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Suzy has her up and down days. She was barely eating for a while. Both dogs gave up on the canned food--no matter what flavor we tried. Suzy would lick the gravy. So, we tried Gravy Train. Nope. One day I gave her some bread--she ate that right up. So--bread she got. At this point I'm not worried about nutrition, I'm worried about calories. I tried pb in it--that went so-so. She wasn't as enthusiastic as I liked. So--I brainstormed and came up with bologna. I made her a bologna sandwich--and she loved it! So--that's what she's eating now. I've taken her urine in for culture--they say all is well. She's had heartworm test--all is well. She had blood work a while back--all is well. So--we'll just keep her comfortable until her time is up.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...m/IMG_9801.jpg[/img] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...m/IMG_9797.jpg[/img] This is her sister, Shimano [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...m/IMG_9804.jpg[/img] |
How old is Suzy? She looks tired! How great she let you take a photo! Glad you found something she would eat. It can be really worrisome when they go off their feed! I have a rat terrier named Susie!
You take beautiful pictures! :thumbup: |
They are both cuties!!! Sorry to hear that Susie is not doing so well...
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Shemjo--she'll let us do anything. Actually--she loves sleeping in a very protected corner of the house--outside--and she'll barely move out of the rain. It takes her awhile to get up and moving, so if we think she should be in, my husband carries her.
She's 10. She was perfectly fine until she was put under to have a major broken tooth pulled--and since then she's never been the same. It's like she lost cognitive abilities. :( And thanks for the photo compliment. :wink: |
They are just beautiful!
I just want to love on them! |
They both look really huggable...I do hate to have to have the animals put under for any reason. Have you tried Chicken? I know how frustrating it can be when they won't eat anything you try. Hope she pulls through this stage..
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Karla, 10 is just not old for a Lab (and she looks like a Lab or mix to me). What does your vet save about improving her appetite?
Our Molly (also black Lab) is 14 years old and eats everything in sight. (although she is on prescription dog food for her heart) She has some trouble getting around and only one eye (other gone to cancer) and her "good" eye has cataracts but is doing well despite her age. Her spirit is amazing! (I think her cognitive ability has declined, too, but is comfortable in familiar surroundings and loves her "routine".) I wouldn't give up on your baby. Have they done blood work and thoroughly checked everything out? Susie is a sweetie. Do look further into it. (Molly is our 3rd Lab, the other three lived to 13! We feel lucky) |
Try baby food meats. I bet she will eat them.
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She looks like a sweetie. Mine have trouble getting up too, but we are just patient and wait for her. It's amazing what we will do for them. But they are worth it.
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My cat Rusty, rest his soul....he was getting old and had a hard time climbing on the couch or my bed. He had his claws, the others didn't. He was smart and didn't try to destroy the furniture.
Anyway...I bought a thick towel that went on the couch in HIS spot. He could get his claws into it and get up that way. Plus, he didn't ruin the couch. I also bought him a step stool so he could get up on the bed. Hubby thought I was nuts. Rusty is now gone, he was 18 1/2. We still have the stool. Guess what hubby calls the stool? Yup....Rusty's stool! lol |
Karla--your dogs are beautiful. Suzy has the sweetest face--give her a big hug for me.
We fed our dog chicken and rice when she got older--she loved it. She was a chow/shepherd mix and lived to be almost 16. I still miss her so much. |
Don't they look like you could just curl up and nap with them?
Spread a quilt under a nice shady tree and just relax with them. I bet they'd really like that! I know I would! |
Try putting chicken broth on her food. It sparked interest for my Sunny in her last week. That was in January.
I just watched the movie Marley and Me. I read the autobiographical book so thought I was prepared for the sad ending, but nope... my tears impaired my vision so I mostly heard the last 20min. I would wait to see the movie or even read the book for a long time if I were you. 5 months wasn't long enough for me. But do see it or read it someday. |
quiltswithdogs--I read the book! I had read a review that gave the ending away, but I felt myself getting sad...so I'd read it at the kitchen table in the middle of the day rather than at night--and it made no difference--I sobbed. My son and his girlfriend watched the movie and they both cried.
Joan--she has been to the vet. We took her because she was urinating on a green carpet--and never giving us an indication she had to go out. This was when it was cold--so March? She'd whine, and since I'm a light sleeper--I was getting up every night with her. That was the only time she acted like a puppy--greeting me when I came down at 3-4 AM. We ran everything by the vet then--the vet could see for herself how she was, as we had to gently push her where she had to go there. Her urine did show some crystal development, so they gave her meds for that. She said sometimes when older dogs are given anesthesia--they flip a switch. You see--she didn't come out of it like they thought when the tooth was pulled--we had to get her the next day because they wanted to keep her overnight. So--that's the main issue here. She was a perky babe before that tooth incident. It's so sad..... I want to blame the vet, but I guess these things happen. When it's cold or too rainy, we carry her in to the back room--they have a foam mattress to sleep on with lots of pillows. They have a neat room filled with straw on the back of the house--but she won't go into it unless carried...and she'll walk back to her favorite spot. When she was in the house a few weeks ago--and had peed twice in the night--we captured urine (took two days!) and took it in because I was thinking the crystals were back, but they said all was well. Mark's tried hamburg from the grill--nope. We've tried broth...nope. The other dog eats everything! I will try baby food when I need another idea... |
My sister's dog May changed a lot after teeth cleaning. She was never the same went blind and had brain damage. I refuse to have my dog's or cat's teeth cleaned and the vet doesn't like it at all. Tough!
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Have you tried cottage cheese? Boiled chicken and cooked rice? I hope you can find something she'll eat that's better for her than bologna. I hope she starts acting/feeling back to normal, it's so hard when they go.
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Darlene--I would never ever take a pet to the vet to have its teeth cleaned--the thought makes me giggle. We're of the farmer mentality. Suzy had broken a huge tooth (C, I think)--it went well into her gums. She had to have it removed.
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They look like cute cuddly bears!
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Karla, we put our cat on meat baby food.......Tiny loves turkey or ham.......pricey but he is still with us and has put his weight back on.......he is looking good.....but I do notice some Arthritis...but he is 21....:-)..... better for his teeth.....the vet said it was okay......we tried vegtables but didn't like....you might give it a try .....:-)
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Karla, have you tried cat food? Most dogs just love cat food. The other thing you might try is baby food veal. That is yummy stuff to critters and very soft and easy to digest. She might lick it off a spoon if you hold it!!
(It's ok to feed cat food to dogs, but cats shouldn't eat just dog food, because it doesn't have a couple of key ingredients cats need. ) It is so hard to watch our beloved pets age so quickly, especially when they're fine one minute and not the next. My prayers are with you and Susie. I have a 95 lb. black lab named Guinness. Or, as my friends call her "Labzilla" |
Originally Posted by barnbum
Joan--she has been to the vet. We took her because she was urinating on a green carpet--and never giving us an indication she had to go out. This was when it was cold--so March? She'd whine, and since I'm a light sleeper--I was getting up every night with her. That was the only time she acted like a puppy--greeting me when I came down at 3-4 AM. We ran everything by the vet then--the vet could see for herself how she was, as we had to gently push her where she had to go there. Her urine did show some crystal development, so they gave her meds for that. She said sometimes when older dogs are given anesthesia--they flip a switch. You see--she didn't come out of it like they thought when the tooth was pulled--we had to get her the next day because they wanted to keep her overnight. So--that's the main issue here. She was a perky babe before that tooth incident. It's so sad..... I want to blame the vet, but I guess these things happen. ... Hoping for the best....there is a seasoning sauce for dogs to stimulate their appeitite we bought at Wal-Mart when one of our dogs was "off their food". |
What a beauty. :D
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We've tried cat food. Didn't work.
there is a seasoning sauce for dogs to stimulate their appeitite we bought at Wal-Mart when one of our dogs was "off their food". |
What wee beauties! The look like little bears! My girl just turned 10 and is still bouncy and her usual self except for getting a limp often and yelping sometimes, i think she's getting arthritis in her shoulder or something, its horrible seeing the light of our lives getting older :(
Is your dog not eating anything at all? If she eats some stuff maybe her system has just slowed down with age or eating causes her pain somewhere. Some people ask how do you know when it's time to get a dog out down, apparantly you'll know when they're just lying there, the light's gone from their eyes and their whole demeanor just says 'Pleeease make this stop!', if your pup is still enjoying some aspects of life, pester your vet (or go to another vet) to see if there's any way he could make her happier, without getting her knocked out! Good luck, kisses to the pups |
Except for not eating much--she seems content. We had our first dog for 14 years, and knew exactly when it was time to let her go. Suzy isn't there, yet. She doesn't seem to be in any pain. She just likes to be still in her favorite spot. As long as she can do that--we'll just care of her as best we can. :wink:
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When my Mom was getting ready to leave (die) she absolutely refused to eat. The spiritual counselor there said that sometimes it's the body's way of getting ready for the spirit to be set free. And giving IV's, etc. was not doing her a kindness.
I do hope your dogs are with you as long as they are able to be. They look like they are sweet tempered beings. The older I get, the less certain I am about everything. Especially life and death issues. |
karla,
it doesn't matter if they're 10 years old or 100 years old. if they have a blood disorder or they react badly to an operation. whatever. it's never the right time for us to lose them. as long as suzy is comfortable, and you're offering her what you can to eat and to comfort her, try not to feel too bad. easily said, right? there's nothing else to be done. i feel sorry for shimano, who will miss her sister like crazy when this is over. try giving her some extra attention. when my cat was sick, at the end, we poured our love into tenzing and poor shuju felt left out. afterward, she wouldn't let go of us for a minute. i still feel bad about that. |
I just got home--I have cottage cheese and the seasonings! Wegmans had it--I bought three different flavors. :wink: I need to get horses taken care of--but then I'll see if anything tickles her fancy. If she doesn't like it--not a problem--Shimano will eat it. :wink:
I've been around animals my whole life--so I'll know when she's ready to be done with her earthly life--but we're sure never ready. But, she's perkier when she eats better. So... I'll just offer what I can and see what happens. Thanks for the replies. |
Karla, Tink was one of the many dogs that got sick from the dog food recall.....We had to get her back up to health. She WON"T eat canned dog food. She eats a meat loaf that I make special for her. 3# ground chuck, 2-3 eggs, little salt, oatmeal, frozen peas or mixed veggies( about
1c.), mix and form into big football shape, roll in some flour. Place in large roaster pan and place 1-2 slices of bacon on top.I remove it after cooking. Bake 2 hours 350 degrees. I cube it and to get her started, we would eat a cube and them it seemed that it must be OK. That and cooking a boneless chicken breast in the microwave. the baby food worked also. I had her start by licking it off my fingers. She thinks rye bread and veal baby food is pure heaven......... Hope this might help..... |
Oh, Karla, I'm so sorry to hear about Suzy! She sure is a beauty- she looks noble too.
I'm glad she has a mama who cares. I hope these new food ideas will help. Shimano looks happy and healthy. She is beautiful too! Please give Suzy and Shimano lots of hugs and love from Dawn, EmmaLee and I! Thank you for the pictures! |
Thanks Celeste. She didn't eat much tonight... I still haven't tried the cottage cheese. The chicken flavored seasoning wasn't a hit with either dog. Rats! She's still liking the bologna--but eats best in the morning... not at night. She seems stiffer, but spent the day on a soft grassy place rather than her corner of straw. I bet the change of scene was good. She's back to her straw corner tonight.
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awe, give that girl and big kiss and scratch behind the ears from me and my furbaby dogs Monty, Abbie and JuJu.
Lisa |
Karla, I just had a thought: (amazing, I know!), but do you think she could be off her feed because her mouth hurts? I mean, she did have a big oral surgery, and animals DO feel pain just like we do! Is she on pain meds? If not, you can give her one aspirin a day. That will help with the stiffness too. Hugs and kisses for the furbabies! And you too. I know how hard it is to watch one of our dear friends get old.
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Thanks for thinking of her, gaigai. :D Her surgery was over months ago--and the doc checked for exactly that possibility last time we took her in. She was in an antibiotic for a while after the surgery--but it's healed up. She's never eaten much hard food since then. That's why we bought canned food. We give her one baby aspirin a day.
Yesterday she wolfed 2 pieces of bologna--so an hour later I gave her 2 more--she ate them, too. So, I gave her two more a few hours later--and she ate those!! :shock: Mark cooked hot dogs on the grill and cut one up for her. I started warming her bologna in the microwave--she seems to like it better that way. :roll: I tried cottage cheese--neither dog is at all interested in that. I'm going to cook her some eggs tonight. |
Hi Karla - just caught up with this. Poor Suzy! I had a kitten once that wouldn't eat because he was weaned too young. What finally got him eating was really stinky, garliky paté. I know Suzy's a dog not a cat, but maybe worth a try? Once the kitten (Oskar) was wolfing down the paté, I gradually started mixing in regular kitten food and eventually he would eat only that. Still always love paté though - and no, he wasn't a French cat! LOL
K x |
Got to love them funny how they think some times as they grow older. I have a mini dachshund she crippled with her own little doggie wheel chair she 14 years old and she now has trouble getting around so she doesn't want her wheel chair this little girl has a strong will to keep on ticking the Vet didn't think she would make to 7 years.I'm sorry to hear your dog isn't doing well.
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hi karla
it makes me very sad to hear bad news about someone's animals. i'm so sorry to hear about your girl. i hope things work out the right way. |
It's so hard when our dogs age and begin to decline. I recently lost my 3rd. Borzoi to cancer at age 9 so I know what you're going through.
Our vet said baby meat jar food would get her appetite back and it did for awhile but eventually the pain was so bad that even high dose pain meds didn't touch it and we had to say goodbye. Best of luck with your beautiful "baby". We never have them long enough it seems. |
there are so many other things to use now, to help keep their teeth cleaned. ( that we can do ) instead of the cleaning from the vet. it is too rough on the older ones. With some cases them not waking up at all. we use that Ora vet weekly on ours. it really helps and yes it might not be as good as a cleaning but at least they are still with me. My Jericho looks just like your suzy only hes all white, hes 11 yrs old and has a hard time getting up too.
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glory--she did NOT go in to have her teeth cleaned... the post has all the details. :wink:
Well--I've tried scrambled eggs, baby food meats, cottage cheese, the dog food seasoning...nothing even made her attempt a taste. However, when I added a bit of bologna to the top of her eggs, she gobbled that down. :D :roll: I'm going to try boiled chicken today, or at least chicken deli meat for variety. She and Shimano scampered after a chipmunk this morning--Suzy didn't go very fast but her ears were perked and she was happy to take part in the search. Then I hugged her up, held her close, shed some tears for what's inevitable at some time, then I groomed her for half an hour. We shall love her and hug her up as long as she's with us... and I'm on my way to get more bologna. |
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