Dog won't eat!

Fish - cod or some such which is easily boned - with rice makes a change from chicken. Old tums need invalid food. Old dogs do go off their food when approaching the end, but the end may still be several months away.

How are things going?
One of my go- to recipes is to cook chicken legs or wings or thighs in the pressure cooker to make a strong stock, take the chicken out and flake it then cook brown rice in the stock until it has all been absorbed. Mix the chicken and by now really chicken-flavoured rice and keep in the fridge or freezer in little plastic takeaway containers. This can tempt most dogs and is really easy.
BTW Grace has been seen by the vet (an extra £80 to come to the house but so worth it) and checked over. I was fully prepared for being PTS but something in me said she was not at that stage yet. Happily I was right. Her flare up of arthritis/rheumatism was already calming down and she seems to be good for a wee while yet with daily Metacam. Temporary reprieve I know as there is no cure for old age, yet.

hilda mine would only eat chicken and rice which I believe vets suggest for dogs with poorly tums. Hope whatever it is she/he picks up soon. I have had 3 dogs. 2 had to be put to sleep as they both struggled with breathing and stopped eating when they had had enough (heart breaking but in the end the right decision) the third died from a brain tumour overnight. A real shock. I couldn't believe she really had gone and even though the vet confirmed it, I couldn't bury her for hours until I was really convinced she was gone.

Dogs like children can be so up and down!
Took Grace for a gentle 5 minute "toilet" walkie before bedtime and so far she seems much more settled. I wonder if the vet will just try her on a stronger anti-arthritic after all. We shall see.
Good luck hildajennij and ?J

Hi,hildajenniJ , glad you are taking your dog to the vets, although she is sometimes eating she could have a problem with teeth, or it may be Dementia, 1 of my dogs has recently started meds for this , hope all goes ok with your visit tomorrow.xx

It's such a sad time when the inevitable is looming and you are running out of options. The only thought you can comfort yourself with is that your beloved dog is trusting you to pick the right time so they won't suffer. It's a tough call.

So sorry for all of you with poorly, elderly dogs.

Oh ggmarion we are almost exactly in that position. Grace is 14 which is old for a greyhound and I am telling myself that it is my responsibility to intervene before she is in real pain. Last night she had 2 incidences of the back legs giving up and she couldn't stand. After a while she seemed to improve but today she looks shaky and is panting a lot. They are so prepared to go on aren't they but once you see that it is a real struggle you have to think about it (at least)
Grace has more mobility than DH () and I am not taking him to the vets (not quite yet) but he understands what is wrongand she doesn't.. I am not saying your much loved dog should be PTS bit I am getting the vet out tomorrow and will follow their advice.

Update. My dog is NOT constipated. For her supper, she has just polished off a can of corner beef. I just don't understand her any more.

Lilly's Kitchen is wet dog food which doesn't contain the usual irritants. It is very tasty and smells like human food (I haven't tasted it!) It is quite expensive and I have it delivered but it is the only food Angus eats with gusto. He has always been picky.

Not loose!!! Poos.

She could be constipated. I haven't picked up any loose for a couple of days. I'll get an appointment at the Vet tomorrow, and take it from there.

If my Sophie gets constipated, I put some bran and a little olive oil over her dinner. What is Lilly's Kitchen, please?

My old dog sometimes goes off his food and I cook fish (cheap frozen fillets from supermarket) and rice. He is now nearing 17 and find that Lillies Kitchen suits him well. He is deaf and a bit senile and a few weeks ago I took him to the vet because his back legs seemed to be weakening. As he is still going for walks and seems generally happy I was shocked when she said it was time to start thinking of putting him to sleep to avoid future distress to him and to me if he went down and couldn't get up. I totally disagreed as he still has quality in his life. To me euthenasia is the ending of a life that has become intolerable because of pain etc. You know your dog and when it is time. Angus has started a course of nutramed (prescribed) and he is so much more lively. It is completely natural and seems to be a 'tonic'.

Is she constipated?.
In older dogs this can happen especially if she's on medication.
I think the main thing is that she is drinking plenty water.
And as others say hand feed

It is so hard when its our best friend but they have put their trusr in us to do the right thing by them

My daughter has a dog who often refuses to eat. She sprinkles a bit of tinned tuna over his food and that always works

When my elderly cat stopped eating it was her teeth. Cost hundred of pounds at vet !

Has she been wormed recently? Grace always goes off her food about 2 days before the reminder comes from the vet. (No sign of worms, but she goes off her food and eats grass)
I would endorse sardines, cooked chicken fillets and rice, also Lilly's kitchen tinned food in tiny amounts, if she is just getting senile and "forgetting " to eat but recognise it may be symptomatic of something worse. {{hugs}} from me.

hild. I hate to say it but if she is really ancient, then you may have to face the inevitable. This is exactly what happened to my daughters lab a couple of years ago, in the end Gemma even refused fluids and my daughter understood that the time had come. Terribly traumatic, but a very kind decision.

Sometimes, when humans or animals decide not to eat, they're telling us something.
I would not worry about the vet pushing you to pts before you feel that's right for your much loved dog hilda. In similar circumstances, my vet was understanding and kind to my dog as well as to me.
Sending love - it's so hard when our much loved animal family are very old. I agree with everyone, hand feedings can help. I used a syringe to squirt liquid food and liquid into my old dog. Hope things are ok x

Will she eat pasta? DD used to feed her dogs pasta with tuna once or twice a week, it's nice and soft. Apparently an occasional pasta meal is supposed to stop them smelling 'doggy' too.
When we inherited a dog he refused to eat and I resorted to sitting on the floor getting him to eat it off my fingers and he started eating after about a week.

Maybe they are like humans.

My mother, who had dementia, gradually refused to eat and drink. It was heartbreaking as she literally starved to death in the end.

I wonder if your dear dog is going through the same process?

One of my cats wasn't eating last week so I took him to the Vet as I read that this is dangerous for cats, can lead to liver shut down after 2-3 days. The vet could find nothing wrong but gave him an appetite booster injection since when he has been fine. My other cat has now stopped eating, so I assume it is a virus or bug so will not visit the vet again just yet. (First one cost me £92!) If you are prepared to pay this sort of amount, it is possible that your vet could give something similar to help the appetite. I know how it feels to fear that the end is nigh, it is painful isn't it? We just have to make the choice based on our instincts, and if you feel she isn't suffering the vet will listen. Good wishes for a good outcome (((hugs))).

How long has she gone without food Hilda ? Maybe she will just eat when she is ready and its best to take the food away and try again later. If the non eating persists then perhaps she feels its the end of the road for her. It's heart breaking when we can't help our pets, I sympathise with you.

Poor baby. I used to feed one of my old dogs with a fork.my present dog will only eat chicken, offal (cooked) or sardines. She's become fat on these things but I must give her what she likes. I think animals are a big worry. But luv 'em!

I've tried hand feeding and warming the food, that didn't work. Neither did scattering parmesan cheese on it. Millymouge, I tried liquidising her dinner yesterday, she just sniffed it and turned away. She gobbled up the corner beef like there was no tomorrow, but then she must have been very hungry after yesterday's refusals.