sick dog, seems to be improving but won't eat

dublinjen

Hi everyone. Going through a tough time with my springer x atm. He's 13, hand reared by us from a day old so he I am more close to him than any other four legged animal I've ever owned!

Anyway, he has a bit of spondylosis (long term), but in the past couple of days he's developed some sort of lung infection - vets diagnosis on monday. Symptoms - lethargic, little appetite (though not nonexistent), little urination, generally sad - all out of character.

He's been put on a course of antibiotics for it....however he wouldnt really eat from about 6pm monday until yesterday at 5pm, when upon deciding we may bring him to the vet to say goodbye - he looked so grave, he hopped up and ate some white pudding (trying everything at the moment), and ran around.

He's improved a whole lot since yesterday, walking around, seems far happier though sill quite lethargic and insistent that he stays by my side (out of character, usually hes more obsessed with my brother). I dont really know what to do though because ive literally got one bite of chicken into him all day (with half a dose of the antibiotic).

I've tried soup, chicken, sausages, scrambled egg, pizza, dog food, digestive biscuits, whetabix....


anyone have any idea on what i should do to get his antibiotic into him... ive dissolved one in water but hes not even drinking very much

DBB

Can you not go for the good old slide-it-down-the-throat-with-your-finger technique?!

I'm in a not dissimilar situation right now with my barmy old, similarly aged Cocker x... Illness not the same but the meds are ruining her already-precarious appetite.
She might devour one thing at one meal, and turn her nose up at it in preference to something else at her next mealtime... Very frustrating!
So, here are a few things that she'll eat, some of the time:
Natural yogurt
Ham
Naturediet complete wet food
Tinned salmon
Raw lamb's heart
Today, it was Royal Canin Recovery (tinned slop)
Raw carrot
Her usual dry food (James Wellbeloved cereal-free)
And the one thing she eats every day: dried tripe sticks, or dried cow's ears

She's turning her nose up at home-made chicken stew (I ask you !), and all of the above she's on and off with... Mealtimes are like a bloody buffet in this house now to see which will be eaten at any one mealtime

dublinjen

The family are a bit against that, he gets very distressed when you try and we figure if this is his last few days lets not distress him....off to try tinned salmon! thanks for the advice!


Also +1 on the buffet style dog dining

DBB

I wonder could you powder the meds, dissolve in some water (sweetened? Or cooled stock?) and syringe it slowly onto his tongue?

sillysmiles

Can the antibiotics be given as an injection?

dublinjen

DBB wrote: »

I wonder could you powder the meds, dissolve in some water (sweetened? Or cooled stock?) and syringe it slowly onto his tongue?

dissolved one in water but he pretty much pulls his neck 360 turning his nose up at it...the stock might work tho ill try that

sillysmiles wrote: »

Can the antibiotics be given as an injection?

yeah, if he doesnt take it by tomorrow ill bring him back, im just trying to avoid astronomical vet fees if possible (will obviously spend whatever he really needs, he sees the vet far more than i see a doctor!)

DBB

dublinjen wrote: »

dissolved one in water but he pretty much pulls his neck 360 turning his nose up at it...the stock might work tho ill try that

Try to use some sort of syringe so you can drip it onto his tongue, even a turkey baster would do the job. Keep the volume of fluid small so you don't ene up trying to syringe a liter into him!
Another thing he might just lick at is honey or jam, if he will do that, you should be able to crumble the ABs into it.
I feel your pain, I really do

aonb

nothing worse than trying to get meds into a sick dog - unless its a sick elderly weakened dog :mad:

I found crushing a pill into a tiny bit of honey, and sringe-ing it into the side of his mouth worked, as DBB suggested. It wasnt so runny that it ran out the other side of his mouth - very messy though getting it into the syringe etc - used a horse worming one

I ended us crushing his meds into that tub of "cheese" stuff - cheese spread type thing - god knows it was never cheese!! A tsp of the cheese spread, crushed tablet, well mixed and smeared the goop inside his mouth/gums - he quite liked the goop, and took ages to smack it all off his chops - but it worked (for a while!)

good luck, as DBB says, I feel your pain

maggiepip

That gloopy cheese idea is brilliant, they'd basically have to eat it before they'd manage to spit it out! I'll remember that one.

dublinjen

Major thanks for the advice aonb and DBB.

I think I foudn the secret ingredient, in the last hour he's eaten THREE superquinn sausages (Ive run out now and have to peg it to the shop for more first thing). Genuinely ordered dominos for the dog last night because he's notorious for robbing it but even that wouldnt work.

God bless superquinn sausages