We are currently watching a 12 year old beagle for some very good friends who are off on a cruise. The dog has become a very finicky eater in his old age and will no longer eat even the fanciest, most expensive canned dog food. He will still eat just about any "people food" however. Tonight he had goulash with ground venison meat sauce. The other day I fried up some venison liver and he really liked that. I have not seen him eat anything that fast since he was much younger. I wish you the best with your dog. I just learned as I was typing this that my sister had to put down her 13 year old lab this morning. The good news is, I have heard that there are lots of pets in Heaven, so she has not seen the last of him.
How to entice dog to eat?
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Richard
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All I have to say is "wow"!!
This might be long so the short story is, she's getting better!
Long story... we took her to a vet in town, not her normal vet. Had to go in town because they were able to see her and wife had to go that direction to work, we didn't think it was a huge thing.
He had us bring her home (we had her there twice)
Had the chance to take her to our normal vet so we did. At this point, we thought Chloe was probably not going to make it. The two vets compared some notes and right now, it's looking like she has Addison disease for dogs. I understand there is a test that will define that illness but we're not there yet. He's treating her for Addisons and we picked her up today & brought her home. She's about 70% of her normal rambunctious self. Just 2 days ago, I was preparing to be called and told she didn't make it through the night. An absolutely amazing turn-around. Right now, we have to plan for a prednizone every day as well as another drug who's name I can't pronounce. Once we get her totally stable, I might do the definitive test just so we'll know.
Wife has her upstairs right now, away from the other dogs so she can just visit with her and feed her.
Part II and unrelated to Chloe: When it rains, it pours. About 4 weeks ago, wife called me on Friday (it was literally the Friday before that Billion dollar lottery happened)
Anyways, says I have to come home, there's a stray dog here who's bleeding from the mouth.
Cutting to the chase, I took the dog to the vet (our normal vet) Saturday morning for an exam. Turns out he had been shot in the face. Bullet went through his lip, shattered a canine tooth, tore up his tongue a bit and lodged itself right next to the spine.
We're calling the dog "Lucky"
Vet tended to him for about a week. We brought him home and had to tube-feed him for another week. Tube came out, we then took him in for his annual shots and then, had him fixed just last week.
He's just now, really getting over all his drama & trauma.
Vet thinks he's about a year old. I live out in the country so we don't get the process of how he ended up here and shot. He is turning out to be FAR more obedient than our other dogs (ahem, Chloe) Took him out on a leash all this time and finally let him off the leash and he was great, returning when called.
Last week, I went out about 5:00 A.m. and decided to not use a leash... mistake. There were several deer in the field and they took off....guess who took off after them. They went into the woods, up the hill, to the other side. I was calling him. Nothing. I was trying to decide what I was going to do....I had to start getting ready for work and didn't want him to get lost out here.
I called again and heard some leaves rustling, opposite direction that they went at first. Hmm.....could he be backtracking??
I called again, no more leaves... I called again, and just then, out of the darkness, he came RACING towards me at full speed. He was already in the field when I called and was coming to me, almost knocking me over.
Now, I have to say...my OTHER dogs (ahem, Chloe, Otis, Hattie, Tubby) would have continued after the deer and maybe returned after an hour or two.
I'm 100% impressed with this guy. He's as sweet and loving as they come.
We're going to try to find a good home for him.
Vet cost to fix Lucky after the bullet to the face: $1,300
Vet cost to bring Chloe back from the near dead: $1,200
She's not out of the woods yet as she'll need some more tests as we conclude some of these issues.
Meet Lucky
This might be long so the short story is, she's getting better!
Long story... we took her to a vet in town, not her normal vet. Had to go in town because they were able to see her and wife had to go that direction to work, we didn't think it was a huge thing.
He had us bring her home (we had her there twice)
Had the chance to take her to our normal vet so we did. At this point, we thought Chloe was probably not going to make it. The two vets compared some notes and right now, it's looking like she has Addison disease for dogs. I understand there is a test that will define that illness but we're not there yet. He's treating her for Addisons and we picked her up today & brought her home. She's about 70% of her normal rambunctious self. Just 2 days ago, I was preparing to be called and told she didn't make it through the night. An absolutely amazing turn-around. Right now, we have to plan for a prednizone every day as well as another drug who's name I can't pronounce. Once we get her totally stable, I might do the definitive test just so we'll know.
Wife has her upstairs right now, away from the other dogs so she can just visit with her and feed her.
Part II and unrelated to Chloe: When it rains, it pours. About 4 weeks ago, wife called me on Friday (it was literally the Friday before that Billion dollar lottery happened)
Anyways, says I have to come home, there's a stray dog here who's bleeding from the mouth.
Cutting to the chase, I took the dog to the vet (our normal vet) Saturday morning for an exam. Turns out he had been shot in the face. Bullet went through his lip, shattered a canine tooth, tore up his tongue a bit and lodged itself right next to the spine.
We're calling the dog "Lucky"
Vet tended to him for about a week. We brought him home and had to tube-feed him for another week. Tube came out, we then took him in for his annual shots and then, had him fixed just last week.
He's just now, really getting over all his drama & trauma.
Vet thinks he's about a year old. I live out in the country so we don't get the process of how he ended up here and shot. He is turning out to be FAR more obedient than our other dogs (ahem, Chloe) Took him out on a leash all this time and finally let him off the leash and he was great, returning when called.
Last week, I went out about 5:00 A.m. and decided to not use a leash... mistake. There were several deer in the field and they took off....guess who took off after them. They went into the woods, up the hill, to the other side. I was calling him. Nothing. I was trying to decide what I was going to do....I had to start getting ready for work and didn't want him to get lost out here.
I called again and heard some leaves rustling, opposite direction that they went at first. Hmm.....could he be backtracking??
I called again, no more leaves... I called again, and just then, out of the darkness, he came RACING towards me at full speed. He was already in the field when I called and was coming to me, almost knocking me over.
Now, I have to say...my OTHER dogs (ahem, Chloe, Otis, Hattie, Tubby) would have continued after the deer and maybe returned after an hour or two.
I'm 100% impressed with this guy. He's as sweet and loving as they come.
We're going to try to find a good home for him.
Vet cost to fix Lucky after the bullet to the face: $1,300
Vet cost to bring Chloe back from the near dead: $1,200
She's not out of the woods yet as she'll need some more tests as we conclude some of these issues.
Meet Lucky
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Alien
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Amazing post Richard. Thanks buddy.
MossRoad
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Glad to hear Chloe is going to be around some more. I thank youfor rescuing Lucky. I had to put a sweetheart down awhile back, tumor in the stomach. Then on the 4th of July I was cutting down some trees and a small boxer was right there in the woods. Took her to my wife who will rescue anything. Well the poor boxer had a big tumor, did some imaging and consults and to survive a year she would need surgery and multiple bouts of radiation all for $12,000. We decided just to give her as comfortable a life for the time remaining. So far so good, tumor big but she enjoys the good life, getting special food, and she is in bed with us now. I have yellow lab and a black mouth cur who are starting to get older, 10, and I know it'll be hard to see them pass. The lab was a year old+ and 3weighed 23# when rescued and also had been shot in the head, still has some buckshot in him. Good luck finding a good home for the new one.
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Richard
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The rest of the story on Lucky: We've found him a new home. Young couple with three children. Mother is a stay at home mom (has a special needs child). They got a dog about the size of Lucky.... their child up to that point had never spoken a word. Once the dog arrived, he started to talk. Seems the dog brought something out in him.
That dog was intended for the oldest child but evidently, has bonded with the middle child (about 3-4 years old and a heart transplant recipient)
Older child was a bit letdown that Marley "chose" his little brother....so the hunt for a second dog (and pal for female Marley) was on.
They found us.
We delivered Lucky to them yesterday. They've already fenced in their yard. New to the area so said they would just continue to take Lucky to the vet that I use and, take Marley to him as well.
Their boy was playing with Lucky while we were there. I nudged my wife.... they were in the fenced in area, Lucky had his back to us, sitting at attention right in front of their son.
I think it's going to work out very nice for them.
That dog was intended for the oldest child but evidently, has bonded with the middle child (about 3-4 years old and a heart transplant recipient)
Older child was a bit letdown that Marley "chose" his little brother....so the hunt for a second dog (and pal for female Marley) was on.
They found us.
We delivered Lucky to them yesterday. They've already fenced in their yard. New to the area so said they would just continue to take Lucky to the vet that I use and, take Marley to him as well.
Their boy was playing with Lucky while we were there. I nudged my wife.... they were in the fenced in area, Lucky had his back to us, sitting at attention right in front of their son.
I think it's going to work out very nice for them.
Luke'sScreenName
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That's got to make you feel like you did some good in the world.
:dance1: