Experience of anorexic dog? Anyone?

[Sonya-m]

My dog has recently been diagnosed with kidney disease so was placed on a prescription renal diet which means it's low protein, high fat as his kidneys can't process protein. He was doing well on it then last Wednesday our neighbours dog bit him. Ever since then he has refused all food. The vet has ruled out an infection from the bite and is treating him with steroids to try make him hungry. He's also taking ranitidine for a suspected but not confirmed stomach ulcer. He's lost so much weight in the last 6 days and I just know we're losing him but I'm not ready for that at all. He's only 5, he should have years ahead of him. I managed to purée some food today and get some into him but not much and that's obviously not a long term fix. Any ideas? Bearing in mind the dietary restrictions??

 

[dixiedragon]

I'm so sorry for your pet! That's just awful.

Maybe do some googling - foods for dogs with kidney disease, high-calorie foods for dogs, etc. Then ask your vet which he things would be okay?

Perhaps get some beef bones and boil them down for broth? lots of fat in that!

 

[shunt2011]

I'm so sorry....that's so sad and so hard. Even harder when they are so young. Hope you find something the furbaby will eat.

 

[TeresaT]

I'm so sorry about your dog. Have you tried sweet potatoes? My dogs love sweet potatoes and they're fairly inexpensive. If that's something your dog ends up liking, maybe you can get him to eat his prescription food by adding some pureed sweet potatoes to it.

 

[dixiedragon]

It may be helpful to offer small amounts multiple times a day of multiple things. My mom's dog towards the end of her life would only eat cheesy scrambled eggs and hot dogs. Not ideal by any means.

 

[DeeAnna]

Those prescription diets just don't taste or smell good, especially to a critter who is in frail health to begin with. One thing that has worked okay when a cat or dog is really sickly is to offer chicken broth. It smells good and adds hydration. Sometimes just getting them to eat or drink SOMETHING -- even just a tiny bite or a little lick every half hour -- is the key to turning the appetite back on.

If a critter won't eat on its own, I will sit with my sick pup or kitty and hand feed the food from my fingers with lots of gentle reinforcement for every bite swallowed. And if they won't eat the special diet but will eat other foods, I will break the rules and feed what they will eat until they get back on track again. Kidney disease is no joke, but starving to death is even worse. :cry:

 

[Rusti]

Ask your vet about A/D - it's high calorie, super palatable and is kind of a last resort to the ones we're trying desperately to coax into eating. It's not meant for the long term, but it might help you get your pup back on his food again. You can also try things like boiled chicken and rice to get him going. Hand feed for a day or two if you need to.

Kidney critters as a general rule seem to have appetite problems. I have a CRF 18 year old cat I've been managing for the past couple of years (the chronic renal failure being the sort that's more manageable. What you describe sounds acute. 5 years old? Is your dog a Dane or other giant breed?) and only recently have I been able to convince her to finish all her dinner so I'm hoping she'll put some weight back on.

 

[Lee242]

[FONT=&quot]Try spaghetti. I'm not sure what the protein in it is but I haven't had a dog that wouldn't eat it.
Hope you find something for him.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[galaxyMLP]

What about chicken or beef fat? Like if you boiled chicken skin, and froze it to take off the fat on top. Maybe also feeding the broth? Or the same with some high fat beef. That would be high fat but low protein and would probably smell/taste good.

You could strain out the actual chicken or beef and cook it into something else for yourself so you don't waste it.

 

[Sonya-m]

I'm so sorry for your pet! That's just awful.

Maybe do some googling - foods for dogs with kidney disease, high-calorie foods for dogs, etc. Then ask your vet which he things would be okay?

Perhaps get some beef bones and boil them down for broth? lots of fat in that!

I made a renal dog food last night that I found on the Internet. Beef mince, sweet potato, green beans, rice, egg whites and coconut oil. He ate maybe a spoon then walked away. It was that I puréed today and syringed into his mouth so he had had something today

 

[Sonya-m]

Those prescription diets just don't taste or smell good, especially to a critter who is in frail health to begin with. One thing that has worked okay when a cat or dog is really sickly is to offer chicken broth. It smells good and adds hydration. Sometimes just getting them to eat or drink SOMETHING -- even just a tiny bite or a little lick every half hour -- is the key to turning the appetite back on.

If a critter won't eat on its own, I will sit with my sick pup or kitty and hand feed the food from my fingers with lots of gentle reinforcement for every bite swallowed. And if they won't eat the special diet but will eat other foods, I will break the rules and feed what they will eat until they get back on track again. Kidney disease is no joke, but starving to death is even worse. :cry:

The odd thing is he seemed to love his prescription food until last Wednesday when it was like someone switched off his appetite. Before then he was eating everything we put in front of him. He was getting both dry and wet prescription food bulked up with pasta and olive oil. Since the dog bit him he just won't eat. He is still drinking water though - thankfully.

I've tried sitting with him to feed him, he just turns his head away from me.

I've also broken rules and have given him his favourite biscuits - custard creams - but I do need to be careful not to give him too much that he's not allowed.

This is the first dog I've had, how do people get other dogs after losing one? I don't think I could do this again. I know we're losing him and there's nothing I can do.

 

[Sonya-m]

[FONT=&quot]Try spaghetti. I'm not sure what the protein in it is but I haven't had a dog that wouldn't eat it.
Hope you find something for him.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

He was eating pasta with his food but just won't touch it now.

 

[Sonya-m]

What about chicken or beef fat? Like if you boiled chicken skin, and froze it to take off the fat on top. Maybe also feeding the broth? Or the same with some high fat beef. That would be high fat but low protein and would probably smell/taste good.

You could strain out the actual chicken or beef and cook it into something else for yourself so you don't waste it.

The meal I made for him last night was with the high fat mince - had a spoonful then nothing.

I think he wants to eat but something is making him not

 

[galaxyMLP]

Well then, I guess enticing foods are out of the options. I think the syringe feeding was probably a great idea.

My dog stopped drinking water for a few days, and when I noticed it, I tried to encourage her to drink. When she wouldn't, I ended up filling a pipette with water and just dribbling it in her mouth. She didn't drink that much that night but I did it again when I woke up in the morning and she was drinking on her own that night.

Maybe encouragement and syringe feeding for a few days might jump start his appetite to eat on his own?

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. My first dog is getting up there in age and it's so hard seeing her deteriorate. I hope your buddy gets to eating again soon!

 

[Dahila]

Sonya a free run egg just yolk and add a few drops of good cognac , give it to your dog drop buy drop, ............sometimes they make their choice when they are in pain, they do not eat. I had breed and judged dogs for years. It seems that your dog lost his zest for life. He needs some protein. I kind of not believing in vets' they are here to make money , a lot of money. When they make a mistake they have no consequences.
I wonder if it is more mental than physical, do not get me wrong but talk to him whisper ,,,,,,,,,, try the egg...........it had work in past , I had many dogs and a lot of experience
I forgot to add tat I probably love animals much more than people.............

 

[Rusti]

Did the vet do a kidney panel to check his numbers to see if they'd spiked?

 

[Dahila]

I had this expierence when my 3 years old dog got pancreas cancer. I hope it is not case with yours. I do not think the dog bite influence his appetite

 

[DeeAnna]

You are linking his loss of appetite to the dog attack. Could there be something wrong with his mouth, teeth, or throat? Perhaps an injury that's been overlooked that makes it hard for him to chew or swallow?

I'm reminded of a couple of my dogs who have bitten across a small stick and broke the free ends off. The part of the stick between their teeth became wedged in place between the teeth. They will lose their appetite due to the discomfort. Solution was to open the mouth and pull the stick loose. Then life went back to normal.

 

[Sonya-m]

Did the vet do a kidney panel to check his numbers to see if they'd spiked?

Yeah they did that today, his urea (BUN) has gone from 7.2 to 16.4 but my vet tells me this is still within a range they would at worst class is low/moderately reduced renal function. And his creatinine has gone from 184 to 224. Again the vet said it up but not to a dangerous level.

My friend has just been round and she had some dog treats which he probably shouldn't have but I gave three to him to try and he ate them straight away. I don't get it - he just will not eat any meal I give him but he will eat these? I don't believe he didn't like his prescription food - from day 1 till last Wednesday he ate every scrap of it - there's been no slowly decreasing appetite just this sudden stop.

 

[Sonya-m]

You are linking his loss of appetite to the dog attack. Could there be something wrong with his mouth, teeth, or throat? Perhaps an injury that's been overlooked that makes it hard for him to chew or swallow?

I'm reminded of a couple of my dogs who have bitten across a small stick and broke the free ends off. The part of the stick between their teeth became wedged in place between the teeth. They will lose their appetite due to the discomfort. Solution was to open the mouth and pull the stick loose. Then life went back to normal.

The vet checked all of his neck etc last week. He's still happily running around with toys/tennis balls in his mouth. I'm at a complete loss