Help Needed: Dog won't eat during surgery recovery

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Eric

Help Needed: Dog won't eat during surgery recovery

Post by Eric »

Hi, some of you may have seen my response to another thread in which I detailed my Weimaraner/Golden Retriever mix’s amputation recovery.

Toffee was doing fantastic until she vomited Tuesday and stopped eating. It turns out that she was very constipated from the meds. We stopped the meds (which were about done anyway) and she had an enema and fluids on Thursday.

Things are “moving along” now, if you know what I mean and she feels much better. Problem is that she still won’t eat. I called the vet last night and the on-duty technician told me to try baby food (chicken and gravy). So I ran to the store and got some. She ate some at first, but then I had to put it in her mouth.

She still would not eat this morning, so I force-fed her some of her regular food and she willingly ate a few dog biscuits (which she only did sporadically since her hunger strike began. The vet called me this morning and told me to continue with the baby food and try mixing it with rice and hamburger. She wasn’t interested in the baby food today and I had to force-feed to her. Again, she ate a few biscuits.

Toffee is a bit of a “scaredy cat”, so she may just be afraid that if she eats, she’ll vomit again.

I fear that she isn’t getting proper nutrition during this important healing process.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Eric
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CarolC
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Re: Help Needed: Dog won't eat during surgery recovery

Post by CarolC »

Hi Eric,

I have to smile about your description of Toffee as a scaredy cat. It's their emotional lives that make them so dear to us. Here is a website that is on a different type of surgery, but I've always liked the tips it gives for post surgical care. If you scroll down, you will find a heading that says:

"MY PET HAD SURGERY AND WILL NOT EAT"

<a href="http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/disc.h ... Central</a>

It's interesting what you said about the dog biscuits. When I first got my dog (she was discovered injured behind where I work) she had surgery and I brought her home and she would not eat. We had a terrible time. At one point I ended up standing in the aisle at PetsMart in tears because we had tried everything. However, one thing she *would* eat was Milk Bones. Just like your dog. If Toffee is eating a little, then I don't think I'd worry too terribly. I seem to remember hearing that everything tends to taste funny until they get the anaesthesia and meds cleared out of their system. What your vet said about hamburger might work. One of the first things I found (finally) that my dog would eat was simply some plain cooked hamburger, not fatty.

There is a special formula of Science Diet called a/d, which is made for pets that are recovering from surgery. It has extra nutrition and is extra flavorful. You don't have to get the dog to eat as much of it because it has so much nutrition. Your vet can give you a couple of cans to try if you like.

<IMG SRC="http://www.hillspet.com/media/images/Pr ... 150_en.jpg">

Another thing I like is a vitamin paste called Nutri-Cal. You squeeze about an inch onto your finger and let her lick it off. That's another thing that is good after surgery. They sell it at pet stores or your vet may have it in his clinic. Here is a description (also made by Tomlyn in a red tube).

<IMG SRC="http://www.petco.com/Assets/product_ima ... 06786B.jpg">

<a href="http://www.bullwrinkle.com/index.html?S ... tri-Cal</a>

You might also consider a B-vitamin injection during her next vet visit, that can help the appetite. I'm sorry for you, I know how frustrating it is when they won't eat and you want what's best for them. I hope she'll get her appetite back soon.
Lauren Smith

Re: Help Needed: Dog won't eat during surgery recovery

Post by Lauren Smith »

I cant imagine her not loving the baby meat! I would boil chicken (ground) or hamburg and rice and mix with baby food. Try several times a day. Maybe the pain meds are bothering her belly. Try some cottage cheese? Nutrapet? Yogurt? Good luck! Lauren
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critters
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A/D

Post by critters »

A/D is ideal; not only is it supercharged, as CarolC said, but it's very smooth, smooth enough to warm, stir, and feed with a syringe. I'd try to get some today, if possible.
Eric

Re: A/D

Post by Eric »

Hmmm, okay, I'll get some today and try it. Thanks!

She went out first thing this morning and went #2. Yeah! Looks like the constipation is a thing of the past. She's been drinking sufficient water but just isn't interested in eating yet. She's not very active, but isn't lethargic either.

Baby steps, right? :-)
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critters
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Re: A/D

Post by critters »

Pooping not only shows that the constipation is gone, but that you're doing a good job of managing to get food into her, one way or the other!

A/D is considered a prescription diet, so you might find it difficult or impossible to get today. Some puppers also find canned cat food to be irresistible; it's stinkier and more superchanrged than dog food. Just be careful not to trigger pancreatitis with the increased fat load, although my ancient Pom ate cat food almost exclusively, thanks to his kitty sibs, with no difficulty at all.
Leslie Morava

Re: Help Needed: Dog won't eat during surgery recovery

Post by Leslie Morava »

My dog Chinook loved shredded steak from the taco bar at the local health food market - anything yummy steak from a deli, warm, saucy - he chomped it down!! He's been post op 2 times this year.
Eric

Re: Help Needed: Dog won't eat during surgery recovery

Post by Eric »

CarolC said..."I have to smile about your description of Toffee as a scaredy cat. It's their emotional lives that make them so dear to us."

LOL, yeah absolutely! Toffee is terrified of the vacuum cleaner. We have one of <a href="http://doskosport.com/Images/Products/2 ... ">these</a> automatic water dishes. She won't go near it because she was using it when we first got it and it went "glub, glub" while she was drinking from it. We take all <a href="http://home.ptd.net/~ebauman/ErkDogs.jpg">3 dogs</a> camping with us. When we get to the campground, she trembles from head to toe for about a half hour, then she's fine (after attaching herself to Daddy's side after he's done setting up).
Eric

Re: A/D

Post by Eric »

We also have 6 cats (Yes, all in the house 100%, no, our house doesn't stink :-) Sorry, I'm just used to answering that question). We feed them dry food, but we have some canned in the pantry.
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critters
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heehee

Post by critters »

I'd put a little bit of something nice and stinky (liver, maybe) on the buffet and see what happens. At least it won't go to waste even if your pupper won't have anything to do with it! :)
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critters
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Cute pics! *NoMsg*

Post by critters »

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Jean
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Re: Help Needed: Dog won't eat during surgery recovery

Post by Jean »

Dear Eric, When my dog was so sick she would only eat the crust from Pizza Hut pizza. Probably not real nutritious but it did the trick. Hope Toffee gets to feeling like her old self real soon.
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Re: Help Needed: Dog won't eat during surgery recovery

Post by BethT »

Hi Eric,

My dog Waffles took a long time after his disk surgery to start eating normally. I used to use baby food and put it into the sides of his mouth with a tongue depresser. It also helped that we had just found a little kitten a week before his injury. The kitten would always go up to Waffles uneaten food and try to eat it. As soon as this happened Waffles would drag himself over to his bowl to push the kitten out of the way and start eating his food. Anytime Waffles would stop eating his food we would call the kitten into the room, it worked everytime. At the time it also helped me to know that my vet was not real worried about his appetite. She told me that dogs can go a long time without eating as long as they are drinking. It took a good 2 months for Waffles normal appetite to come back. He ate nothing on his own for the first week post op. Good luck.
cindy

Re: Help Needed: Dog won't eat during surgery recovery

Post by cindy »

After surgery I had a hard time to get my Rottie to eat too. I tried A/D, he ate it a couple times, then Alpo canned, then the gravy, you name it. He finally settled on Rice being added to his food, which was good for picking some weight up also. Its been 9 weeks and he still won't eat his food without rice in it. Since I work for a vet I have no problem getting A/D and can tell you, as a temporary food, its great. Also, vitamin B shots increase appetite as well as Cyproheptadine which can be prescribed by your vet. Keep trying, you will eventually find something he likes. Also, sometimes warming up the food to increase the smell will make them want to eat it.
terry

not really relavent, but....

Post by terry »

what kind of dog is your sammy, he's the spitting image of my boy Pugs, a cock-a-poo, except for the coloring, Pugs is tan/buff. Just wondered cause they look so much alike, right down to the "ferocious" under bite.
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