Feeding Ideas For The Hound With Only One Tooth

[RhodyGreys]

She's hungry, and she wants to eat, but she wanders away from her food after the first half of the meal. Almost like her tounge is tired! She has been eating the same thing with gusto for three years, and the last 6 weeks we have observed changes.

 

She'll happily take treats from your hand. She has a big bowl on a raised stand, so she can slop about as much as she wants. Even with added treats, she still stops short of a full meal.

 

I know she's developing some LP. She's 12.5 now, and playful, outgoing, and vibrant. Yet sometimes she whines quietly to herself, and I wonder if she's just getting a little senile. She had a tumor removed from her rear leg in October and came through anesthesia with flying colors. The tumor was benign.

 

Those of you with toothless or mostly toothless hounds: what do you feed??

[JAJ2010]

When I get that old someone better let me eat ice cream every day

 

I think you should feed her whatever she wants! Table scraps, cook some yumminess for her, etc I think not having teeth doesn't affect too much. You probably shouldn't toss her a raw chicken leg, but other than that just play around and see what she likes.

 

I just added goat milk to the girls' diets and they are slurping that like it's candy. it's supposed to be a balanced food?? But I haven't done research on it yet

Edited May 3, 2013 by JAJ2010

[Remolacha]

I agree, other than actual bones, having no teeth shouldn't really affect her eating. Maybe try some stinky additives like sardines, shaky cheese, nutritional yeast, that might perk her interest.

 

edited to add, mine all get a splash of goat's milk for "dessert" and I had better not run out! It is very digestible, doesn't have the issues cow's milk can have.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Remolacha

[RhodyGreys]

We have a local goat farm. Maybe I can work out a deal with them.

 

I'm thinking oatmeal, pasta, and meats. She also liked a round kibble I tried for a while. Maybe I should try another round kibble for her again.

 

I also just started her on a course of antibiotics in case something is bothering her in her gums. I don't see anything, but a round of keflex won't hurt!

[Finnsliz]

Gosh that sounds just like almost 14 year old Wink except she has all her teeth. She had totally lost interest in kibble so have been making her a slop of meat/rice/pasta/veggies, whatever. She has recently started to eat kibble again so I am mixing the slop with the kibble. When she was being really picky I would actually hand feed her and that seemed to work, don't know why? Sometimes I think it's her tongue not working correctly - sort of like she had a mini stroke or something, but then other times she has no problem.

She whines and barks for no apparent reason most of the time. I blame it all on the "old crazies".

[FiveRoooooers]

Put her kibble in the blender with everything else you want to add and make a slurry.

[TheFullHouse]

I'm beginning to think that elder dogs just lose a bit of their appetites, almost like they don't need as much food as they used to. Bebe at 13 is the same way. She has weeks where she eats like a horse and then a couple of weeks where she eats about half of what she was eating. It eventually goes back to her eating like a horse. I've noticed she doesn't want a big breakfast any more but still eats a big dinner. She's perfectly healthy, just old I think.

 

Maybe try rice that's cooked in twice the water you normally cook it. It makes it nice and mushy. Oatmeal or boiled potatoes are good too. Heck, I'd feed you sweetie anything you could get her to eat.

[3greytjoys]

Our two advanced LP hounds have been doing well on Dogswell's Vitality kibble. (One hound only has a few teeth left, mostly tiny, front incisors.) I let the kibble soak in water to soften before serving. The wet kibble size is still small enough to swallow easily without chewing.

 

A few of our hounds refuse food if they need to eliminate outside first, thereafter eat normally. If air temperature is too warm, they are less interested too.

 

[Guest june]

One of mine is down to 9 teeth after her recent dental. I've put was warm water over her kibble and she gobbles it up and looks for more.

 

Now, my problem is she can no longer have a Milky bone at night before bed and is not happy. I'm going to try soaking one tonight and see if she can handle that. I hope it doesn't fall apart

[RhodyGreys]

One of mine is down to 9 teeth after her recent dental. I've put was warm water over her kibble and she gobbles it up and looks for more.

 

Now, my problem is she can no longer have a Milky bone at night before bed and is not happy. I'm going to try soaking one tonight and see if she can handle that. I hope it doesn't fall apart

Treats before bed for a toothless hound: marshmallow pieces. Or banana slices. Meri Carol eats those, and slices of cheese, like a true glutton.

 

Meri-Carol has been having 'mushy' food for the last three years. She gets Purina One with shredded chicken. I'm going to try something fishy - I know she loves her salmon.

[dante2zoe]

Brady has 8 teeth and only his canines are of any possible use. They should have yanked the other 4 when they did the rest. Anyway, I feed raw and just grind his up. He will usually finish about half, then come back inside and lie down. I had feed him the rest. He still doesn't always finish. He does get mild bones, though, but ones for smaller dogs. He has learned to slobber them half to death and then it goes down easily. He also enjoys gumming rib bones and manages to get some meat off using his gums. But, I feed him whatever he wants. Some days it feels like I am running a buffet line! He gets his powdered supplements sprinkled on lunch meat, which will absorb some of it, then it's rolled up and sliced. He always gobbles that right down. I do think he enjoys the royal treatment of being fed in bed, though. He will be 12 in a month (but is not a healthy dog) and I know his time with me is on the short side, so we just enjoy what makes him happy.

 

Good luck with your sweetie.

[Remolacha]

I know with elderly people, they often loose interest in eating because their sense of taste and smell weaken (or go away altogether) I am guessing it is the same with older animals, which is why strong smelling and tasting foods work better. Also, like old people, they just don't need as much food. My first old grey was very particular about the size and shape of her kibble, silly girl. As long as she eats most of her food most days, she'll be fine!

[GreyPoopon]

I have a 13 1/4 year old with 4 teeth (canines) who eats kibble with water. The only thing she can't handle is big treats.

 

The dog currently not eating (a recurring problem here at GITroublesRUs) has most of his teeth but has lost his appetite. He still likes treats. We know it's a medical issue; we just haven't figured out what it is yet.

 

Since she's been eating until now, I'd be looking for other reasons for her loss of appetite: kidney, gut, mouth, age...Unfortunately, the list is endless. In the meantime, if she doesn't have food issues, you might try different tasty (soft) goodies like canned food or home-cooked mush or whatever.

[JJNg]

Lack of teeth usually doesn't affect a dog's appetite. Especially since this is a recent change, I'd be concerned about an underlying health problem unrelated to her teeth. Has she been checked out by a vet or had any bloodwork done recently? With an older dog, it's a personal decision regarding how much medical workup you might want to do, but trying different foods might not help if there's something else going on.

[Batmom]

I agree with JJNg re checkup to make sure nothing else is wrong. After that .... well, when somebody gets old and picky (or ill and picky), I feed what they'll eat .....

 

 

Bedtime treats for the toothless: How about a slice of soft bread, or a graham cracker?

[beledi]

Put her kibble in the blender with everything else you want to add and make a slurry.

Add some goats milk to the slurry.

[Guest FawnFan]

Suggestion for the night time treats... Milk bone makes a soft and chewy treat. It is in the shape of a bone, is stinky like jerky and is small. They come in small bags and two or three different flavors. Also I would suggest vanilla flavored Ensure with some cheerios in it. My osteo hound eats both of these things still, thankfully - even though sometimes I have to remove the cheerios so he can lap up just the Ensure. Depends on the day whether the cheerios get eaten or not. And most times if I put the wet cheerios back in the bowl after he's finished the Ensure, he usually eats them.

 

Or have you thought about trying frosty paws - those frozen dog dessert/treats you can buy at the supermarket?

 

Hopefully you'll find something that works. Good luck!

- Jean