old dog, refusing food, help please

Bosworth

Bosworth

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www.ballhillequestrian.co.uk
I wrote earlier on in the week about my old lurcher who was refusing food. I took him back to the vets yesterday and there is a problem. He has got some sort of infection as his temp is up to 39.8, his breathing is laboured and he has a painful stomach. The vet also thinks he could have pancreatitis. He wants to treat it as an infection first so I have antibiotics, loxicom and something like gaviscon. He started on the drugs last night, then at 4am he woke me and I gave him some liver risotto I had made for him, he ate about 2 tablespoons of it. Then went back to sleep, at 8am I managed to get him to eat another table spoon of it along with the drugs, and then again at 11 he ate a couple of spoonfuls. He had regained his wag. I got home tonight and did his medicines, then tried to get him to eat. He just won't, I tried tuna, sardines, catfood, my food and nothing is wanted.

I have syringed in about 20ml of honey and natural yoghurt, and he did take that easily. Any other suggestions about what I can do, he still has a shiny coat, his gums are healthy and he is drinking as normal

If he won't start eating he will have to be hospitalised and drip fed,for an old dog with a heart murmer and seperation anxiety that could be the end for him.
 
Thanks Toffee, have tried the ham, mince (cooked) and chicken as well as cooked liver. He just turns his head away. I am now fast running out of food to try. I did make a liver risotto yesterday with loads of rice, veg, liver and bacon in it and managed to get him to have some of that by spoon feeding it, but tonight he just won't try anything
 
If they suspect P'titis,starve for 24 hours,water only.Then plain boiled white rice,next add steamed chicken breast and that will basically be his diet for the rest of his life.No treats etc.He's not eating because he feels dreadful,keep him warm and quiet.
 
Thanks zippo, the vet has said that he needs to eat at the moment, and is inclined towards an infection which is why we have these drugs. If he doesn;t respond within 4 days then further investigations will be needed but they are all dangerous for him at his age and with the heart murmur. Apparantly, according the vet, the starve for 24 hours now is not considered necessary for pancreatitis, the diet has to be non fat if that is what is diagnosed. As he has shown no symptoms of pancreatitis before and has always been a slim healthy dog the vet is wanting to clear the infection and see what happens. He is being kept warm and quiet.
 
Not sure if your old boy is allowed, but when mine don't eat and refuse all other tempting treats I break out my secret stash of stinky cheese (currently stilton).
 
how old? Sometimes they will just stop eating before the end.
Offer little and often, don't overface him, microwave the food to enhance the aroma, get some applaus cat food if he won't eat anything, or chicken or tuna dog/cat food.
Fingers crossed for you, has he had ultrasound or the like?
 
Our GSD (she's 11 with numerous problems and not at all a textbook dog) has just been diagnosed with pancreatitis and she didn't eat/ate very little for a good few weeks. However, she's not the best at keeping weight on and the vet didn't want her not eating so it was just a case of finding low fat food she'd eat!
We mix pasta and chicken mince and give her that; she usually eats about 5pm but recently leaves it till gone 9-10pm. She didn't want to eat that for the first few days. She's on antacids and 2x antibiotics for 3 weeks until we see the vet again.
Not sure what to suggest; the antacids (like gaviscon) will certainly help and we actually sat there with our GSD and fed her bits by hand (took a long, long time but we got half of it down her at least).
Soft palatable food with a good aroma might entice your lurcher to eat a bit more.
Fingers crossed I hope things improve for you!
K x
 
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