Sick doggie and Satin balls

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Otolith

Otolith

Candiru
MFK Member
Aug 22, 2009
538
12
48
Louisiana
My mom's lab isn't doing so well. She's taken her to the vet three times in the past 2 weeks. The initial diagnosis was "tick fever" as she had one buried in her coat. She's losing alot of weight and her back legs were initially paralyzed but now she's walking "okay" but very slowly with obvious struggle. Also her abdominal region feels very tight.

She's on a strong antibiotic 5 pills 2x a day and a steroid to 2x a day (I can post the names if needed) and an anti nausea 2x as well.

My mom can't get her to take the pills so I brought her over to my house so I could give them to her and watch over her. I have tried feeding her numerous foods to get her appetite going. Fried eggs, raw eggs, hotdogs, sausage, soaked puppy food w/ milk replacer (for orphan puppies and lactating females) and regular kibble are all refused. She barely touched some canned food and a little ham.

I was gonna go out and make this stuff today, maybe add some cream cheese to help spurn the appetite. http://itsthedogslife.com/2008/05/satin-balls-weight-gain-magic/ Anyone know if that is readily accepted by sick dogs?
Does anyone have any suggestions what else I could try to give her?

Any ideas what else it could be? She said the vet said it might be cancer (she's about 8yrs old) but wanted to see how the antibiotic worked in case its just a bacterial infection associated with the tick.

I've gotta run for a couple hours so won't be back to respond for awhile, sorry if i posted this to the wrong section. Thanks in advance.
 
i am sorry to hear about this poor dog and all the suffering.. i will try to find out more for you.. maybe you can try some turkey or chicken... has he improved at all since taking the antibiotic..did this illness come on suddenly or did the dog seem to go downhill slowly...
 
to get her taking the tablets easier i would use butter, nero hates his worming tab but doesnt notice it when its smothered in butter. smother them in butter, it usually doesnt hit the sides when it's swallowed.

for feeding, try some steak and veg. the more fat the better as this is what will cause the great smells when you cook it with her in the kitchen when you do. add in some veggies, such as peas and carrots in a fine dice and cooked . then smother in low salt gravey and mix. then sit back and watch your dog happily gain their appetite back. to start bulking it up add a little of her regular biscuit in once she starts eating again. then gradually make it more of her regular food until you on nothing but her food.

this will sound a bit mean but tease her a little with it when its done by putting it in front of her nose to take in the smells and it may get appetite going faster then take it away but leave in sight. go back after 5 minutes or so and she should eat it.
 
soake the dry food in some chicken broth. Make sure it does not contain any sodium.

Try peanut butter to get her to take her meds. Roll up her pills in a ball of peanut butter.

Good luck

stan
 
Thank you for all the ideas and input!
I'll try the butter trick, make it a little easier on her. My mom was trying the peanut butter way but she kept rolling the whole wad out of her mouth.
She was improving the first week but this has week has been good/bad/good I think maybe she was spitting the antibiotics out w/o my mom noticing.
Since she's been with me and I've been making sure she gets it all she's walking much better but the appetite is pretty much zilch. I've got some ground meat for her as well and I'll try cooking it in front of her and throw a lil veggies in there.

Thank you so much for the advice and well wishes, I'll keep you all abreast.
 
When giving pill. I just stick them in the dogs mouth as far as I can get them. Grab the dog around the muzzle to hold its mouth closed. Then just gently blow in its face to make it swallow. Works like a charm.
 
well i would get a 5 or 10 cc syringe and crush her pills really finely into a powder.. mix it with warm chicken broth or beef broth, open her mouth and put the syringe in the back of her throat and shoot it in there..

thats how i had to get my cats to take their antibiotics after claw removal.. they didnt like it, but it was done and over in seconds..

a pharmacy or the vet should be able to give you the plastic syringe..
 
i agree with all these methods.. but remember when shooting something down a pets throat you must be careful that it goes down all the passage way it is suppose to.. because any wrong turn and ends up in the lungs...the medicine or food can end up causing pneumonia..
 
Happy to report she's doing much much better, she's eating probably about 1k+ calories in cream cheese and meat and dog food and obviously much happier, even running a little. Her abdomen isn't nearly as tight as it was but still a little tense feeling. I think since the infection has attacked her joints moving her jaw to chew was bothersome but seems the antibiotics are finally working. Thank you all so much for all the wonderful well wishes and advice.
 
Otolith;3661558; said:
Happy to report she's doing much much better, she's eating probably about 1k+ calories in cream cheese and meat and dog food and obviously much happier, even running a little. Her abdomen isn't nearly as tight as it was but still a little tense feeling. I think since the infection has attacked her joints moving her jaw to chew was bothersome but seems the antibiotics are finally working. Thank you all so much for all the wonderful well wishes and advice.
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thats wonderful to hear....you made my morning reading this.
 
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