Pumpkin, Tripe And Beef Heart

[Guest avadogner]

Hi Greytalk Friends,

I have been posting about Ava's poor appetite for the last 3 wks and have recieved lots of great tips. She ate well yesterday but refused the same "Gourmet" mix today. We had Blue Buffalo Grain Free Salmon kibble, shredded cheddar cheese, Brewers Yeast, yogurt scoop, digestive enzymes, arthritis supplements. I have heard a bunch of parents say Pumpkin was a big hit. There's been a national shortage of canned pumpkin this year and today my Publix actually had it. I bought 15 cans of it at 1.50 a can. I was so excited to find it and was sure Ava and Augie would like it. BIG MISTAKE. Both houndies refused to eat it. Ava licked some off my fingers but refused it. Augie too. So in the last 7 days, I've only been able to get what would equal one day's worth of what she ate a year ago. The vet checked her out 3 months ago and said nothing has changed since her visit to the Vet Ortho last year. Blood work good. She's been doing this bowl flipping thing where she can't even tolerate being near it. A fellow greytalk member suggested she may be experiencing Kidney Failure. He had 3 dogs do the snubbing behavior with the bowl who had renal failure. I have been awaiting a kidney transplant for almost 4 yrs now and I can't tolerate any foods that have smell to them. I am terrified she has renal failure. I am now seeing so many things that are just like the symptoms i have. We have another appt Monday to get her labs checked. She will still take treats, cheese and PB but she needs nutrition. I bought a beef heart, tripe, turkey tracheas and pumpkin today. My DH is going to have to try the nasty stuff with her because I get sick just working with her on her regular "gourmet" meals. She has snubbed the venison cube steak, baked chicken and ground sirloin. she will eat dehydrated chicken breasts too but it is so pricey and I just recently realized the bag I was feeding her really was made in China not California. We are going to finish the bag but I would rather buy American. I now have 14 cans of pumpkin. I guess I'll be making a lot of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. I'll keep y'all posted on the nasty butcher cuts. I wonder where Bills mom gets his right chicken legs or is it the left he likes?

-ava and augie's mum

[Guest Heehoo]

Awww...I had one go through this, he had hermangio sarcoma. He ate the cans of tripe Batmom sent him, licked the baby food & ice cream...all this was after the surgery to remove the tumor.

Its so heart breaking & stressful isn't it. I will keep you all in my prayers that something changes.

Edited November 11, 2010 by Heehoo

[Guest cyndiandsaoirse]

Ava and mom,

Definitely send you some good thoughts and positive greyhound karma. I have a finicky one- she sometimes goes on mystery fasts. Hasn't done it since I switched to ordering her food through www.barfworld.com. They do have a sample pack, so you could order it and try it before getting a whole bag.

Other things I've done in past to tempt her- these are all garnishes on food:

gravy- of any sort, but she seems to prefer turkey

Vienna sausages

poached egg with cheddar or parmesan

yogurt

 

Good luck, and peace to you and your baby!

[Yamaha_gurl]

Positive thoughts A&A's mommy! What about tuna or even better, sardines?

[Guest avadogner]

Hi Greytalk Friends,

Today I prepared a wide variety of things for Ava to try to eat for lunch. I've learned to seperate each item and offer one at a time. It's like our own little Tapas bar in our living room for the hounds at least. We had venison cube steak, yogurt, brewer's yeast mixed with fine shredded Cheddar Cheese, baked chicken breasts, salmon kibble, diluted beef broth, gravy made from her favorite canned food, tripe, beef heart and ensure plus. She snubbed everything but the ensure. I got half a bottle of ensure plus lactofree vanilla in her. We are going to the vet Monday for a full workup. She will still eat treats like cookie bones, dehydrated chicken breasts, the treats that look like bacon and peanut butter. I make a Kong stuffing mix thats made up of the mini small dog bones (organic made), the small chicken training treats, vitamin infused yogurt drops and broken up bacon like treats. I stuff several Kongs, plug the Kong with peanut butter and freeze them. She will eat the Kong stuffing but she can't live on treats alone. I am so worried about her. She has always been a great eater until this last year. She has just been slowly eating less and less and now she refuses to eat now. I see her refusing to eat and I keep trying to get her to eat and then my DH comes home and tries to get me to eat. I am dropping weight too fast but have no appetite. The worse my kidney failure gets, the worse my appetite gets. Since we adopted our second grey who needs daily walks, I've dropped 10 lbs that I couldn't afford to loose. I know worrying over Ava isn't helping either. I don't know if I can make it through waiting for a transplant without Ava. She has been my constant therapy dog for the last 8 years. She has even learned to predict when something is really wrong with me. I know something is really wrong with her. She is not herself. I am so scared for her. I plan of having our vet check her out and run her renal labs. What other tests do we need to look for cancer? She was just checked out in August for her annual exam and her bloodwork was good. I know greys run a higher creatine and BUN than regular dogs. if any of ya'll have any experience with this, I would appreciate any tips you can offer.

-ava and augie's worried mum

[schnookums]

I am only new to Greytalk, and hope you will excuse me for asking a question. Has Ava been tested for Addisons disease?

My friend has a GSP who was very slightly lethargic, and went off her food. Her problem was diagnosed as Addisons. Mia is now on tablets (hormones and steroids I think)and her apetite and energy has returned.