Buddy’s not eating

[MerseyGrey]

1 hour ago, EllenEveBaz said:

How's the Budster feeling today?  

Hello! The last day and a half have been rough. Our last resorts (burgers and sausages) were a firm no from him which meant we had to think of something else. Cheese was still in but I didn’t want to give him too much and end up giving him something like pancreatitis, so we bought some malted milk biscuits which he had some of, also just a few as I didn’t want to upset his tummy with too much sugar. Because he wasn’t eating, we were having to squirt dissolved tablets into his throat, which he really didn’t like so now he tries to scarper when he sees me coming with the syringe. Yesterday I made a decision which broke both our hearts - we decided that if he didn’t improve and start eating by his Tuesday appointment, we were going to let him go. He is weak, tired and thin and was just looking...ready. We agonised over it and talked ourselves out of it many times but we both felt that he wasn’t benefitting from what we were doing and was almost slipping away from us before our eyes.
2pm this afternoon: he ate half a burger and almost two sausages, then promptly stood up and took himself outside for a messy toilet trip. The antibiotics presumably, but possibly his awful diet of the last 24 hours, maybe a bit of both. He then found his favourite toy, took it outside and gave it a little shake. He has just done the same again as I type! I really hope this means he’s turned a corner. I feel terrible because I’ve written him off and I’m not going to trust myself to make any big decisions about him now. 
He’s just come inside and I’m sat on his bed with him, with him demanding to have his face rubbed and things feel a bit more normal. We are beyond relieved. 

[Remolacha]

I am sorry Buddy was not feeling it, but glad to hear he has rallied a bit. This up and down is so hard, you don’t know which is “normal”. You have not given up on Buddy, you are just trying to do what is best for him. You know him better than anyone. I hope this is a turn around and he continues to improve  Plan to have a frank talk with the vet on Tuesday, and I hope he says things are getting better.

[MerseyGrey]

2 hours ago, Remolacha said:

I am sorry Buddy was not feeling it, but glad to hear he has rallied a bit. This up and down is so hard, you don’t know which is “normal”. You have not given up on Buddy, you are just trying to do what is best for him. You know him better than anyone. I hope this is a turn around and he continues to improve  Plan to have a frank talk with the vet on Tuesday, and I hope he says things are getting better.

Thank you, we hope so too! He has a habit of making me look like a drama queen, but I suppose we will find out if he’s really getting better in the morning. He’s fast asleep at the moment, and hopefully this is helping him get better more quickly. We’ll also find out if he’s developed a taste for finer foods!

[FiveRoooooers]

2 hours ago, Remolacha said:

I am sorry Buddy was not feeling it, but glad to hear he has rallied a bit. This up and down is so hard, you don’t know which is “normal”. You have not given up on Buddy, you are just trying to do what is best for him. You know him better than anyone. I hope this is a turn around and he continues to improve  Plan to have a frank talk with the vet on Tuesday, and I hope he says things are getting better.

Perfectly said.

[AUSgrey]

PLEASE consider this:

https://www.caninenutritionist.co.uk/success-stories/beanie-update/

[MerseyGrey]

27 minutes ago, FiveRoooooers said:

Perfectly said.

 

4 minutes ago, AUSgrey said:

PLEASE consider this:

https://www.caninenutritionist.co.uk/success-stories/beanie-update/

AUSgrey, thank you, but I can’t think about nutrition if I can’t get him to eat anything. I’ve seen your recent post and know that it’s a concern with your pooch, but at the moment my concern with Buddy is getting anything at all into him. Buddy is not normally a fussy eater - my main issue has been stopping him from eating everything! His current behaviour is a symptom of an underlying condition, and if he hadn’t been off his food, I wouldn’t have known there was something wrong with him.

[ramonaghan]

 Hope Buddy continues to rally. I'm a big fan and need him to stick around and make you out to be a drama queen for a good while yet! 

[AUSgrey]

4 hours ago, MerseyGrey said:

 

AUSgrey, thank you, but I can’t think about nutrition if I can’t get him to eat anything. I’ve seen your recent post and know that it’s a concern with your pooch, but at the moment my concern with Buddy is getting anything at all into him. Buddy is not normally a fussy eater - my main issue has been stopping him from eating everything! His current behaviour is a symptom of an underlying condition, and if he hadn’t been off his food, I wouldn’t have known there was something wrong with him.

Of course - please feel that we are thinking as much about you as Buddy. It is a lot of mental and emotional energy we expend when trying so hard and not feeling that we are making any  difference - having someone to help and share that heavy load and feeling supported by someone with great experience… that’s all…

[MerseyGrey]

4 hours ago, AUSgrey said:

Of course - please feel that we are thinking as much about you as Buddy. It is a lot of mental and emotional energy we expend when trying so hard and not feeling that we are making any  difference - having someone to help and share that heavy load and feeling supported by someone with great experience… that’s all…

Thank you.

 

6 hours ago, ramonaghan said:

 Hope Buddy continues to rally. I'm a big fan and need him to stick around and make you out to be a drama queen for a good while yet! 

 

[MerseyGrey]

I took this about two weeks ago when I could still get him to eat peanut butter. The look on his face is because I had just told him I was going to get in the shower = leaving him. It’s the same response every time and I think he looks so sweet, despite the mental turmoil!

[FiveRoooooers]

Peanut Butter, Mom. Peanut Butter Mom. Wot's a boy to dooo?? 

[MerseyGrey]

. There was a tv advert here a few years ago for oven chips - fat, fluffy versions of French fries - where a little girl had to choose: daddy or chips. The chips won, there was really no contest!

[EllenEveBaz]

Feel better, sweetest boy.  

[GreyPoopon]

On 10/7/2023 at 12:59 PM, Remolacha said:

I am sorry Buddy was not feeling it, but glad to hear he has rallied a bit. This up and down is so hard, you don’t know which is “normal”. You have not given up on Buddy, you are just trying to do what is best for him. You know him better than anyone. I hope this is a turn around and he continues to improve  Plan to have a frank talk with the vet on Tuesday, and I hope he says things are getting better.

I agree with Jan: This is perfectly said.

 that Buddy is turning a corner. 

[MerseyGrey]

20 hours ago, EllenEveBaz said:

Feel better, sweetest boy.  

 

17 hours ago, GreyPoopon said:

I agree with Jan: This is perfectly said.

 that Buddy is turning a corner. 

After another up and down of a few days, a couple of good things have happened: he has eaten DOGFOOD (and some human food with it, but he ate the dog food which is what I’m focusing on) and tonight he struggled and battled with me when I tried to give him his antibiotics. I couldn’t be happier about this. A little bit of life has come back to him. You can’t keep a good dog down!

Funny story from today. We have a new neighbour who I think is a bit lonely. He has a small chihuahua type dog, and when we take Buddy out for a walk, he often leaves his house at the same time just to pass the time of day for a few minutes. He did this today, and made the mistake of asking me how Buddy was. I started to cry at this poor man. Now, I am a messy, sobbing, ugly crier, and because I don’t do it very often (not including this weekend, of course), I really go for it when I do. I could barely get the words out to explain what was happening, and at the end finished with telling him that Buddy wasn’t even taking treats. I offered The Budster a treat to demonstrate my point, and what do you know? He took the treat. He took another. And then he took about ten more. Did I mention that he makes me look dramatic and a liar?

[EllenEveBaz]

Way to go, Budsterino!  Keep 'em guessing.  And enjoy that delicious dogfood!  

Please give him an extra special hug from us.  

[MerseyGrey]

36 minutes ago, EllenEveBaz said:

Way to go, Budsterino!  Keep 'em guessing.  And enjoy that delicious dogfood!  

Please give him an extra special hug from us.  

Hugs delivered  

[Jerilyn]

The ups and down are horrible, aren't they?    I hope Buddy has turned the corner for good and has a long time of picky eating and honky hog mauling ahead!

[MerseyGrey]

15 minutes ago, Jerilyn said:

The ups and down are horrible, aren't they?    I hope Buddy has turned the corner for good and has a long time of picky eating and honky hog mauling ahead!

 Honky got a bit of a mauling this afternoon. After his five course extravaganza this evening, his tummy is gurgling and he is filling the room with toxic emissions!

[ramonaghan]

Oh, Buddy, there's a good boy. Keep embarrassing your mom. (Whom I'm sending  to plusalso a virtual gas mask, which I could have used last night. Willllllla!)

[MerseyGrey]

 oh Willa! It’s good to hear you’re still on form, if not very lady-like!

[Remolacha]

I was hoping that those last couple of bad days were just the antibiotic upsetting his tummy but not having really started on killing the infection and as soon as it started working he would start to feel better. Sounds like that might be the case 

[FiveRoooooers]

1 hour ago, Remolacha said:

I was hoping that those last couple of bad days were just the antibiotic upsetting his tummy but not having really started on killing the infection and as soon as it started working he would start to feel better. Sounds like that might be the case 

Yes yes yes!! We’re thinking of you, Buddy!  Oh and  

Mom, I wonder if you’ll see your neighbor next time  It’s ok, yiu needed that cry. 

[GreyPoopon]

Keep eating Buddy. Please. Gas and gurgling are easier to deal with than not eating.

[ramonaghan]

Checking in for the vet report.