has anyone had experience of this? dog off her food.

[wannaBe]

My dog (13.5 yo lab) had d&v while I was on holiday. My mum starved her for 24 hours and then gave her chicken/rice for two days. However when she tried to give her her normal food she refused to eat it so she kept her on chicken/rice till I came home two days later.

Again I tried her on normal food and she wasn't bothered, so took her to vet who looked at stomach/took temperature etc and said she couldn't see anything specific wrong but gave me some antibiotics and some probiotic paste to give her. So did that, and gradually incorporated her normal food into the chicken/rice until she was getting a full portion. Then stopped the chicken and gave normal food as per usual. She ate this for three days or so but since yesterday has been back off her food again

Am taking her back to the vet tomorrow but have no idea what it could be.

Although she's quite old she's still happy/mobile and doesn't appear ill at all, but going off food isn't a good sign is it? especially for a lab?

Is she off all food, or would she still take chicken & rice

well I'm cooking her some chicken now so will see.

Before she did take the chicken and rice, but she's never been a picky dog.

Dogs can get a bit pickier as they get older and their sense of smell deteriorates. Is she on a dry food normally?

She's quite old for a lab. Old people can get picky about their food too, and apart from the taste the chicken and rice is probably more digestible. Is her normal food a 'seniors' formulation?

If she happily still eats the chicken and rice she may just be hoping for something more exciting than her ususal biscuits ;) I find these old dogs are quite cunning about food!

Is she on any other medication apart from those you mentioned the vet gave you for her tummy?

hello.

Well last night I mixed some of her usual food with the chicken and rice and she ate it, same this morning. So it seems she might be getting pickier in her old age.

However, in the past couple of days she has wee'd on the floor a couple of times so I doo wonder if this is the beginning of the end .

BG no she's not on any other medication. she had severe pancreatitis three years ago though so whenever she is ill it always worries me that this might recur. She was on a drip for a week last time and I fear that if we end up back there it might finish her off .

I know she's getting old now (she will be 14 in February) but she is my baby. She was my first guide dog and was the one that changed my life . I know that it is going to happen one day but when it does it is going to break my heart .

Has the vet tested her for pancreatitis again this time - the pattern you talk about suggests perhaps your dog has some pain when eating - I was thinking more along the lines of gastritis possibly induced by certain medications, but certainly pancreatitis could do the same re pain and eating. Chicken and rice is quite a nice light diet and so may cause her less problems to eat than other foods, but if this is pancreatitis the vet needs to know really. Chicken and rice alone is probably not going to sort this if so. I would personally push your vet to get some blood tests running on her to confirm or eliminate this as a possibility really. If they are negative then look to some treatments for gastritis perhaps - it can occur without medications prompting it. Overall though, one way or the other it does sound like your vet needs to see her again.

I know how you feel about your poor dog getting old. I have a 14 year old dog too who suffers with her legs these days. We know her time is limited and it will be a very sad day when we have to say goodbye. Thankfully for now she is happy enough and coping with medications to help her. Long may it last

I would just continue to feed her chicken and rice. I would mix it with dog food so she still gets the vitamins etc.
With pancreatitis you need to keep fat levels in food down, Chappie is a recommended food in these cases. Have you tried that? If she likes it,you could feed her on Chappie/chicken/rice.

At her age she deserves a bit of being pandered to!

what brand of dogfood is she on?
it is quite normal for dogs to get an occasional upset tummy so I wouldn't worry too much as long as it doesn't persist. If you have any worries about her at all take her to the vet for a full examination to put your mind at rest.