For the past month, Bailey has become very picky about eating. For the past two years, due to high liver levels and low thyroid, seizures and unexplained blindness, I stopped giving her any commercial food unless it was organic and for the most part, I made all of her food being very careful about protein, grains and vegetables per advice from my holistic bet and Pitcairn’s book.
Everything worked very well…Bailey always ate, no matter what was going on with her. Within five months, her sight returned and after 10 months, her thyroid and liver levels returned to normal. I was ectactic and ever so grateful. (She had lost 13 pounds and ended up gaining 16 back) I continued feeding her the same way in addition to giving her Healthy Powders and supplements to maintain her liver.
In February, she was diagnosed with vestibular syndrome (going in circles and little to no strength in her back legs). After taking pred and antibiotics, she got back her strength , but lost her sight again. The ramps my husband built to help during the vestibular problem have been a God send and make me wonder how I dealt with stairs during the first bout of blindness.
Two weeks ago, I took her back to the vet to have her periodic thyroid check and to check about the lack of appetite only to find that her liver levels are high again. The vet said that could contribute to the appetite decrease. She just finished another round of antibiotics and is finishing up a course of preds.
Sorry this is so long, but want you to have the whole picture. Now, she has no interest in the healthy foods I need to give her and won’t even touch anything that has the Healthy Powders in it. I have tried everything – feeding her by hand, putting things in bread, a touch of bacon grease, milk, cream, salad dressing, warming the food, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes. She has been fed Candidae, Science Diet L/D, Pet Guard, but now wants no part of them.
The only thing I have not tried is putting the good stuff in front of her and just taking it away until she eats because I think she will outlast me and I can’t bear the thought of her going without for very long. I even resorted to getting the Purina lamb and rice packets because she used to like them. She will eat about a half cup of that morning and night, but I know that is not enough and not what she needs.
I am so worried that I will not get her liver levels back if she won’t eat the right foods. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Christine
Dogs: Bailey won't eat
Re: Dogs: Bailey won't eat
I wish I had an answer for you, but really don't. Have you consulted your vet? I think for now I would mix something really good with her special diet. I'm thinking different types of baby food. That works with my cats. Maybe make 1/4 of her food baby food or something appealing. If that doesn't work, go to 1/2. That may or may not affect her liver levels, but she needs to eat. You can always wean her away from the "forbidden" food down the road. The only other alternatives I can think of are 1) Force feeding with a syringe, or 2) IV. Maybe someone else can come up with more and better suggestions.
Re: Dogs: Bailey won't eat *LINK*
The link is to a page about liver disease in cats, which may or may not be of any help. You probably have done all the research when Bailey's problems started.
I also found an herbal preparation that claims to cure liver problems.
http://www.gwwholesale.com/liver.htm
I don't know anything about it, and I know many false claims are made, but thought it might be worth checking out!! Good luck with little Bailey.
http://www.holisticat.com/crf.html
I also found an herbal preparation that claims to cure liver problems.
http://www.gwwholesale.com/liver.htm
I don't know anything about it, and I know many false claims are made, but thought it might be worth checking out!! Good luck with little Bailey.
http://www.holisticat.com/crf.html
-
Cody's Mom
- Posts: 268
- Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:00 pm
Re: Dogs: Bailey won't eat
Hi Christine,
I have lots of questions about Bailey. How old is she and what breed? Which liver enzymes are high and how high are they? If she is older, low thyroid is pretty common in older dogs. I assume she is on Soloxine (Levothryroxine).
My two biggest concerns about Bailey are the seizures and the unexplained blindness. How long has she had seizures and is she on anti-convulsants? Has the cause of the seizures been determined?
Has the vet ever determined the cause of the bouts of blindness?
The seizures and the bouts of blindness as well as the vestibulitis worry me more than the lack of appetite. It sounds like Bailey may well have neurological problems going on. Have you prodded your vet to investigate further?
Sorry if I have peppered you with questions, but there does seem to be a lot of unanswered questions with Bailey that really need to be answered to help you help her out.
Write more when you have time. I'd love to help you if I can.
Much love,
Cody's FOREVER proud Mom
I have lots of questions about Bailey. How old is she and what breed? Which liver enzymes are high and how high are they? If she is older, low thyroid is pretty common in older dogs. I assume she is on Soloxine (Levothryroxine).
My two biggest concerns about Bailey are the seizures and the unexplained blindness. How long has she had seizures and is she on anti-convulsants? Has the cause of the seizures been determined?
Has the vet ever determined the cause of the bouts of blindness?
The seizures and the bouts of blindness as well as the vestibulitis worry me more than the lack of appetite. It sounds like Bailey may well have neurological problems going on. Have you prodded your vet to investigate further?
Sorry if I have peppered you with questions, but there does seem to be a lot of unanswered questions with Bailey that really need to be answered to help you help her out.
Write more when you have time. I'd love to help you if I can.
Much love,
Cody's FOREVER proud Mom
Re: Dogs: Bailey won't eat
I have similar problems with my dog, Naya. It's a crap shoot if she'll eat what I cook for her or not.
Naya is on denosyl (sam-e) for her liver and it seems to work very well, but she is still a picky eater these days. I used to restrict beef to rare occasions because I felt that it was too heavy for dogs, but nowadays, I keep stew beef and 12% ground in the freezer, as well as ground turkey, and rotate them with the usual chicken, and I like to give her canned salmon at least twice a month. I also cook the meats in water mixed with chicken broth, and either put some pasta into the water after the meat has cooked, or instant mashed potatoes. I use a pill cutter to chop her vitamin into small bits and mix that in, as well as her proin (for incontinence), because she refuses to eat both. She gets a pill for thyroid, one for liver, and low-dose aspirin tucked into bits of American processed cheese food product (I can NOT bring myself to call it cheese...), and she snaps those up quickly and swallows without chewing. The arthritis powder is easily mixed into her food and is supposed to be beef flavored.
The one snack food I have great success with is the dried chicken strips. I found a huge bag of the things at Costco, thank goodness. I break up two of them in the morning for her. If I don't break them up, she will try to swallow them with minimal chewing and that leads to some strange sounds accompanied by retching. Not a pretty sight!
Something that comes to mind when a dog seems to suddenly not want to eat -- does he have dental issues? Stomach issues? Back when I was trying the raw meat diet on Naya, she got gastroenteriitis because meat processed for human consumption is still full of bacteria and whatnot, since butchers assume that the meat is going to be fully cooked. Anyway, she wouldn't eat for several days until I got worried enough to take her to the vet and she got a course of antibiotics and everything returned to normal, and I returned to cooking everything thoroughly.
Good luck.
Naya is on denosyl (sam-e) for her liver and it seems to work very well, but she is still a picky eater these days. I used to restrict beef to rare occasions because I felt that it was too heavy for dogs, but nowadays, I keep stew beef and 12% ground in the freezer, as well as ground turkey, and rotate them with the usual chicken, and I like to give her canned salmon at least twice a month. I also cook the meats in water mixed with chicken broth, and either put some pasta into the water after the meat has cooked, or instant mashed potatoes. I use a pill cutter to chop her vitamin into small bits and mix that in, as well as her proin (for incontinence), because she refuses to eat both. She gets a pill for thyroid, one for liver, and low-dose aspirin tucked into bits of American processed cheese food product (I can NOT bring myself to call it cheese...), and she snaps those up quickly and swallows without chewing. The arthritis powder is easily mixed into her food and is supposed to be beef flavored.
The one snack food I have great success with is the dried chicken strips. I found a huge bag of the things at Costco, thank goodness. I break up two of them in the morning for her. If I don't break them up, she will try to swallow them with minimal chewing and that leads to some strange sounds accompanied by retching. Not a pretty sight!
Something that comes to mind when a dog seems to suddenly not want to eat -- does he have dental issues? Stomach issues? Back when I was trying the raw meat diet on Naya, she got gastroenteriitis because meat processed for human consumption is still full of bacteria and whatnot, since butchers assume that the meat is going to be fully cooked. Anyway, she wouldn't eat for several days until I got worried enough to take her to the vet and she got a course of antibiotics and everything returned to normal, and I returned to cooking everything thoroughly.
Good luck.
Re: Dogs: Bailey won't eat
Thanks Robyn, Carol and Cody's Mom for the concern and the information. Robyn, your input was especially helpful as I have never spoken with anyone who has the liver problem to deal with. Bailey has been taking Gerizyme (3 pills) a day since all of this started. Never heard of denosyl, but Sam e is familiar. Is this a supplement from the health food store or a supplement from your vet? Regarding her teeth, the vet did mention last time that she needs her teeth cleaned so I will ask him more about that when we go back in a week or so for another blood test.
Yesterday, Bailey ate a good portion of boiled chicken and a half packet of the Purina lamb and rice at supper time. She wanted nothing for breakfast so I was happy to see this. I have been giving her her pills (Gerizyme, thyroid, 1 pred, vitamins and an arthritis supplement) in cream cheese and until this week, she always took them - now peanut butter is the only accepted vehicle. (I am going to try the soft cheese thing as I am not crazy about giving her much peanut butter.) I am going to get some baby food today as I know she needs the veggies.
I am headed to the hospital for a stress test - I am healthy as a horse except for a reflux problem that my doctor wants to be sure about it. When I get back, I will answer your questions, Cody's Mom. Thanks again to everyone.
P.S. Bailey has only barked about 8 times in the 6 years we've had her (thanks to the jerks who abused her). This morning, my husband got up and sang a little song (quietly in the back of the house). Bailey stood up and just woofed and howled like she was singing along with him. We were both stunned and tickled - it was a nice way to start our day.
Love,
Christine and Bailey
Yesterday, Bailey ate a good portion of boiled chicken and a half packet of the Purina lamb and rice at supper time. She wanted nothing for breakfast so I was happy to see this. I have been giving her her pills (Gerizyme, thyroid, 1 pred, vitamins and an arthritis supplement) in cream cheese and until this week, she always took them - now peanut butter is the only accepted vehicle. (I am going to try the soft cheese thing as I am not crazy about giving her much peanut butter.) I am going to get some baby food today as I know she needs the veggies.
I am headed to the hospital for a stress test - I am healthy as a horse except for a reflux problem that my doctor wants to be sure about it. When I get back, I will answer your questions, Cody's Mom. Thanks again to everyone.
P.S. Bailey has only barked about 8 times in the 6 years we've had her (thanks to the jerks who abused her). This morning, my husband got up and sang a little song (quietly in the back of the house). Bailey stood up and just woofed and howled like she was singing along with him. We were both stunned and tickled - it was a nice way to start our day.
Love,
Christine and Bailey
Re: Dogs: Bailey won't eat
First, I apologize for mistakenly calling Bailey a 'he'. Second, that was a great thing for her to start singing along with your husband! Naya was never taught to 'speak' and barked only to warn. In later years, as her hearing started to go, she would bark if she thought I wasn't paying enough attention to her, as if because her hearing wasn't so good, mine wasn't so good, either. Nowadays she rarely barks, and I miss it.
The denosyl or sam-e is sold for humans as a 'mood enhancer' so I think maybe bi-polar or manic-depressives need to steer clear of it. For people wiht manageable depression other than those two, it helps keep the blues away, so it helps me a lot. I see on the packaging that it is also supposed to be good for the liver in humans.
I don't know if it helps moods in dogs, but it definitely is an excellent liver maintenance supplement. Naya is on denosyl-225. The sam-e that I'm taking shows 400mg per two tablet 'serving'. If I run out of the denosyl and can't get to the vet in time, I will try giving her one tablet twice a day. Naya's pills also contain milk thistle, another liver tonic herbal for man and dog.
Because she's had a couple of mini strokes, I was told to start Naya on low-dose aspirin and I need to get her liver enzymes tested soon to make sure that the aspirin isn't negatively affecting her liver functions. I was told that as long as she's on the aspirin therapy, I can't give her any pain meds such as the Metacam I was using before, so if something happens and she needs pain control, back to vet must I go. Which is fine.
I used to be able to give her her meds in some peanut butter too, but that's changed. Now it's the cheese stuff. Next week, who knows? I guess old dogs change tastes the way old people do.
The denosyl or sam-e is sold for humans as a 'mood enhancer' so I think maybe bi-polar or manic-depressives need to steer clear of it. For people wiht manageable depression other than those two, it helps keep the blues away, so it helps me a lot. I see on the packaging that it is also supposed to be good for the liver in humans.
I don't know if it helps moods in dogs, but it definitely is an excellent liver maintenance supplement. Naya is on denosyl-225. The sam-e that I'm taking shows 400mg per two tablet 'serving'. If I run out of the denosyl and can't get to the vet in time, I will try giving her one tablet twice a day. Naya's pills also contain milk thistle, another liver tonic herbal for man and dog.
Because she's had a couple of mini strokes, I was told to start Naya on low-dose aspirin and I need to get her liver enzymes tested soon to make sure that the aspirin isn't negatively affecting her liver functions. I was told that as long as she's on the aspirin therapy, I can't give her any pain meds such as the Metacam I was using before, so if something happens and she needs pain control, back to vet must I go. Which is fine.
I used to be able to give her her meds in some peanut butter too, but that's changed. Now it's the cheese stuff. Next week, who knows? I guess old dogs change tastes the way old people do.
Re: Dogs: Bailey won't eat
The herbal supplement I referred to earlier also contains milk thistle. I'm glad to hear that Bailey seems to be feeling better. I laughed when I read she sang along with your husband! She must be feeling pretty good...and so must your husband!! You must be doing something right!! Funny, isn't it, that dogs train us? My Bogie started out with simple tastes, and would take a pill wrapped in a chunk of bread. Then it was peanut butter, then hot dogs, and now the processed cheese slices. I just hope he doesn't get too extravagant!! Keep us posted on Bailey's progress.
Re: Wondering how Bailey is doing???
Thanks for asking. I started to answer your questions last night and the next thing I knew I had two pages, so I saved it and will finish and post it. The baby food suggestion that Carol made really "jump started" her appetite. Also, I found some Asian rice crackers with cheese. I prepared her healthy powders into a paste and make her two little cracker sandwiches which she wolfs down. This is the first time in nearly a month I could get her to eat the supplements that I know helped her before. I have also found that for some reason, she prefers her food on her quilt or the carpet (!!??) rather than in a bowl...if that is the way she will eat, she shall have it. I am also starting her on milk thistle drops and dandelion drops twice a day (again, thanks to Carol's herbal link). I went to my local health food store who has been a great help to me for the past two years with Bailey. Also got her some good "cookies" made from sweet potatoes and white fish. I am feeling much better about the food situation right now. I will post the other information later - I would be very interested and appreciative of your input.
Love,
Christine and Bailey
Love,
Christine and Bailey