Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Flip

Original poster

Elderly dog suddenly refusing all dog food!

13 replies

justpoppy · 02/01/2018 08:58

She’s 14.5, completely blind (double enucleation surgery about 10 years ago due to cysts) and has some pain in her back legs due to arthritis which she is medicated for. She gets herself about though and seems generally happy. I took her to the vet last week for a check up and he suggested changing her food to puppy food as she is a quite underweight. Off to PaH I went and spent a small fortune on various good quality puppy foods all of which she has refused! She now refuses to eat her previous food too. She will however eat cheese, scrambled egg (with salmon if i have some), tinned tuna or sardines and last night polished off a whole roast chicken dinner including gravy! I’ve tried her with tripe which she ate once then refused again. I don’t think it’s her teeth as DS gave her the crusts off of his pizza the other day and she had no problem eating those. Shall I just resign myself to cooking for her? Are there any good dog cooking books I could look at? I want her to be happy in the time she still has left with us but I don’t want to keep offering her food that just going to get thrown away.

Any ideas?

OP posts:

ClamClam · 02/01/2018 09:18

When my beloved dog was nearing the end she became fussy, just as you describe. Like you, I tried her on any - and every - thing, but be careful, as I quickly realised some foods upset her tummy, which caused more problems (she died from kidney disease and got progressively worse....) I had always been so careful what I fed her, but towards the end it was far more comforting to know she'd enjoyed something. She went through a stage where she liked 'Ella's Kitchen' tinned food and 'Yeo Valley' lemon yoghurt, which was pretty-much the only thing she tolerated at the end.... Good luck...

Original poster

justpoppy · 02/01/2018 11:10

Thanks Clam. She’s got a pretty strong constitution - can tolerate cows milk and unless she eats too quickly keeps everything down. She seems to want a variety of different meals - same thing too often and she’ll go off it! I was going to thy the Ella’s kitchen stuff but at over £2 a can I’m a bit reluctant if I’m just going to chuck it out! Did you give your dog a vitamin supplement?

OP posts:

LaGattaNera · 02/01/2018 11:25

I would try one tin of Ella's kitchen - they have so many flavours and the odd time that my dog has had one, he has gobbled it up. If yours doesn't it's only a couple of quid wasted but she may enjoy. My one also likes the Highlife Moist menus big pouch lasts ages - the one with cheese in it which I use as a mixer with other bits & bobs. Poor girl hope she continues going for a while yet.

Original poster

justpoppy · 02/01/2018 14:06

I’ll get an Ella’s kitchen on next time I’m out. She just had left over chicken, veg and gravy from our dinner last night and scoffed the lot so she’s not off her food as such just being a fussy madam (which at her age I will allow and pander to )

I’ve got some sausages out of the freezer for dinner so she can have those too. Is there any harm in giving her human food? I tend to cook from scratch and we have lots of fresh veg.

OP posts:

ludothedog · 02/01/2018 14:19

My dog was like this too towards the end. I'd give her what she wants within reason. [Flowers]

ColonelJackONeil · 02/01/2018 14:33

I think you have to be careful not to give too much salt or sugar and dogs do ideally need some bone in their food but other than this at her age its probably fine to give human food that you find agrees with her. She's probably like a picky old lady. Not much appetite and only eats what she fancies.

ClamClam · 02/01/2018 14:40

Yes, Ella's Kitchen is expensive! My poor old lady didn't eat it for long. As my spaniel was nearly sixteen when she passed away, I couldn't see it making any difference what she ate at the end! I doubt at your lovely old girl's advanced years, human food or otherwise would be much of an issue either! I know you said she is well in herself, but watch out for symptoms of kidney disease - my vet said it's extremely common in older dogs and it often starts without you really noticing. With hindsight, my dog had started drinking much more, then had the occasional 'accident' during the night...little things I initially put down to old age. She was very underweight after a while and had ulcers in her mouth, which must have been terribly sore... I had no idea her mouth was sore at first and she didn't let on at all (still eating chicken wings and gnawing bones!) I often used to give her some of our food too.

Original poster

justpoppy · 02/01/2018 16:51

Clam, one of the reasons I took her to the vet was because I was worried there was something wrong and I just wouldn’t know. She had an X-ray about a year ago during a check up and nothing showed up then but this time the vet seemed reluctant to do any blood work or anything more intrusive than a good feel around because of her age. I tend to agree with you that it doesn’t really matter what she eats as long as she eats and enjoys it. I’m sorry to hear your lovely girl was in so much pain towards the end. I’m going to give it a few weeks and pop into the vet again as with all the extra food she’s had she should have put on weight and if she hasn’t then I think there is a problem.

OP posts:

Tatie3 · 02/01/2018 17:02

Bless her, I'm soft so would probably just give whatever she fancies to eat but I think the idea of baby food is a good alternative as they won't contain any added salt or sugar. Most of the brand's do cottage pie/ Sunday lunch type flavours that might be nice.

smartiecake · 02/01/2018 17:09

We lost our beloved dog 6 years ago, he was 14. He had heart failure for the last 2 years of his life and cushings disease. Cost us a fortune in medication.
He ate human leftovers on his dog food dinner every day of his life - jack russell so food obsessed. For the last couple of years i used to make him scrambled eggs for breakfast every day and he would eat whatever i could get him to have. Sausages daily with his multiple medications hidden within. Also chicken, steak, left over veggies and gravy, fish, even pasta. We knew he was on borrowed time and he loved those last 2 years we had him. Thankfully he was only poorly for 2 days at the end - kidney failure and we had to have him PTS.
Human food will not harm your dog. Give him as many treats as you can and lots of kisses

bilbodog · 02/01/2018 17:18

Hi sorry to hear about your dog - im having similar problems with mine who is about 15. He has a heart murmur and arthritis in all his legs with back ones being the worst, and is on lots of medication. At the moment he is just eating plainly cooked chicken or turkey mince but still likes our left over food. He is also losing weight and is very bony now. Im just going to give him what he wants and lots of cuddles for as long as weve got him.

ColonelJackONeil · 02/01/2018 17:36

My dogs always love home baking so if you are baking something you could make her some healthy low sugar cake or biscuits

Original poster

justpoppy · 02/01/2018 21:50

Thanks for all the recommendations. Tonight she had rice, sausages, cucumber and a little bit of gravy! She loved it. Going back to PAH tomorrow with the remaining food to test out their 100% satisfaction guarantee! I’ll give baby food a try too as well as Ella’s kitchen. The baby food might be a good alternative if she really has gone off every dog food and i’m not cooking anything suitable for her.

OP posts:

Flip