can you get hold of green tripe? canned or frozen? stinky and most dogs, even old sick ones, will eat it. Plus it’s tremendously healthy for them.
Canned cat food tends to be stinker (more appetizing) than canned dog food, so you can try that. Or yeah, anything- fast-food hamburgers, steak, chicken, human baby food, bottled gravy, mashed potatoes, pedialyte, anything with nutrients in it. At this point he needs to eat.
I HATE Rimadyl. Massive jingles for you both. Can you get some nutrical from the vet? It would be better than nothing.
My mom suggested trying Beneful since it’s pretty much dog candy. I know it’s junk but eating junk is better than eating nothing. I picked up a bag and he didn’t touch it last night but did eat a handful this morning (maybe 1/2 cup) but then refused to eat anymore. Now he doesnt’ look like he feels so hot.
He’s drinking more than enough water. Infact, the vet thought that was a cycle with the incontinence (drinking too much, peeing more, drinking more to make up), as he was drinking more what is considered normal.
I mentioned lymphoma to the vet and she said normally there would be enlarged lymph nodes or that something would show upon bloodwork, but that if it’s in the early stages it may not.
My vet back in VA thought his spleen looked enlarged. I just discussed with the vet and she said it was hard to tell on the x-ray but could do an ultrasound on Monday if I wanted to. I’m going to call back Monday morning because it was difficult to hear how much she said it would cost. I couldn’t tell if she said $45 or $345… $45 I would definitely do… $345 isn’t an option for me.
I’ll try the ensure vanilla. My roommate actually has some that she won’t drink and someone else recommended that to me last night. I can do the whole chicken or cheeseburger thing, like others have suggested, just to get something in his system short term, but long term I can’t realistically do that.
Sigh. Old dogs are a double edged sword, I feel like. I specifically was searching for a senior dog when I found him and wouldn’t trade him for the world. He’s one of the best dogs I’ve ever had. But I knew going in that he could live a few months or a few years longer, and I keep hoping that he’ll magically start eating again but I’m slowly losing hope.
I’ve always agreed with the “better far too soon than a day too late” saying, but damn. If I had a diagnosis it would be a heck of a lot easier.
The vet is calling in an appetite stimulant. She said it’s not cheap, however and that if it’s not cost effective for me then to just keep trying things over the weekend. Fingers crossed.
Can you try some A/D? I/D? Something stinky and yummy with lots of good nutrition?
Milo, your mom’s right, sometimes doggie “junk food” you might not normally feed will be appealing…also you might try those icky soft-moist things like Gainsburgers, (though usually real MacDonalds cheeseburgers work better). You are not trying for long-term nutrition, just getting something into him. Tripe is actually pretty easy to digest, so would somehthing like scrambled eggs or an Egg McMuffin be.
Not to panic you, but lymphoma sounds possible, and I’ve also had hemangiosarcoma present similarly to what you’re describing. Sometimes it takes awhile for blood work to catch up with what is going on. Remember it’s all about quality of life from here on in, so anything you can do is good. The Ensure sounds like it’s definitely worth a try.
Don’t be too surprised if Bo vomits, if he does eat.
That expensive appetite stimulant the vet mentioned is probably Cerenia…which actually works best if nausea is the cause of the inappetence. An older, but much cheaper drug for nausea is Reglan (metaclopramide), you might ask the vet if that might not work just as well, since finances are a concern.
If Bo does have something like lymphoma or hemangiosarcoma, I would not feel badly about saying goodbye to him when you find out, if his quality of life is not good.
When my dog refused to eat after she had surgery, the thing that worked best was chicken & rice soup. We got the concentrated cans, and poured it over hamburger buns. She never refused it, but refused pretty much anything else. The other thing that sometimes worked was scrambled eggs. She liked them better cold, and covered in american cheese, but she’s always been a cheese lover.
Im so sorry 
Is a consult with an internist still an option for you? I hate when people spend so much money at their regular vets before being referred…often the “issue” is detected by an internist before the need for spending hundreds on tests.
Generally ultrasounds run a few hundred dollars at minimum, but can give you a wealth of information. And in regards to lymphoma, multicentric can cause enlarged peripheral lymph nodes but lymphoma can also have normal lymph nodes and enlarged spleen/liver. The look is very obvious on ultrasound. There are many other cancers such as carcinomas, hemangiosarcomas, histiocytic sarcomas and organ diseases such as adrenomegaly that do not show up on bloodwork and will be evident on ultrasound. I really think an ultrasound by an internist or radiologist (NOT a GP vet) is well well worth the money.
Another suggestion if you are very very out of money and about to euthanize - ask your vet about a prednisone trial. If he has lymphoma you will notice a difference in him pretty quickly. Pred is cheap, about $0.03 per pill. However, without doing diagnostics be aware that it may do nothing, or may cause his condition to deteriorate further. On the positive side, prednisone usually does increase their appetite. Its considered the poor mans chemo for dogs with lymphoma. It is also effective short term for many carcinomas, and is also a “pain medication”. It will likely make him thirsty and have to pee a lot, but if this is already an issue it may not make it any worse. I think before you decide to euthanize, if cost is an issue, it may be worth giving it a shot for how cheap it is. He will need to be off the NSAID for a few days before starting.
I would still recommend speaking with an internist. It is probably chepaer than what you paid for the radiographs.
DogSure, made specifically for dogs.
Good suggestions, Squish.
[QUOTE=Milocalwinnings;6618282]
She did mention on Monday that there were other pain management options that we could try if the Rimadyl didn’t work.[/QUOTE]
Jingles! My vet has my dog on Rimadyl (daily) and Tramadol (as needed), for arthritis pain. So they apparently can be used together for pain that’s gotten a little past what Rimadyl can counter by itself.
I think the best strategy at this point is an internist. Remember, you don’t HAVE to go further than a consult. If they say “Sorry, we’ll need another $3,000 in tests to determine for sure what’s going on,” you don’t have to do that. In my experience going to the next level of vet care, the specialists are very, very understanding and will work with you for a good plan, even if it’s not the deluxe package.
And though this will now become a novel and although I don’t want to seem presumptuous, I thought maybe this could help answer any questions about WTH an internist is (because I, despite my glomming enthusiastically onto other people’s suggestions, really didn’t, exactly):
http://www.acvim.org/websites/acvim/index.php?p=297
http://www.acvim.org/websites/acvim/index.php?p=3
[I]Why does my animal need to see a Board-certified Small Animal Internist?
Commonly called Internists, these Specialists focus on diagnosing and treating diseases of the internal systems. Where the diagnosis is known, an Internist may confirm the diagnosis and treatment, providing piece of mind. If a diagnosis is proving elusive or therapy is not proving effective, the Internist may be better able to find the diagnosis or adjust treatment plans to get your animal back to health. Examples of conditions for which your family veterinarian might refer your animal to an Internist are:
•Anemia or other bleeding disorders
•Chronic vomiting or diarrhea
•Complicated pancreatic disease
•Coughing & other breathing problems
•Endocrine disease (adrenal tumors, complicated diabetes, thyroid disorders)
•Infectious disease
•Kidney or bladder disease
•Liver inflammation
•Unexplained weight loss
What should I expect during a visit with a Board-certified Small Animal Internist?
The Internist will perform a complete and thorough physical examination of your animal, and based on these initial findings, additional tests will be discussed. Depending on your animal’s condition, diagnostic testing or treatments may include:
•Advanced laboratory testing of various tissue and blood samples.
•Diagnostic Imaging - ultrasound, radiography (x-rays), CT scans, MRIs
•Biopsies of masses, internal organs, or bone marrow
•Endoscopy - bronchoscopy (lungs), cystoscopy (bladder & urethra), colonoscopy (colon & small bowel), gastroduodenoscopy (stomach & upper intestines), rhinoscopy (nasal cavity), laparoscopy (minimally invasive surgery for biopsies of internal organs)
•Feeding tube placement
•Nutrition consultations
[/I]
I had an elderly GSD I took to the vet because he went suddenly lame. My regular vet wasn’t in, and I got this 12 year old straight out of vet school. She said it was arthritis and put Mike on Rimadyl. I told her I didn’t think it was arthritis, I thought it was neurological. She told me no, it was arthritis and pushed the Rimadyl. Mike stopped eating. I was cooking chicken and rice for him, giving him canned food, nothing. He was wasting away.
When I took him in to have him euthanized, when he obviously wasn’t getting any better, my regular vet was back. She said the rimadyl have given him a huge ulcer. As she was checking him over, she said she thought he probably had a slipped disk. I looked at his chart, and right there was written by the 12-year-old vet "Client thinks it is ‘neurological’."With quotation marks. If she’d actually treated him for the correct disease, I probably wouldn’t have lost him so soon.
That’s when I decided that the vets work for me, I’m paying for their service, and if I don’t like the way I or my pet are treated, I’ll find another one.
StG
Try feeding him a can of spaghetti os. Dogs love tomato sauce, and this is an old time trick used by many vets and handlers back in the day to pick up a dogs appetite…he needs to start eating something. If Rimadyl is not giving him relief, consider switching to Metacam. At his age and with his spinal condition a steroid may be of huge benefit from both a comfort standpoint and an appetite standpoint.
Someone upthread suggested squirting honey in his mouth- didn’t see if you tried it or not, but it is worth a shot. Karo or maple syrup also works. Sugary substances hit the metabolic system quick and boost appetite. I’d also 2x the suggestion to go hunt down some canned green tripe. It is the ONLY thing my very old corso would touch later in life, and she did so with gusto. It is not very pricey if you can find it.
As Wendy said, just get whatever you can in there. Forget nutritional value or dog specific foods. McDonalds hamburgers were a favorite of my parents million year old shepard; if he’s eating chicken, just cook him chicken. Ground beef is cheaper than chicken and often gets four star reviews from canine gourmands.
My old rottie stopped eating very suddenly but it was quite obvious why as we watched her eyes and gums yellow overnight waiting for the vet apt. If you’re not seeing any very obvious symptoms other than the loss of appetite, I’d be inclined to think ulcer from the rimadyl as well. Mylanta & Pepcid could help soothe an ouchy stomach, are both dog safe, and are both available very inexpensively as generics OTC in the drug store. Even if he has another issue, his stomach acids may be playing hell at this point after not eating for so long and these things may help get him eating again.
I am not a vet nor do I play one on TV; I have, however, had lots of old dogs. Were I in your shoes, my plan of attack at this point would be pepcid/mylanta to soothe first; karo or honey to stimulate and burger, chicken and tripe at short intervals.
Good luck, jingling for your boy.
this must be terrible for you. All my “failing” dogs I pretty much knew what was wrong, so when they said “enough” it was easy to make the decision to euth. I’ve never had a dog who stopped eating from just arthitis pain- usually it seemed to be nausea-anorexia caused by something much worse, like liver failure or a cancer of some kind.
If you think the rimadyl might have caused an ulcer, and you still want to treat for pain, tramadol is an opiod and has a totally different mechanism of action and might be a better choice for the dog while you try to fix the eating problem.
But since no one knows what’s wrong, all you can do is treat the symptoms- dog needs to eat- and I think getting an ultrasound is a really good idea. If however you think the dog has had enough and decide to offer the ultimate in pain relief, no one can fault you for your decision there.
Wow, lots of great replies. Thank you! I’ll try to address everything but if I leave something out I apologize.
The vet put him on Mirtazapine as an appetite stimulant. He’s had two doses so far, and while I don’t want to get overly excited, it seemes to be working I hope. He’s eaten about 2 cups of food since yesterday afternoon, which is more than he’s eaten in the past 10 days. Hopefully his appetite continues to increase. He didn’t want the ensure. I’ll cook him some more chicken tonight.
I took him off the Rimadyl but I’ll try some Pepcid with him just incase it caused an ulcer.
However, he seems to have a dry sounding cough/trouble intaking air. I don’t know how else to explain it… but I’m trying to get it on video. It doesn’t happen all the time, but I’ve heard it several times in the last 36 hours or so. His x-rays did show an enlarged heart, so I’m not sure if it’s related. Will bring it up on Monday.
Fingers crossed his appetite continues to improve and that we can start moving uphill with this.
Glad to hear he is eating something. I would be shocked if its “pain” causing him not to eat. Pepcid could also be added for sure, but likely he doesnt have an ulcer from Rimadyl since the poor appetite started before the rimayl. Significant ulcers however usually are followed by dark tarry stool and/or blood tinged or coffee ground vomit.
Heart failure could be starting and causing a cough (good thing is there are lots of wonderful meds to control this), but its also likely he has something like laryngeal paralysis…this isnt evident on radiographs, and is a fairly common happening of older lab type dogs.
If its at all possible to still consult with an internist, I would. Something isnt right, and an internist is likely to figure it out sooner than a regular vet. In the long run, it will probably save you money.
Still jingling for your old man.
Jingling and hoping he’ll pick up on the eating a little more.
I agree that I don’t think it’s pain related.
I’ve about had it with the current vet. Bo isn’t interested in food again and is acting depressed. Definitely not his usual self. All she’s doing is running me around in circles with the appetite stimulant and saying that all the tests were normal. I received several recommendations from people in the area for a vet who specializes in senior dogs. I decided I’m going to at least go for an opinion there. I feel it’s better than our current vet and not as expensive as an internist would be.
I called back my vet and received a different receptionist. I asked if it would be possible to pick up a copy of my dog’s bloodwork and any notes the vet made in the file. She said that she would have to get permission from the vet who saw my dog and that usually they don’t release that information to the owners. Excuse me?
:eek: You’re telling me I’ve just spent hundreds of dollars at your clinic, on MY dog, and you won’t release his records to me? Seriously?
Has anyone else ever encountered this? I’ve been lucky to be considered “family” by both of the clinics my family has previously used. I’ve never had a problem asking for and recieving a copy of my dog’s records. Have I just been lucky? Is not releasing a copy of records to an owner standard procedure?
[QUOTE=Milocalwinnings;6621437]
I agree that I don’t think it’s pain related.
I’ve about had it with the current vet. Bo isn’t interested in food again and is acting depressed. Definitely not his usual self. All she’s doing is running me around in circles with the appetite stimulant and saying that all the tests were normal. I received several recommendations from people in the area for a vet who specializes in senior dogs. I decided I’m going to at least go for an opinion there. I feel it’s better than our current vet and not as expensive as an internist would be.
I called back my vet and received a different receptionist. I asked if it would be possible to pick up a copy of my dog’s bloodwork and any notes the vet made in the file. She said that she would have to get permission from the vet who saw my dog and that usually they don’t release that information to the owners. Excuse me? :eek: You’re telling me I’ve just spent hundreds of dollars at your clinic, on MY dog, and you won’t release his records to me? Seriously?
Has anyone else ever encountered this? I’ve been lucky to be considered “family” by both of the clinics my family has previously used. I’ve never had a problem asking for and recieving a copy of my dog’s records. Have I just been lucky? Is not releasing a copy of records to an owner standard procedure?[/QUOTE]
Technically the vet owns the records, but I’ve never heard of a vet not giving the owner copies if requested. Some may charge a very small copying fee though. Just tell vet you are getting a 2nd opinion.
