Our dog starving herself while we were on vacation

Snuggles · 08-12-2008, 11:16 PM

We just got home from being gone about twelve days from our dog. When we picked her up at the dogsitter's house (liscense doggy care), she didn't even come to greet us. The woman got her and handed her to us. She seemed in a daze. All the way home she just laid down. She is a Yorky, Llapsa, Pekineese mix so she is a small normally five pounder. Tried to force peanut butter in her last night. Got some in. Took her to the vet this morning because she was still not herself. Has some potty accidents also. Vet said she has some blood in her stool due to the stress of us leaving her. If she doesn't eat in 24 hours, she will have to be hospitalized. We have gotten a little hamburger in her this afternoon and a tiny bit of steak tonight. She is still weak. Has anyone had this happen to them?

Willowy · 08-13-2008, 12:33 AM

Poor doggy. My first dog wouldn't eat if we left her at a boarding kennel.....we had to have friends come in and even then she didn't want to eat.

Try some chicken or turkey baby food (check the label---no onion or garlic powder), that usually gets them to eat. Maybe some extra-yummy (i.e. stinky) canned cat food will help, too. I don't know why, but dogs alway like canned cat food a lot more than canned dog food.

Annamarie · 08-13-2008, 01:19 PM

my dog starved himself on vacation WITH US last year. not to that extreme but he lost a LOT of weight. when he stays with people he tends to eat better than he does at home because he's worried the other dogs will eat his food.

hope your poor dog feels better soon

Shalva · 08-13-2008, 02:23 PM

I would suggest getting a product from your vet called nutracal.... it will help stimulate the appetite if your kid hasn't eaten in a while.... it is a gel in a tube and the dogs like the taste of it and it is high calorie and may get her system going again....

good luck
s

Annamarie · 08-13-2008, 03:01 PM

good suggestion! that stuff is like candy for dogs

we had to give it for a while and he'd lick it right out of the tube.

sw_df27 · 08-13-2008, 04:28 PM

my step uncles old dog starved himself when he was deployed for 6 months the first time and couldn't take him with him the poor dog wouldn't do nothing he died cause they couldn't get him to eat or drink I'm not sure if he was kenneled or what not

Snuggles · 08-13-2008, 10:38 PM

Well we have given her parts of steak, peanuts off ice cream (she loves that), and a few other delicacies. She is perking up a little. Not her normal self yet but hopefully soon. Our vet's office called today to check on her.

Patt · 08-13-2008, 11:00 PM

I am so sorry to hear your dog refused food at the kennels. What I don't understand is why the dog sitter let it go on for 12 days without a vet visit. It's good to hear she is getting her health back and I'm glad the vet called to check on her. Does she like canned food, possibly you could entice her with that. The vet has A/D (canned food) which is high in calories etc and fed to very ill pets to get them started eating. Sending lots of good thoughts that she will be back to her normal self soon.

Annamarie · 08-13-2008, 11:03 PM

ditto to the above! I would have appreciated a call or gladly paid for a vet visit if my dog wasn't eating for that long.

Kathyy · 08-14-2008, 12:27 AM

Wow, that is appalling! Why didn't the pet sitter call you or take her to the vet? I am looking forward to a vaction next week with my dogs left home and the older one is having trouble eating NOW. Sort of putting a damper on the whole thing. Anywho, try scrambled egg with butter. Try canned green tripe. Cook some pork or beef especially for her. Food tastes better if you are being spoiled. She seems to like warm food better. Not looking forward to warm tripe. At all.

Snuggles · 08-14-2008, 03:30 PM

Well the woman told me that she did eat some - it was a hit and miss. I did e-mail her about what is going on and she says to keep in touch. Hmmm

She does seem a lot better today. Ate spagetti for breakfast and wanted more so we gave it to her. Right now she is eating a doggy treat. She will probably get so spoiled that she won't ever eat her regular food again. She is still kind of weak. She did follow me around the backyard (which she didn't yesterday) and looks at me to get up on the sofa and the stairs (guess she can't hack that yet).

Patt · 08-14-2008, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snuggles

Well the woman told me that she did eat some - it was a hit and miss. I did e-mail her about what is going on and she says to keep in touch. Hmmm
She does seem a lot better today. Ate spagetti for breakfast and wanted more so we gave it to her. Right now she is eating a doggy treat. She will probably get so spoiled that she won't ever eat her regular food again. She is still kind of weak. She did follow me around the backyard (which she didn't yesterday) and looks at me to get up on the sofa and the stairs (guess she can't hack that yet).

Yeah right, stay in touch. LOL I would board her at your vets next time you leave.

I'm glad she is doing better, although I can't say much for her diet. LOL I guess whatever works. I would try getting her back to her regular diet the sooner the better for her. If she were my dog I would have her into the vets for a well check and do a blood panel just to see that all her organs are working properly.

I hope she continues to improve and will be back to normal very soon.

Snuggles · 08-14-2008, 03:48 PM

We did take her to the vet's the day after we got home. He did a blood work and said there was blood in the urine due to stress. If she did not eat, then they would hospitalize her.

Patt · 08-14-2008, 03:53 PM

OOPS, I should have gone back and reread your original post... Sorry. I'm glad the blood work was okay.

Your baby is a cutie and I hope she is back to herself soon. ((cross fingers))

Annamarie · 08-14-2008, 10:56 PM

I'm not sure that stress would cause blood in the urine?

As far as the diet, as our vet said when our dog wasn't eating... anything is better than nothing at the point when they're starving

Hopefully she perks up soon.

Snuggles · 08-18-2008, 04:57 PM

She is now eating better but I think she has a urinary infection. Seems to have a few accidents (none today that I know of) but when I looked at her yesterday, there was some cloudy stuff down there. She keeps licking herself so I am guessing that. Have a phone call into the vet now.

Patt · 08-18-2008, 08:18 PM

That doesn't sound good, please let us know what the vet says.

Snuggles · 08-19-2008, 03:10 PM

He put her on a urinary infection medicine. Will use for 48 hours and see if it clears us. Pray it does.

Annamarie · 08-19-2008, 05:05 PM

did he collect and test any of her urine?

Patt · 08-19-2008, 08:11 PM

Thanks for the update, this poor baby has been through the mill. I will send positive thoughts that the antibiotics will work and she'll be back to her old self very soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annamarie

did he collect and test any of her urine?

See post #13. I'm assuming he did test the urine.... However, you know what assume means.