Looking for input, fur baby on the decline...

[sarahb]

Our precious 14 year old Jack, (my avatar pic) has begun to not eat, & his activity level has decreased. He's the last of our 3 Musketeers. Needless to say, we are in pieces.

Shortly after Christmas, his eating slowed down, to about 1x every 24 to 36 hours, & he became lethargic. After about 4-5 days of this, I took him to the vet, & we did every conceivable test known to mankind to determine what was amiss. Ultra sound, blood work for multiple issues, liver biopsy (he had elevated liver values, low to medium high, not alarmingly high). No liver lymphoma. Started him on Denamarin, (have a blood draw the end of Feb to re-check values). Nothing else showed up on the radar. He had been on Galliprant for shoulder arthritis, moved him to Gabaprentin, shoulder issue seems fine. The switch was made in an effort to stem rising liver values. The vet wanted to started amoxicillin, which ended yesterday. The amoxicillin seemed to help, ie energy levels have picked back up, but still can/could not find any underlying issue.

Water intake seems to have not changed. His food intake seems to be about 1/3-1/2 give or take cup per feeding. Normally, he'd eat 1/2 cup every 12 hrs. Normal was Kibble mixed w/ some wet. Never had a problem w/ appetite. His normal weight is about 16.5-17-18ish lbs depending on season. I'm sure today it's down somewhat.

His normal activity consisted of daily walks to park, 1/3 mi, 1/2 mi at most. Outside trips to yard every 2 hours or so, I've always been home w/ home office & now retired. His walks have ceased with winter, up to the last couple of weeks, since we've been hit ice, snow, & crazy cold temps etc. Nothing else seems to have changed, we are blessed in that we have a happy loving home.

Have tried all different dog food types, from kibble to wet & everything in between. He may initially eat a few bites, then nothing. Have had a few decent meals in between, like the first time I mixed hamburger drippings with his kibble & the first time he had scrambled eggs with his kibble. He would eat a decent amount each time something new was served, then subsequent servings of the same usually haven't interested him. This am, I made 2 scrambled eggs mixed w/ 1/3-1/2 c kibble. He ate almost all of it, much more than his new normal.

I'm looking for ideas for meals for him. I've spoken to our breeder, who IMO is the guru of dog gurus. She seems to think he's begun the final transition. I can't even go there at the moment. Hubby took him to the office for a few hours/different scenery-pace this afternoon. I'll pick him up on my way back from gym in a few hours.

Tonight I am trying hamburger & rice. He paced yesterday, moved from sleeping spot to sleeping spot. Just couldn't seem to settle. Anyone have any input, anything I've missed? Any ideas for healthy meals using human food? We're beyond all the different dog food types of food, we've tried them. (Thank goodness our local dog food store has a no questions asked return policy.) Am at an impass. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Matata]

The ability to smell and taste declines with age in animals as it does in humans. This could be a factor for Jack. Canine dementia could also be a factor. How long has he been the only dog? Could he be depressed from the passing of his companions?

 

[House Cat]

Does he like boiled chicken with rice? How about baked , plain pork tenderloin with some rice? Too many food changes can upset the stomach and perpetuate the problem. Chicken and rice are recommended with stomach upsets. Tenderloin is recommended by our trainer for treats.

This is so heartbreaking. I’m so sorry this is happening. I hope he perks up soon.

 

[lambskin]

I am so sorry he is not healthy. It sounds like you are doing everything possible-and more. Thoughts and prayers are with you all.

 

[kmarla]

I’m so sorry this is happening. It sounds like you’re doing an amazing job trying to figure this out. If only our beloved pets could speak to us. This is a long shot suggestion, but have you checked his teeth to make sure there isn’t an abscess or any tooth decay that might be causing pain and making it difficult to eat. I’m hoping for all of you that he rallies soon.

 

[TooPatient]

Did they do an x-ray to check for growths, fluid build up, etc? My senior kitty had fluid around her lungs that an x-ray caught even though everything else came back normal and the vet couldn't hear fluid.

Teeth checked carefully? Could it be painful for him to chew?

Meals:
fishy stuff like tuna. Wet cat food is easier to chew and calorie packed (ask vet though as content may be out of balance for dog). Puppy formula wet food is also dense calories.

 

[kgizo]

Sorry to hear about your pup. I second the suggestion for boiled chicken and rice. You could try turkey too, but would need to make it yourself as many prepared meats often have been injected with fat or spices - both of which are bad for pets. I would be careful about hamburger, cat or puppy food as it could be too rich if pup is suffering from pancreatitis (hard to diagnose) or has sludge in his gallbladder, so check with your vet first.
It could be a digestive issue that is causing him to go off of food and he may not eat much because he thinks the food is causing him to feel sick. I went through this with a pet. Have you tried different treats on the food? Sometimes mine would eat the pet food if we used different toppings. I would grind up the treats in a food processor and sprinkle the treat dust on top.

 

[Gussie]

I am so sorry. It hurts so bad to see our babies decline. When our loveable mutt began her transition we fed her a can of tuna, rice, and thawed frozen vegetables every day. She loved it.

 

[2Neezers]

Hi @sarahb , I’m so sorry to hear that Jack isn’t feeling well. I’m also sorry to hear your other two fur babies crossed the rainbow bridge. They always looked like such a happy family and I’m sure both you and Jack miss them like crazy.
Two of my three Havanese have food allergies, so after a lot of trial and error we home cook for them. It’s a very simple and easy to digest recipe that I got from a dog nutritionist who was helping us figure out the issue. My girls love it, so hopefully Jack will too. It’s similar to what you had planned to give him tonight. If you’d like to give it a try, here’s the recipe:
32 oz. 95/5 lean ground beef (Meijer carries a pre-packaged brand of 95/5), chopped into tiny pieces
24 oz. Yukon gold potatoes, skinned and mashed
5 oz. dry weight Unenriched long grain white rice cooked very soft in at least 2 cups of water
Cook all ingredients very well and mix it all together. I add 8 oz of water to the mix to make the texture looser.
My pups are around 12 lbs each and I feed them each 4 oz. of the mixture twice a day and the recipe last at least a week for one dog (I freeze and then defrost most it). There are also a bunch of supplements that I give them as part of the recipe, but I’m sure it would be okay to go without them short term. I could always pass that info on to you if he ends up liking the food. I hope Jack feels better soon.

 

[cmd2014]

I don't have any suggestions other than to offer my sympathy that you are going through this and my hope that he will bounce back soon.

 

[elle_chris]

I'm sorry to read this. Never easy when our furbabies aren't well.

One of mine used to go through stages where food just didn't interest him.
So I would always boil some chicken breasts without any seasoning, then pour the broth over his kibble along with a bit of of the cooked chicken. That usually worked.
I tried not to change his food completely because that caused upset stomach issue for him.

 

[sarahb]

The ability to smell and taste declines with age in animals as it does in humans. This could be a factor for Jack. Canine dementia could also be a factor. How long has he been the only dog? Could he be depressed from the passing of his companions?

Thank you for your post Matada, its been a few years since the passing of our 2nd--I'm thinking 2 years. I know Jack was affected when it happened as the 2 remaining were when the 1st went. When the 2nd passed happened, we immediately stepped up our interaction with him, & socialization with other dogs. & since it's been so long now, I think we're past that event. But both my husband & I feel he would've definitely enjoyed another dog, he's quite social. The others passed at 15 & 17, & I've wondered if not having a companion around perhaps aged Jack quicker?

And I never thought about sense of taste & smell decreasing, what a great point, thank you. He's lost some hearing definitely, so it would be totally natural to think he'd loose some taste & smell. Good point to keep in mind!

 

[sarahb]

Does he like boiled chicken with rice? How about baked , plain pork tenderloin with some rice? Too many food changes can upset the stomach and perpetuate the problem. Chicken and rice are recommended with stomach upsets. Tenderloin is recommended by our trainer for treats.

This is so heartbreaking. I’m so sorry this is happening. I hope he perks up soon.

House Cat, thank you for those suggestions, had not thought about boiled chicken. Perfect.

I am quite concerned about upsetting his stomach too so am nervous to hit him with too much. One of the reasons I posted today! The wisdom on this board is phenomenal, thank you.

Decided tonight to give him scrambled eggs mixed with his kibble again, which he ate beautifully this morning. I can save the hamburger/rice for the next hurdle. Thank you so much for your food suggestions! And yes, it is heartbreaking!

 

[sarahb]

I am so sorry he is not healthy. It sounds like you are doing everything possible-and more. Thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Thank you lambskin, appreciate yuor words. Its so crazy, he's seemingly just fine if only he'd eat consistently!

 

[sarahb]

I’m so sorry this is happening. It sounds like you’re doing an amazing job trying to figure this out. If only our beloved pets could speak to us. This is a long shot suggestion, but have you checked his teeth to make sure there isn’t an abscess or any tooth decay that might be causing pain and making it difficult to eat. I’m hoping for all of you that he rallies soon.

You know what kmarla, in the flurry of the day and a half we spent at the vet, I really cannot remember!! He had his teeth cleaned quite recently--maybe 6 months ago, but I must call tomorrow and specifically ask this question, great suggestion, thank you! And you are so right, if only our pets could speak!

 

[sarahb]

Did they do an x-ray to check for growths, fluid build up, etc? My senior kitty had fluid around her lungs that an x-ray caught even though everything else came back normal and the vet couldn't hear fluid.

Teeth checked carefully? Could it be painful for him to chew?

Meals:
fishy stuff like tuna. Wet cat food is easier to chew and calorie packed (ask vet though as content may be out of balance for dog). Puppy formula wet food is also dense calories.

Hi TooPatient, he had an ultrasound of his entire abdomen, chest, etc. They found nothing. The actual vet I saw at this office was a recent transplant from the 24 hour Vet Emergency location. & boy, was she ever good, she wanted to get away from that stressful environment. She did multiple tests, all came back with nothing, except for the elevated liver values. She did a liver tissue biopsy to check for lymphoma, that too came back negative.

I plan to call tomorrow to double check the teeth issue to make sure. Thanks for those food suggestions too!

 

[Calliecake]

Sarahb, I’m so sorry Jack is been having problems and hope he improves quickly. I have nothing to add that hasn’t already been said. Sending lots of dust Jack’s way.

 

[sarahb]

Sorry to hear about your pup. I second the suggestion for boiled chicken and rice. You could try turkey too, but would need to make it yourself as many prepared meats often have been injected with fat or spices - both of which are bad for pets. I would be careful about hamburger, cat or puppy food as it could be too rich if pup is suffering from pancreatitis (hard to diagnose) or has sludge in his gallbladder, so check with your vet first.
It could be a digestive issue that is causing him to go off of food and he may not eat much because he thinks the food is causing him to feel sick. I went through this with a pet. Have you tried different treats on the food? Sometimes mine would eat the pet food if we used different toppings. I would grind up the treats in a food processor and sprinkle the treat dust on top.

Oh my, a few more things we've not considered, thank you. Who would've thought hamburger might be too rich--I'll ask that as well re pancreatitis & gall bladder. I know we discussed gall bladder, but can't remember how it was ruled out. & I'll discuss the digestive angle more thoroughly also. Hopefully your baby has overcome the digestive issue? And yes, we've done the treat on top, treat mixed into the food--etc., both of which helped--up to a point.

We're pretty structured with how we've fed the dogs, they were raised on good quality kibble, & as they got older, we mixed it with a bit of wet. I'll review those digestive issues you brought up, great suggestions, thank you!

 

[sarahb]

I am so sorry. It hurts so bad to see our babies decline. When our loveable mutt began her transition we fed her a can of tuna, rice, and thawed frozen vegetables every day. She loved it.

I spoke to our breeder yesterday & she suggested he had begun the transition & said, 'feed him whatever he wants'. So I chuckled at your 'She loved it.'

Needless to say, it's been a stressful couple of weeks. We will get through this, he's had a wonderful life & has given us such joy. Thank you for posting ceg.

 

[sarahb]

Hi @sarahb , I’m so sorry to hear that Jack isn’t feeling well. I’m also sorry to hear your other two fur babies crossed the rainbow bridge. They always looked like such a happy family and I’m sure both you and Jack miss them like crazy.
Two of my three Havanese have food allergies, so after a lot of trial and error we home cook for them. It’s a very simple and easy to digest recipe that I got from a dog nutritionist who was helping us figure out the issue. My girls love it, so hopefully Jack will too. It’s similar to what you had planned to give him tonight. If you’d like to give it a try, here’s the recipe:
32 oz. 95/5 lean ground beef (Meijer carries a pre-packaged brand of 95/5), chopped into tiny pieces
24 oz. Yukon gold potatoes, skinned and mashed
5 oz. dry weight Unenriched long grain white rice cooked very soft in at least 2 cups of water
Cook all ingredients very well and mix it all together. I add 8 oz of water to the mix to make the texture looser.
My pups are around 12 lbs each and I feed them each 4 oz. of the mixture twice a day and the recipe last at least a week for one dog (I freeze and then defrost most it). There are also a bunch of supplements that I give them as part of the recipe, but I’m sure it would be okay to go without them short term. I could always pass that info on to you if he ends up liking the food. I hope Jack feels better soon.

2Neezers, I thought of you & am so glad you saw this. That recipe looks great--thank you for sharing it. I think I'll try that instead of just the rice/hamburger combo. He had a few bites of his egg/kibble mix tonight, but as often the case when he was eating normally, if he ate an entire meal, the next meal he often wouldn't complete. So we'll see how he does tonight. I'll definitely hunt you down for the supplements if we find our selves needing those as well.

That new gal at CAH is the cats meow, really good, fyi--and thank you for your kind words, we do miss them like crazy.

 

[sarahb]

I don't have any suggestions other than to offer my sympathy that you are going through this and my hope that he will bounce back soon.

You know CMD2014, the support from posters such as yourself--mean so much, thank you. It is sad but a fact of life. I hope he'll bounce back soon, too!

 

[sarahb]

I'm sorry to read this. Never easy when our furbabies aren't well.

One of mine used to go through stages where food just didn't interest him.
So I would always boil some chicken breasts without any seasoning, then pour the broth over his kibble along with a bit of of the cooked chicken. That usually worked.
I tried not to change his food completely because that caused upset stomach issue for him.

It never is easy, is it.

Another good idea, pouring the chicken broth over his kibble. Thank you for posting.

 

[sarahb]

Sarahb, I’m so sorry Jack is been having problems and hope he improves quickly. I have nothing to add that hasn’t already been said. Sending lots of dust Jack’s way.

Thank you Calliecake,, appreciate your thoughts & dust. I hope he gets better too!

 

[arkieb1]

I nursed a Scottie with liver cancer until it was time to put her down. Towards the end I was cooking chicken breasts daily for her and the vets also gave me the tip of better quality supermarket bought cat food, dogs love cat food, try a few different varieties when nothing else appeals chicken and/or some types of cat food worked a treat. Unless he needs to be on a specific diet really anything is worth a try.

 

[Queenie60]

@sarahb. I'm going through the same situation with my 13 year old Maltese. His companion passed away in early November and I've seen a decline since she's been gone. They did not get along well however, she kept him on his toes as she was the alpha dog. His 3 mile walks went to 1 mile and now barely up the street for a little pee and poop. It's difficult to see him age. And yes, the eating has decreased rapidly and he sleeps a lot. He has even peed in his crate a few times as I think he can't hold it for the entire evening. This is a dog that has always been well disciplined with his potty habits. I feel for you - it's heartbreaking to watch this.

 

[MeowMeow]

No suggestions as I am a kitty person but I am hoping your baby perks up and starts improving for you soon Hugs, if you want them.

 

[missy]

I'm so sorry @sarahb. I cannot think of anything else that hasn't already been recommended here.

I am keeping dear Jack in my thoughts and prayers and hoping for a turnaround in his health. Sending you gentle (((hugs))) and healing vibes and lots and lots of good wishes.

 

[sarahb]

@sarahb. I'm going through the same situation with my 13 year old Maltese. His companion passed away in early November and I've seen a decline since she's been gone. They did not get along well however, she kept him on his toes as she was the alpha dog. His 3 mile walks went to 1 mile and now barely up the street for a little pee and poop. It's difficult to see him age. And yes, the eating has decreased rapidly and he sleeps a lot. He has even peed in his crate a few times as I think he can't hold it for the entire evening. This is a dog that has always been well disciplined with his potty habits. I feel for you - it's heartbreaking to watch this.

Awww Queenie, am so sorry your fur baby is going through this--it is so incredibly hard to watch, and loosing his companion surely is not helping matters. Maybe he will come out of it in a few months, it definitely took a while for ours to recover from loss...keep up the hope!

Yes, we can 'see' their gradual physical slide, & I wish we could hear them tell us 'relax, I'm having a good day even though I look like I'm not' on the good days, & on the bad, 'I need x, y, or z to help me feel better'....egads, if only! Hang in there, I am sending you & your baby tons of dust!

 

[sarahb]

No suggestions as I am a kitty person but I am hoping your baby perks up and starts improving for you soon Hugs, if you want them.

Who would turn down hugs?! Hugs, even from cat people are welcomed here! Thank you....

 

[sarahb]

I'm so sorry @sarahb. I cannot think of anything else that hasn't already been recommended here.

I am keeping dear Jack in my thoughts and prayers and hoping for a turnaround in his health. Sending you gentle (((hugs))) and healing vibes and lots and lots of good wishes.

Missy, you are the best PS ambassador, cheer leader, fill in the blank wonderful person...isn't PS a great place, all the suggestions & outpouring of support, thank you Missy for yours...