For the Love of Dogs.

Anyone know what to feed an anorexic dog ? I'm only interested in comfort, not nutrition.

It depends on his ailment or the cause of the anorexia. I imagine that you have seen a Vet? Who knows whether or not he has a food allergy..digestive issues or something worse. Hate to suggest something that would make him worse.

I would think quality dog food with rice..it's eaily digestible.

Every dog is so different but I find rice pretty universally enjoyed.

I prepare what I call doggie risotto for our dogs each day.

We have a pot on the back of the stove that gets all leftover bones - it is boiled up twice a day. Carrots are cut into it regularly.

When it's doggie dinner time, I crank up the broth on the stove and prepare their bowls. Some pureed pumpkin (to keep everyone's digestion regular), a little bit of grated or shredded cheese (the old boy dog sometimes needs cheese to whet his appetite - he's been like that since a pup), some instant rice ... then when the broth is boiling, I ladle it into the bowls with the rice/pumpkin/cheese. Stir stir stir ... Once the rice is cooked, I toss on kibble.

If I've had a meal with rice (whether at home or in a restaurant) I save all the leftover rice to start their risotto. The dogs particular like it if I've been out for Chinese or Thai food and there are tiny pieces of veg/egg/meat in the rice.

Ah...what a sweetheart you are...and believe me , I can smell a phony. You're the real deal..meaning genuine. I've been cooking chicken( yep, real ) for Sam. We started him on steroids . The Vet said it's lymphoblastic lymphoma...just give him loving!! Sigh, cry! Good to know other animal lovers out there.

The little girl dog and I spent quite a time this afternoon with one of our good dog buddies - Magic has myeloma which is really impacting his right rear leg now. Magic was out for a walk with his human. He's a dear big love of a dog - 130 lb black German Shepherd who finally grew into his ears when he was about 5 years old. Bella, my little girl dog, doesn't weigh 10 pounds - but she was on guard to be sure no person or dog bumped into Magic. It was sweet to watch them together. Magic had a lot of naps as we walked him home - he is on narcotics for pain - but he still was having a great time with the pack.

this is Magic's sister - she is now a queen at the kennel he came from

http://www.narniakennels.com/orca.htm

she has the family ears

Magic - dear one.

two other lovely dogs in our extended circle ... with a friend



Lester ... Beanie ... Chloe on hamburgboy's carpet - now all living at the home of my best friend and her husband (he was my best friend in Grade 2 )

Beanie and Chloe were adopted last winter.

My friends' old girl dog had died, and their old boy dog Buck was lonely - even though there were 5 or 6 cats living with them in the farmhouse.

My best friend has always wanted a Great Dane and was searching through a rescue group. Finally found Beanie - who was bonded to Chloe - so both were adopted. Buck Beanie Chloe - the BBC pack

Hugs for dog and human!

Given your dog's illness, give him anything he wants to eat. I've always cooked for my dogs, particularly when they were ill, and I always found something to tempt them, depending on their personal preferences.

Chicken is generally sure-fire, as are chicken livers, London broil, pork chops, etc. I've also made meat loaves with ground sirloin, an egg, low sodium V-8 juice and oat bran.

Not all of my dogs have liked rice. If I gave one particular dog a cut up pork chop mixed with rice, I'd find a little pile of rice next to her bowl where she had spit it out. She didn't believe in wasting valuable stomach space on the less tasty items. But she did love pasta and orzo, so I'd give her those things to help balance out the meat and poultry I cooked for her when she wasn't eating her dog food. Near the end of her life her appetite was poor, and I had to tempt her to eat because she was diabetic and required two shots of insulin a day and I was afraid of her having a severe hypoglycemic reaction if she didn't eat. I just cooked her favorite foods, and gave her some roast beef from the deli if all else failed.

You might also try tempting your dog with a high quality wet dog food, just to see if that works. My current dog regularly gets Merrick brand for his dinner, and it comes in a slew of classic and limited edition flavors that actually look and smell appealing. I'd try a can or two of that. You can find it at Petco . If your dog will eat that, he'd be getting top-notch nutrition, as well as a balanced diet, to help keep him strong as long as possible.

I am so sorry your dog is so ill, Germlat. Every dog owner/dog lover here can empathize with what you are going through.

Glad this cutie has a good pack!

Thanks, Ragman!

Ok...so how weird is this?? I started feeding him oatmeal because a read about it on a canine end of life blog. He likes it. Started him on steroids( maybe that's why he's hungrier?). I'm giving him whatever he wants, since it's not about nutrition anymore. I've been cooking chicken for him and he's eating it. I'm also letting him sleep on the couch ( formerly off limits). He is no longer able to hold his bladder and his trickling all the way to the door...sob. He used to sit by the door whenever he need to go out to relieve himself. Poor baby...he's still trying. I don't care..I'm just glad to be able to give him a little comfort.

Try making the oatmeal with chicken broth - he might find that tasty.

You're right about trying anything.

The day our old girl dog died, I came home with a rotisserie chicken, 5 or 6 types of dog treats of a sort I normally wouldn't buy, and some deli meat. I would have bought anything if she liked it.

I would suggest white rice and boiled chicken - that is what my vet suggested when my puppy got into something that made him sick. It is very basic for the tummy and adds weight.

The Vet said chemo wouldn't help... I've been cooking him chicken. I'll try rice. I've also been cooking oatmeal and he likes it(yuk...I hate oatmeal). He's supposed to live only a few weeks. I'm glad to have a chance to say good bye in a loving way.

Are all rescue centers alike? Is it best to go through certain ones for adoption?

To me it is a good thing to have time to say good bye, however short and hard for us big people.

I feel the same way. I feel grateful to be able to say goodbye.

Beth will know more on this. She has raised several dogs who had been in very bad situations.

Two of my dogs were found - one a puppy on a railroad track, and one a skinny setter that had hung around a lumber yard my husband visited. He brought him home so we could take him to a shelter. No way!! He and that dog became inseparable, a joy to watch him train, a joy period.

Pacco, my corgi, was from the Sequoia Humane Society, or some name like that. Our local paper had available pets from there in the Sunday paper, which I didn't get, and my business partner called me, and I called them. They said hurry (he had been there a month, after being found walking down the highway - I figure he was tossed out of a truck for barking....). I said I'd be there the next day, and was. No question we bonded, those eyes, right away. I took him away by leash in the moderate rain, through parking lot puddles.. to my car.

One of my first questions on the web was 'do any of you know about corgis?' I was stunned that no one answered right away but I didn't know the nature of forums at all then.

Years later, Katy arrived, story told on my Katy threads - but also not from a shelter.