Putting weight on an old dog with cancer

[Arrows_Endure]

Ok, my Grizz is 11 or 12 and has been diagnosed with grade 5 lymphosarcoma. A year ago he was given less that six weeks to live. He’s still alive, happy, active, and bouncy. Over the last month, he’s started to lose weight. He has not lost energy or attitude. So, I need some recommendations on getting weight back on him, or at least making it so he doesn’t lose any more. I’m a little worried someone is going to call animal control on me pretty soon!

Here are Grizz’s rules:
No grains, minimal carbs
He throws up anything with beef it in
He has a stomach issues which means he can’t eat more than about a cup and a half of volumn at a time. Any more than that and he throws up.
He has IBD, so he needs something that won’t make that mad.
He’s a picky eater at the best of time, so it has to be tasty.

He is eating Before Grains Buffalo formula, 1.5 cups twice daily with a couple scoops of Taste of the Wild canned food. He also gets a previcox daily, 1/2 pepcid twice a day, and a digestive aid with each meal.

My thoughts were, instead of the canned food in his dinner, to make him some “canned” food. If I get ground turkey and some veggies, I can make something that is perhaps high in fat to add calories. Whatcha think? Any suggestions?

[Simkie]

How about a kibble with more calories? BG Buffalo is only 383 kcal/cup. Since he’s limited with how much he can eat, I’d really work to maximize that.

Pinnacle Peak is 500, EVO is 537, Timberwolf Wilderness is 522.

I wonder if you could also add a tablespoon or two of healthy oil to his food?

Good luck!

[lovey1121]

[QUOTE=Arrows Endure;5909813]
Ok, my Grizz is 11 or 12 and has been diagnosed with grade 5 lymphosarcoma. A year ago he was given less that six weeks to live. He’s still alive, happy, active, and bouncy. Over the last month, he’s started to lose weight. He has not lost energy or attitude. So, I need some recommendations on getting weight back on him, or at least making it so he doesn’t lose any more. I’m a little worried someone is going to call animal control on me pretty soon![/QUOTE]

I don’t have any recipes for you-wish I did. It sounds like you are doing everything you can :yes:…I had a liver-cancer 13 y.o. who looked skinny as heck but who kept fighting until she finally let go at 15 y., 169 days, and I was happy that she stayed happy and engaged. After all, how many old folks with cancer cross the bridge in good weight? Its the way they feel up until that moment that counts. Keep him happy and engaged, and spoil him as only you know how to do…hugs.
Hang in there, Grizz.

[SaveTheOtters]

canola oil has about 120 calories per tbsp so you could add a couple tablespoons per meal to add calories.

[Alagirl]

Satin’s balls.
Substitute beef with whatever meat he can tolerate. Leave out what he can’t/won’t eat.
http://www.ruckuskennels.com/recipe.htm

[MMorgan]

No advice here, but Arrows and Simkie, congratulations to you both, I love hearing about dogs who defy the odds.

[MKW]

I also have an older dog who has been losing weight. I added a lunch time meal for her which she seems to think is pretty special! Good luck with your boy.

[EponaRoan]

When one of my guys was in liver failure, I cooked stew for him in the crockpot. Just throw in whatever meat he can tolerate, add some veggies and a few seasonings and make it with a lot of broth. Served over dinner, he’d clean it up & he kept weight on that way. Just kibble, not necessarily so much and this guy had always been a chow hound.

[Houndhill]

Can he have ice cream? I have made “milkshakes” with melted Breyers Vanilla ice cream, with some honey and a raw egg, to put weight on a dog, but perhaps that would be too many carbs.