de la table de M. Jeter

[EllenEveBaz]

Things are going better with Monsieur Jeter.  He is eating more, but is still picky and sometimes it takes multiple offers for him to eat all of a meal.    The dogwalker gives him lunch, and he has begun to be more reliable eating that.  He has lost more than 10 lbs.  A dog his size needs to eat 1,200 calories a day to maintain weight.  All it used to take was pouring 1 1/2 cups of dry kibble in a bowl and adding water twice a day.  Now it's finding anything he'll eat enough of, cooking ahead of time, weighing meats to estimate the calorie count, extra trips to the grocery store, wondering if I dare add anything new, and keeping the ravening horde at bay.  Even if I could get him to eat 250 more calories than needed every day for 2 weeks, he would only gain 1 lb., assuming his mystery illness would allow him to gain. 

This morning was fantastique at Cafe Levrier.  After an early morning appetizer of peanut butter toast (170 calories), M. Jeter ate all of today's special, Petit Dejeuner de Bucheron Affame (the Hungry Lumberjack Breakfast):

• 3/5 cup kibble (250 calories)
• 8 oz. lean cooked hamburger (400 calories)
• 1 tiny container of tiny dog sirloin with gravy canned dog food (100 calories)

 and of course his vitamin and prednisone pills.  Total:  920 calories!!!!    And lunch and supper still to come!  

Last night I couldn't get him to finish his broiled chicken and beef supper with multiple offers.    But he did polish off 11 milk-bone peanut butter-dipped biscuits for 275 calories.  

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by EllenEveBaz

[ramonaghan]

 Keep it up. You're both doing great.

[spottydog]

I feel for you. We have one also that is ‘not a good eater’, only it is a psychological problem as well as being picky. She has a noise phobia and if she hears one of her trigger noises she cannot be persuaded to eat. Chez nous, we muddle through with roast chickens, ground meats and cut up chicken/beef liver as extra topping. I put hot water on kibble, mix in a couple of big spoons of canned food (tripe is a favourite) and the shredded meat. Sometimes sardines work as well. Also, she seems to like toppings that have a bit of extra fat in them such as cream or high test yogourt.  
And then we have the reverse problem with our lab cross aka the cleanup crew. He is always poised to swoop in and “help”…                                                                                   
Good luck with Monsieur Jeter!

[Jerilyn]

I know this struggle. You feel like you are spending ALL of your time feeding the dog or making preparations for feeding the dog. You're doing a great job for Jeter. And you still have a sense of humor!

[Remolacha]

 for some eating! Sadly many of us here know what you are going through, I am beginning that journey with Val. And she generally doesn’t like people food  so it should be a fun ride.

Hoping Jeter continues to eat 

[MerseyGrey]

The world would be a much worse place without peanut butter. Glad to hear he’s eating something 

[Time4ANap]

Good Boy, Jeter.  Keep it up! 

[FiveRoooooers]

Jeter, keep doin' it rite 

[RaineysMom]

glad he ate better!

I too know how hard, frustrating and saddening it is to have a picky? non? weird? who knows what to call eater.  Our Zeke ate like a champ (soaked kibble with assorted goodies on top, pumpkin, yogurt, shaky cheese, etc.) to up and sudden not wanting to eat overnight.  I spent 3.5 years trying to get him to eat whatever I could get him to eat and spending HOURS every week cutting up various meats (raw) and cooking some with various degrees of success day to day.  It was so frustrating...when he did eat it was like winning the lottery.

I hope Jeter keeps eating well!  Sending hugs

 

[EllenEveBaz]

A new attraction at Cafe Levrier -- pop-up locations!  I keep a variety of treats in my pockets, and every time I go past him, or even better -- when he comes up to me -- I offer him something.  Highly successful!  I thought the ravening horde would hoover up the crumbs efficiently enough, but I have been proved wrong.  Word to the wise -- do not feed a dog hard biscuits in the bathroom unless you want to tenderize the bottoms of your feet.  

[Remolacha]

Jeter, keeping it interesting!

[ramonaghan]

Milkbone Milque-beaune Foot Exfoliant. Coming soon to a spa near you.

[Time4ANap]

Jeter, 

Rocket would want me to remind you that the best French Food is French Fries. 

And maybe snails.  He never had snails, but I would occasionally ask him if he wanted snails and he would go ballistic and start spinning and jumping up and down.  I never did figure out what he thought snails were. 

[Potomacpupsmom]

On 11/10/2021 at 7:07 PM, ramonaghan said:

Milkbone Milque-beaune Foot Exfoliant. Coming soon to a spa near you.

  

[robinw]

Good work M. Jeter!

[cleptogrey]

you can also try Felix's favorite- i cooked an entire chicken in short grain japanese rice. when it was done i deboned the chicken and chopped it, mixed it in the rice. the rice is so flavorful and japanese short grain rice is many more calories than regular rice. amazon carries it, kohoko rose is a common brand. also, purina pro plan sport- BEEF is their highest calorie kibble. keep up the good work- the prednisone should be increasing his appetite. i went thru this with felix. also, white bread toast is higher in calories than one realizes, i used to cut it into cubes and he loved the stuff.

[greytpups]

Good news

[EllenEveBaz]

M. Jeter and I are enjoying the replies.  

Does it make any difference whether I stuff him as full as he can get when he's eating, or should I stick to plan of about 1,500 calories ranging over a day even if he tells me he wants more at supper (his best meal)?  I just don't want to upset his digestive system.  The vet warned me about too much fat and diarrhea.  Sweep's mom and I have discussed the famous satin balls a little, but I'm leery of all the fat in those.  

[cleptogrey]

i too would be leary of fat- that's why i shared the soupy rice/chicken meals and toast. keep some pumpkin on hand- and stick with what he wants and that's it. if felix binged he paid for it- clean up was a joke. no need to count exact calories, what he can consume is what he can consume. canned food can be quite the treat- and some are quite high in calories but also have high fat. let the predisone do it's thing- just remember to let him out a lot.

good nutrition is not what one needs to care about- it's just calories and happiness. 

oh, skip the ensure- my friend's dog had the worst runs on it.

[Remolacha]

I would also say be careful of too much fat, even though it offers a lot of calories. I would give him as much as he wants to eat as long as it is something you know his system does ok with. 
 

it is such a roller coaster

[dante2zoe]

I used to prepare a breakfast buffet for Indy, my whippet, and then again for Brady, my senior greyhound.  I put out a spread every morning.  Waffles with applesauce or peanut butter worked most of the time as I could hand feed little pieces.  Now, Fancy has been diagnosed with early stage kidney failure and we are at the top of the slipper food slope again.  It can be so frustrating but then you feel like you won the lottery when they eat a meal!  

Sending our best thoughts and hope Jeter continues to enjoy his progressive dinner parties! 

[EllenEveBaz]

Different styles of food thievery in this house:

1)  Crumbcatcher -- Gelsey puts her head under Jeter's as he is eating dog cookies and practically turns her head upside down to catch the crumbs before they hit the floor, which then opens the competition up to Milo.  I figure Jeter himself only ingests about 75% of each cookie

2)  The Whole Enchilada -- Milo rests peacefully in another room as Jeter is eating from his bowl.  Jeter takes his time -- first he picks out whatever the good bits are that meal, then laps up the liquid, then tries a little from that side of the bowl... .  I relax my vigilance and turn my back for one second to do something else at the counter, Jeter chooses that time to leave the bowl, and Milo has transported himself through space to try to snarf down whatever is left as I scream at him to get out, get OUT, GET OUT!  

3)  Brazen larceny -- Jeter takes a cookie to a rug so he can lie down in comfort as he chomps.  Milo takes the cookie right out of his mouth before he reaches the rug.  

[Remolacha]

Milo  Helping clean up crumbs and leftovers is one thing, but to steal the food right out of you brother’s mouth? That’s low.

 

Glad to hear Jeter is still eating!

[MP_the4pack]

Ellen,  the last thing Emma was interested in eating before I lost her was eggnog.  Nice and fattening,  with protein and vitamins.  It helped keep her weight on til the end. It's rich so she'd get just a quarter cup at a time, but several times a day. 

Jeter 

[henryaham897]

Wow so cute! way to go