My 11-yr old Boxer won''t eat

[ginab]

I''ve had her checked thoroughly. Nothing was found. She was put on prozac because she''s so sensitive to sounds suddenly living with tenants upstairs. I cook for her. Maybe it''s my cooking? She weighs about 52lbs and should weigh 60 (was down to 50 one month ago from 61 in June).

She eats treats. No problem with treats. She drinks water. She drinks ensure, eats yogurt, peanut butter...but not great bacon, or good canned food. The best.

any ideas? any. thank you.

 

[whitby_2773]

hi ginab - welcome

did you have blood tests done? has she had xrays? have you tired hand feeding her? could she be diabetic? have her stools changed at all or is she showing any signs of an upset stomach? does she seem to have the same energy? have you thought about trying a different vet? a specialist, perhaps?

i have dogs and this is where i''d start.

if it truly is stress causing all this, i''d hand feed her ie sit on the ground with her and 4oz of ground beef, roll it into little balls and feed them to her one at a time. if that doesnt work, try mixing dried liver treats in with the beef.

is she home alone during the day? if so, and the noises are bothering her, have you thought about doggie day-care for her to get her out of the worrying environment? do you have family whose home she could go to during the day if you are not home?

i hope things work out for the both of you, ginab - pls keep us up to date,

 

[Gypsy]

Ditto Whitby. And wanted to add: How about not so great dog food? Some of the more commercial brands of wet food might have a higher salt percentage and while not great for long term feeding... might work to tempt her to start trying food again. Is there a not so great brand she''s fond of? My dogs really had a thing for Nutro wetfood. It''s not great, not terrible... but they really liked the stuff. At least she''s drinking and eats treats. Disguising food as treats is a great idea... rolling up into a ball. If she likes carbs you can roll stuff up into some bread (my last dog loved carbs, though we didn''t give her any, but she was a stray and SOMEONE did. Wagged her tail so hard her everything was in danger of breaking when she saw a likely loaf of bread). What are her favorite things?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/22/2010 1:13:23 AM
Author:ginab

I''ve had her checked thoroughly. Nothing was found. She was put on prozac because she''s so sensitive to sounds suddenly living with tenants upstairs. I cook for her. Maybe it''s my cooking? She weighs about 52lbs and should weigh 60 (was down to 50 one month ago from 61 in June).

She eats treats. No problem with treats. She drinks water. She drinks ensure, eats yogurt, peanut butter...but not great bacon, or good canned food. The best.

any ideas? any. thank you.

Hi Gina and welcome to Pricescope!

I would make an appointment and get her checked by a vet as soon as you can.

 

[CasaBlanca]

I agree with Lorelei. I would head to another vet...Pronto! Burn rubber! That other vet needs a good smacking.

I would also contact the drug manufacturer of the prozac. They alone can tell you if a certain ingredient has be altered since you started giving it. Unfortunately animal medicines aren''t as controlled as human medicines are. I give joint supplement to my dog and one day it stopped working...I contacted the manufacturer and sure enough one source of ingredient was cheaper than the original so they switched. (The economy has all businesses ratcheting down expenses...the new tax year approaching I am afraid we will be loosing quality on many things we have come to trust-many are pulling back on all areas they can.) Is there a suggested time period of use and perhaps it has run it''s course of effectiveness?

Maybe it is your cooking? Awhhh...what a kickin mom your are! You cook for her? What a life your kid has had! Yum!

In the meantime...take a can of green beans no salt added, rinse them, I use hot tap water, flip can several times to allow water to wash them...place them on a plate...then add water packed tuna, or even sardines. The fish smell is something most dogs can''t resist. She is going to think it is people food (oh wait that is what she is used to huh?) and be sort excited. You know that even though it is people food, it is packed with things she needs. Senior dogs tastes change. There is a period of adjustment for them, I am sure your vet checkup told you that very thing. A tablespoon of molasses has been know to regain bouncy personality too. I will return with a molasses link for your reading.

I am reluctant to write these paragraphs, but when I was back in your shoes I wished someone took the time to suggest a few to me. So I ask you to understand I write them with sincere sensitivity and support. I so adore the boxer and I share your anguish and distress.

The first thing that comes to mind is age related. What a blessing you have had a boxer for 11 years. Unlike peoples retirement stage that takes years to see, a dogs retirement age can just pop up out the blue and we are puzzled why it happened in a day. She may have been full of energy and personality in one day and the other day she is nothing like she has ever been. She may have just weighed her standing in life and decided it is her time to slow down. Doing so has changed her metabolism and energy level so she is not requiring as much food. Dogs are startled when things change for them. They are creatures of repeated habit. Those new sounds and sensitivity to it...may just have worn her comfort down...and she is settling into a state of lack of control over it...and it is uneasy and unnerving.

I would contact all boxer experts I could and see if you can obtain information about the breed specifically. The afore mentioned paragraph is my experience of the breed''s age. Another experience is that unfortunately @#%&* dad blasted tumors prevail in the breed usually in senior years. Some are visual that you can see on the body, while others are hidden in places you can''t see. That is the reason I would encourage you to find a vet that knows the boxer, and is willing to hunt beyond a normal checkup.

I regret this post has the subject that no pet owner wants to read or even think about. I only have experience with the Boxer, so I feel a kinship with you and just want to help. In that kinship I don''t want you to experience regret in wasting time in lame responses from vets...my first experience, I did just that. "can''t find anything wrong" "Can''t explain the symptoms" "just go home and rest and watch"...baloney this is your family member. You know in your gut something is awry.

I convey my support to you...and want you to know I truly mean no offense or fear to you in this post. Just want to arm you with support and encouragement to find the root of the problem. With sincere kinship-CB

 

[dragonfly411]

Have you tried rice? Will she eat that? Do you feed her dry food at all, or is she unable to digest this? Have you tried mixing treats in with her food? Or maybe some (and others might chide me for this but it broke a 10 day fast for my grandma''s dog) barbecue sauce mixed in?

My grandmother''s 13 year old is very stingy. My grandmother hand feeds her. She rarely eats dry food, but when she does it''s like you set down a T-bone steak in front of her. She will only eat certain canned foods, rice, and bacon