM/Omega 3s for years. These pains started back in mid-February. She began to yelp and scream whenever she tried to get up or lie down. I rushed her to my vet. X-rays show no arthritis and no signs of cancer - just a small amount of calcification between two discs. We believe she has a pinched nerve in her left hind leg or spinal stenosis. We started her on Rimadyl and a low dose of Tramadol but after two weeks of no exercise and meds the pains wouldn't go away. So we started chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture with a holistic vet (two sessions so far but no relief yet.) After her first visit with the holistic doc she changed her to meds to Deramaxx and a muscle relaxer. We ended up in the emergency vet hospital the next day - lots of pain. So the emergency vet put her on back on the Tramadol at a higher dose, added the Gabapentin and told me to continue with the Deramaxx but discontinue the muscle relaxer. That was the first time she lost her appetite. So then she had a Depo-Medrol injection two weeks ago. After the injection I started to decrease her Tramadol and her appetite began to return, but sadly so did the pains so we upped the dosage and her appetite went away again. We did not see the results we were hoping for but we are going to try another shot this Friday. No blood in stools, no vomitting, no gas, no gurgling stomach AND no appetite! Maybe since the anorexia just started after adding in the gabapentin you could try reducing the dose of that. It has quite a large therapeutic range and maybe she can get by with a lower dose. And if you can find someone with a therapeutic laser, we have had pretty good luck with it on our patients. Maybe some Sucralfate for the stomach? Thank you for the tip on the laser therapy. I will ask my holistic vet on Friday about pursuing lazer treatments. (I thought I saw a brochure in their waiting room the last time we were there.) I could cut back her gabapentin to 2 a day rather than 3 a day and see what happens. I had been giving her Prevacid each morning, then waiting 1/2 hour to give her the morning pills with a treat. You think the Sucralfate would be better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sriddle13 Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Has she been on all of the meds for just two weeks? I am assuming she is on them for arthritis and or neuro pain. Maybe you could try a different NSAID or see if she does ok with just one or two of the meds. Another thing to consider is if she would get relief from a different modality like acupuncture or therapeutic laser and if that might allow her to back off some of the meds. Is she already on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM/Omega 3s? She isn't having any dark tarry stools or vomiting is she? She has been on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM/Omega 3s for years. These pains started back in mid-February. She began to yelp and scream whenever she tried to get up or lie down. I rushed her to my vet. X-rays show no arthritis and no signs of cancer - just a small amount of calcification between two discs. We believe she has a pinched nerve in her left hind leg or spinal stenosis. We started her on Rimadyl and a low dose of Tramadol but after two weeks of no exercise and meds the pains wouldn't go away. So we started chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture with a holistic vet (two sessions so far but no relief yet.) After her first visit with the holistic doc she changed her to meds to Deramaxx and a muscle relaxer. We ended up in the emergency vet hospital the next day - lots of pain. So the emergency vet put her on back on the Tramadol at a higher dose, added the Gabapentin and told me to continue with the Deramaxx but discontinue the muscle relaxer. That was the first time she lost her appetite. So then she had a Depo-Medrol injection two weeks ago. After the injection I started to decrease her Tramadol and her appetite began to return, but sadly so did the pains so we upped the dosage and her appetite went away again. We did not see the results we were hoping for but we are going to try another shot this Friday. No blood in stools, no vomitting, no gas, no gurgling stomach AND no appetite! Maybe since the anorexia just started after adding in the gabapentin you could try reducing the dose of that. It has quite a large therapeutic range and maybe she can get by with a lower dose. And if you can find someone with a therapeutic laser, we have had pretty good luck with it on our patients. Maybe some Sucralfate for the stomach? Thank you for the tip on the laser therapy. I will ask my holistic vet on Friday about pursuing lazer treatments. (I thought I saw a brochure in their waiting room the last time we were there.) I could cut back her gabapentin to 2 a day rather than 3 a day and see what happens. I had been giving her Prevacid each morning, then waiting 1/2 hour to give her the morning pills with a treat. You think the Sucralfate would be better? Sucralfate works in a totally different fashion than the prevacid. You need to give it about an hour before any antacids, as it takes an acid environment to work. It isn't really better than an antacid. It coats ulcers and erosions giving them a chance to heal. I have seen it help a few dogs that we didn't think had ulcers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jskelton Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 One of my girls, Arwen has suffered from anorexia for months. She was recently diagnosed with GI lymphoma and is getting chemo. Please consider asking your vet for Mirtazapine. It increases the appetite and has worked very well for us. With the aid of this drug, we are able to keep Arwen's weight stable which is crucial. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BooBooMama Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 (edited) One of my girls, Arwen has suffered from anorexia for months. She was recently diagnosed with GI lymphoma and is getting chemo. Please consider asking your vet for Mirtazapine. It increases the appetite and has worked very well for us. With the aid of this drug, we are able to keep Arwen's weight stable which is crucial. Good luck. Thanks. I will look into it. BooBoo's appetite is great when she is not on the pain pills but her pain is so great that she whines pitifully when we take her off the meds so I am at my wits end! All our love goes out to you and Arwen. Edited April 14, 2010 by BooBooMama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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