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My Dog Won't Eat. Help!


Guest KiowaVVVEllie

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Guest KiowaVVVEllie

My girl is almost 12. She has been struggling with her appetite and weight loss over the past few months. The local vet could not find what was wrong with her and sent her to specialists. She has had many tests. What has turned up was an enlarged and mottled spleen and moderately elevated bile levels. They aspirated spleen but found no cancer cells. She did better for a while when I kept her on a bland diet. Then she did not want these things anymore so I gave her new foods and she ate it and then acted more ill and no appetite at all. She got diarhea. She ate grass and threw up this morning. She is always trying to eat plants, and even ate lantana yesterday! (Poisonous) She wants to eat grass, plants, but won't eat any real food. Like chicken or dog food, dry or canned, or dog biscuits. Just grass or plants. She is getting thin. I called the specialist vet back. She said the only thing to do is exploratory surgery because she does not know what to treat her for. She was on prednisone and that helped but she was stopped to do the tests we did several weeks ago, which included ultra sounds. I am worried about putting her through exploratory surgery and the stress and will they baby her there and make her eat. She is so thin. I would have to leave her there for 2 days and it is a long drive and I would probably not be able to see her. She has never been away from me. Or home. In her whole life. Got her at 1 and a half years old. I am so scared. Dont want to make a wrong decision. The vet said I could put her back on prednisone but she cant do operation then and see things clearly. That is my choice but the prednisone masks things and is not giving us the answer of what is wrong. Do I try prednisone and try to give her some quality of life now. She is lethargic and not happy. Or do I risk an exploratory surgery that means leaving her there for 2 days and a 2 week recovery period at home? Does anyone have any ideas? I am so upset all the time. I don't want to do the wrong thing.

You can also email me at venusian17@aol.com

 

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Have you tried especially yummy things like meat flavored baby food?

 

It sounds like she's really not feeling well at all, poor dear.


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Susan,  Hamish,  Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck

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I am so sorry your girl is feeling so poorly. It is so hard to watch. The above suggestion of baby food is great. If she has always eaten kibble, canned food could do the trick. Ground turkey or beef might be tempting. Grated cheese over her food could help.

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Try things that taste sweet--like Ensure liquid or flavored yogurt. If she'll eat either one, try crushing her kibble in a food processor, then adding some of the pulverized kibble to the yogurt or Ensure to get her a bit more nutrients. Also popular around here: scrambled eggs.

 

I can't advise on the surgery. You have a better feel for what she'll put up with.

 

But there is no wrong answer. Whatever choice you make will be driven by your love for her, and that makes it the right choice.

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Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and
Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come.

Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016),
darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006)

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actually completely out in left field... How about goat milk?

 

http://answerspetfood.com

 

These people had a booth at GIG and the girls loved the free sample so much I've added it to their daily diets. They seriously acted like it was candy. Usually they are hit or miss about yogurt/milk/kefir products. Not sure if I buy into all the magical benefit claims, but it won't hurt them.

------

 

Jessica

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Guest KiowaVVVEllie

I have not tried ensure yet. I would have to syringe it in her. She has been offered all kinds of things. From organic chicken breast to ground venison, to treats. She liked a treat from petsupermarket they were giving out. So I went back and bought them. She ate four, they were small. Then her mood changed a lot like she hurt and she would eat no more. I also bought a pumpkin based can food supplement by Fruitables, she used to like pumpkin. She rejected it. I bought her gooey in a tube vitamin food supplement (sorry I dont have names...I am at work) this morning i rubbed that on her teeth and she licked it up. Then she went out and vomited., She has not vomited in weeks so I was not happy she did that. So do I get ensure and force it in her? She does drink water a bit but wont even lap up chicken broth. I am going crazy with worry. I love her so much. It almost seems like eating hurts her. Then it all passes through and she feels better and eats and then gets sick again.

 

And I gave her Merrick can food because she used to love that, but now that does not interest her either no matter what flavor.



I have tried the leafy greens, even organic mix of lettuces. No go. It is as if it has to be something she finds growing outside. weird.

Edited by KiowaVVVEllie
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Guest KiowaVVVEllie

Thank you for your saying that.

If anyone out there is a prayer warrior, praying that she would get better would be greatly appreciated.

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I have no advice for you. I have a 13 year old that goes through spells of not eating well, usually just a few days at a time and then suddenly perks up and is eating great again. Keeping your girl in my prayers.

Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel

Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee

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Guest KiowaVVVEllie

Thank you. Her name is Ellie and she is mostly white with black/grey. I wish I knew how to post a photo. I am new on this site.

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Put your photo in Photobucket, find the IMG Code, copy the code and then paste the code into this thread.

 

I'm so sorry you're having such a scary time. I've heard of people feeding macaroni and cheese if you want to try a box of that. If she did love it, you could then progress to homemade and add some healthy stuff to it.

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Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance

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Guest OPointyDog

We had great luck with mirtazapine when our last dog had cancer and would not eat - it's an anti-depressant and also acts as an appetite stimulant. It's fairly safe and works well for some dogs. Might be worth a try.

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Guest KiowaVVVEllie

No she was not on GI Protectants. It started out that local vet said she has protein losing enteropathy and put her on prednisone. I thought this was a cure. I looked into what is protein losing enteropathy online and it not a disease, it is a syndrome caused by something. I do not know what. I thought maybe she had irritable bowel syndrome as even when she was younger she would occasionally go off her food for no apparent reason. What is a GI Protecterant? I give her pepto bismol and had tried another one that starts with a t ..tazadine..??? that did not seem to help and the pepto did. now pepto did not seem to help. getting nervous because weekend is approaching and local vets closed. specialist opened till 12 noon tomorrow and it is an hour drive away. my local vet is already closed. at noon. so it would mean starting all over somewhere else...money not abounding but will do whatever i have to do to help her, sell things, borrow, etc. I cant say how much I love her. She is my companion.. She has been such a joy. We just finished all we needed to do READing Paws program and she got sick. That does not matter, she just made a lot of pepple happy and people were drawn to her. And she is like a child to me. ..but I don't ruin her, she is still a dog. I try to do dog happy things. Not make her be a kid..I think you know what I mean out there....



Well I will have to go offline soon and head home and check on her. I don't have internet at home, but might go to the library to use computer there to check this site out for info. Thank you all for being supportive and helpful.

Edited by KiowaVVVEllie
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I would get her on a stomach protectant such as Pepcid (over-the-counter -- generic is 10mg famotidine; give 2-3 times per day) or sucralfate, and I'd put her back on the pred if it helped. Hugs and best wishes for you and your girl.

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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Guest KiowaVVVEllie

How much famtidine dose. I have that at home. Approximately 55 pounds now.

Her blood work showed protein losing enteropathy, elevated bile, The rest was normal. Her ultrasound showed enlarged and mottled spleen



Aspirate of spleen turned up nothing.

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Famotidine: 10mg (usually 1 regular-strength pill) up to 3-4 times per day. You can start with 2 pills (20mg) and see if that will jump-start things for you.

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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Guest KiowaVVVEllie

Vet specialist clinic only recommendation when I called was to do exploratory surgery to determine how to treat her. I am wondering if that is a good idea. I asked could they treat her with medication for what they think might be wrong with her and if she gets better that means they are on right track. She said NO. Really uncertain if surgery is a good idea....she will be 12 in July. Dont want to cause her undo suffering and maybe not even get an answer. But dont want to keep her from gettin better either...this is tough. IF it is lipoma, she said no cure, just chemo to prolong life. I want to do what is best for my Ellie. She deserves that and I honestly dont know what is best. Usually I can make decisons,.....this is hard.



Thanks for dose. Heading home to give her 20 mg to start. thank you all for your help. it means a lot.

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