[sidescrollin]

After being in DogForum (not forumS) I am coming here asking for help. I have two replies and its just not very helpful.

One of my Danes is terribly skinny.
Her weight dropped by about 15 lbs when she hurt her leg 4 MONTHS ago. I am very angry because I have been to TWO vets spent over 1600 DOLLARS and she isnt any better!!
Any now to add to it she is underweight! When I asked the vet I switched to he said "leave her like this for now So I can more easily observe her ankle swelling".
So I said well I cannot fix her leg but she can at least be the proper weight. I went out and bought puppy food and canned food. Normally our Three danes eat out of a huge bowl and can get food whenever they want. So I decided to add to that structured meals 2-3 times a day.
She has always been skinny but this is ridiculous, my other two are 115, and 100lbs (the are 2 year old girls, trust me, not underweight just fairly small)
Gabby is a lowly 75lbs!! I was really excited about making some progress finally. I filled the bowl 1/4 with puppy dry food and a can of Wet food and cover it in beef juice from some beef I was cooking.
She Slowly ate about half of the food and ran away to lay back down. I came over and she just avoided the bowl.
This is killing me!! How to I get her to eat??

 

[spotted nikes]

What are you feeding her? How old is she?

Is she in pain from her ankle? If so, pain can cause a loss of appetite.

 

[Jacafamala]

After being in DogForum (not forumS) I am coming here asking for help. I have two replies and its just not very helpful.

One of my Danes is terribly skinny.
Her weight dropped by about 15 lbs when she hurt her leg 4 MONTHS ago. I am very angry because I have been to TWO vets spent over 1600 DOLLARS and she isnt any better!!
Any now to add to it she is underweight! When I asked the vet I switched to he said "leave her like this for now So I can more easily observe her ankle swelling".
So I said well I cannot fix her leg but she can at least be the proper weight. I went out and bought puppy food and canned food. Normally our Three danes eat out of a huge bowl and can get food whenever they want. So I decided to add to that structured meals 2-3 times a day.
She has always been skinny but this is ridiculous, my other two are 115, and 100lbs (the are 2 year old girls, trust me, not underweight just fairly small)
Gabby is a lowly 75lbs!! I was really excited about making some progress finally. I filled the bowl 1/4 with puppy dry food and a can of Wet food and cover it in beef juice from some beef I was cooking.
She Slowly ate about half of the food and ran away to lay back down. I came over and she just avoided the bowl.
This is killing me!! How to I get her to eat??

Disclaimer: I'm not a dog expert, but I'm a baby "expert". Sometimes babies have "feeding strikes" (yes I know, dogs are not really babies, but still in all, we love them just a little like they were babies). I think she may need a little babying for a time until she has her appetite back again.

Have their been any changes in her routine? Like a move, or a change in the enviroment?

When she eats, is it with the other dogs or apart from the other dogs? Perhaps she doesn't want to eat with the others? Maybe she's afraid of another bullying her? Can you try feeding her in a seperate room for a while? Can you keep her routine very minimal; keep things quiet around the house and stay with her as much as possible during the feeding until she begins eating again?

 

[sidescrollin]

What are you feeding her? How old is she?

Is she in pain from her ankle? If so, pain can cause a loss of appetite.

Our normal food is Beneful, I went and bought some pedigree puppy food and canned food.
Her ankle is injured so yes the pain is in her ankle. She has got even smaller because she gets up less from the injury. But She has always been sorta skinny, I dont know why but she just doesnt eat much. I had already planned on adding some weight but now She really needs more weight.
She normally munches on the beneful every now and then but mostly at night and I havent gotten her to eat any puppy food and over 2 nights She at half a can of food each night.

Disclaimer: I'm not a dog expert, but I'm a baby "expert". Sometimes babies have "feeding strikes" (yes I know, dogs are not really babies, but still in all, we love them just a little like they were babies). I think she may need a little babying for a time until she has her appetite back again.

Have their been any changes in her routine? Like a move, or a change in the enviroment?

When she eats, is it with the other dogs or apart from the other dogs? Perhaps she doesn't want to eat with the others? Maybe she's afraid of another bullying her? Can you try feeding her in a seperate room for a while? Can you keep her routine very minimal; keep things quiet around the house and stay with her as much as possible during the feeding until she begins eating again?

Yes, since her injury we have moved her inside for a large part of the day and she usually sleeps inside now.This was to keep her from playing with the others and stressing the injury.
It hasnt caused her to stop eating because she never ate much and has been skinny for a while just not to the degree she is now. There is always food around for her to eat.
I'm not sure about the bullying part. One of the others is alot bigger than her and the dominant one when I am not around. The other sometimes growls at others when shes eating (not me of course). I am not too sure about this because I barely see her eat. I don't think it is the reason because when they are playing she can take both of them and is dominant when needed.
Shes always been this way though, for instance If I am cooking something or getting something from the fridge the other two will come over and try to get some handouts. She stays on the couch and does nothing.
I dont know if earlier on as puppies they bullied her out of food and now she just stays away but something needs to be done. I cant give enough food to the other 2 but she wont take anything, she actually avoids it.
She will eat something small if im having a snack like a cookie or something, but I cant get her to eat a meal.
She is also terrible at eating, she licks at everything and very carefully picks stuff up. The other two mash their faces vacuuming everything up like an average dog.

 

[spotted nikes]

Beneful is not a very good dogfood. It is mostly fillers. Pedigree isn't much better. There are dog foods out there with better quality ingredients. They are a little more expensive, but you can usually feed less, because they are higher quality. "Chicken Soup for the Dog lover " is a decent food that is not very expensive. I feed Taste of The Wild, and my dogs started getting fat, so I had to cut back how much I was feeding. Check out-this link for dog food reviews

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

If your dog is in pain, have you asked the vet about putting her on some kind of painreliever/anti-immflammatory, like Previcox or Rimadyl?

 

[sidescrollin]

Beneful is not a very good dogfood. It is mostly fillers. Pedigree isn't much better. There are dog foods out there with better quality ingredients. They are a little more expensive, but you can usually feed less, because they are higher quality. "Chicken Soup for the Dog lover " is a decent food that is not very expensive. I feed Taste of The Wild, and my dogs started getting fat, so I had to cut back how much I was feeding. Check out-this link for dog food reviews

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

If your dog is in pain, have you asked the vet about putting her on some kind of painreliever/anti-immflammatory, like Previcox or Rimadyl?

Where I live the only place to buy Dog food is the grocery store so alot of the better brands either arent there or are really expensive. Also I switched to beneful thinking it would be better than the purina that my last Dane used to eat.
I realize these arent the best brands and I understand what youre saying, that itll help her gain weight but I don't think its going to get her to eat, which is the main problem.

to answer your second question The majority of the money we've spent so far has been on pills.
Two different anti-inflammatorys totalling about 1200 dollars so far and about 90 dollars in pain killers.
There is less fluid in the joint now but after 4 months it is still not fixed and im really mad about how much money I have spent and she isnt much better. I really do not have money for more pills at the moment so I am giving her 2 ibuprofen and Fish oil supplements(omega??3 or 6) every 8 or so hours.

 

[spotted nikes]

Ibuprophen is TOXIC to dogs!!!!! It will cause liver failure and stomach ulcers. Do not give that to your dog! That might be why she's losing weight and won't eat.

 

[Jacafamala]

So the vet doesn't know why the ankle is swollen, sidescrollin? How long does he/she want to observe it? What might the vet be looking for?

Maybe beyond the pain is the dog's instinct or her knowing not to get knocked around by the others, which might end up causing her more pain? Maybe that keeps her away from the food bowl. You say she stays away from the food and likes being on the couch. Could you put the food nearby the couch and gate or block the other dogs away from her area for a period of time, just to see what happens?

My last dog was on the Rimadyl for a while, he also went to the vet for shots in the leg to help ease the pain. It helped.

Edited to add: it's very stressful to have a sick dog. I'll say a prayer to St. Francis to interceed on you dog's behalf.

 

[sidescrollin]

Ibuprophen is TOXIC to dogs!!!!! It will cause liver failure and stomach ulcers. Do not give that to your dog! That might be why she's losing weight and won't eat.

The vet told me to give her aspirin 3 times a day, I'll look into finding a substitute.

So the vet doesn't know why the ankle is swollen, sidescrollin? How long does he/she want to observe it? What might the vet be looking for?

Maybe beyond the pain is the dog's instinct or her knowing not to get knocked around by the others, which might end up causing her more pain? Maybe that keeps her away from the food bowl. You say she stays away from the food and likes being on the couch. Could you put the food nearby the couch and gate or block the other dogs away from her area for a period of time, just to see what happens?

My last dog was on the Rimadyl for a while, he also went to the vet for shots in the leg to help ease the pain. It helped.

Edited to add: it's very stressful to have a sick dog. I'll say a prayer to St. Francis to interceed on you dog's behalf.

One day I let the three out and the yard. They were running around the the Two intersected. Willow tried jumping over gabby but didnt jump high enough and hit her backend with her chest and back legs slamming her backend into the ground.
The Ankle injury was from this accident. The first vet (which we used to go to) told us it was a sprain and gave her 800 dollars worth of anti-inflammatorys and wrapped her leg.
The leg wrap last about a week before it was chewed off. This was before xmas. After Xmas she was better but i think she used it too much and went back to the same status.
We decided it was bs that the vet didnt give her xrays and went to a different one. We found her ankle was infected but nothing was broken.
After another 400 dollars in medicine the fluid was reduced. about halfway through those we bought some painkillers at the pharmacy that we had prescribed.
We are out of all of those now and she is still hopping around with a swollen ankle and 15 lbs less than when we started.
Since january she has been inside from 5pm to 2pm. They mostly lay around outside during the day on the porch and the only time they play is at night when she is inside.
She definitely Does not avoid being knocked around from the pain because She instigates all the playfights. I keep a bowl or water and food inside but Ive never seen her eat any of the food. She just eats when she is outside sometimes.

 

[spotted nikes]

The vet told me to give her aspirin 3 times a day, I'll look into finding a substitute.

Aspirin is NOT Ibuprophen. Aspirin is ok for dogs per the vet...Ibuprophen is not.

IF you have been giving her Ibuprophen, please see a vet and tell them. It can cause liver damage, and there are meds to help avoid serious damage.

 

[sidescrollin]

Aspirin is NOT Ibuprophen. Aspirin is ok for dogs per the vet...Ibuprophen is not.

IF you have been giving her Ibuprophen, please see a vet and tell them. It can cause liver damage, and there are meds to help avoid serious damage.

I Just went and counted. Over the past two weeks she has had 35 ibuprofen. How is it toxic to them?? I didn't know there was a discernible difference since it treated the same things. I'll stop giving them to her immediately.

 

[spotted nikes]

I Just went in counted. Over the past two weeks she has had 35 ibuprofen. How is it toxis to them?? I didn't know there was a discernable difference since it treated the same things. I'll stop giving them to her immediately.

I'm not trying to scare you, but it is VERY toxic. It can cause liver failure. That may account for the weight loss and not eating. There are meds that can treat it if caught soon enough, because the liver does have the capacity to regenerate if not too damaged, but you DEFINITELY need to get her to the vet (Tomorrow...tell your vet it is an emergency, that the dog has consumed a large number of Ibuprophen.). The effects are not normally seen until a few days after the dog has eaten it. It is especially dangerous if the dog has been on other painkillers that can affect the liver (like Previcox, Rimadyl, Derramaxx, etc). The painkillers I listed can sometimes stress the livers of healthy dogs. Adding in Ibuprophen, which is toxic on it's own, is really harmful. Liver damage can kill dogs.

You might be seeing the weight loss/not eating as a result of the Ibuprophen damaging the liver. Please take her to a vet tomorrow, and update us.

 

[sidescrollin]

I'm not trying to scare you, but it is VERY toxic. It can cause liver failure. That may account for the weight loss and not eating. There are meds that can treat it if caught soon enough, because the liver does have the capacity to regenerate if not too damaged, but you DEFINITELY need to get her to the vet (Tomorrow...tell your vet it is an emergency, that the dog has consumed a large number of Ibuprophen.). The effects are not normally seen until a few days after the dog has eaten it. It is especially dangerous if the dog has been on other painkillers that can affect the liver (like Previcox, Rimadyl, Derramaxx, etc). The painkillers I listed can sometimes stress the livers of healthy dogs. Adding in Ibuprophen, which is toxic on it's own, is really harmful. Liver damage can kill dogs.

You might be seeing the weight loss/not eating as a result of the Ibuprophen damaging the liver. Please take her to a vet tomorrow, and update us.

Im going to call tomorrow and try to take her to the vet. I havent noticed any difference in behavior or any different symptoms since giving it to her. The Feeding thing isn't from this. She has always been kinda skinny but now its just too much since she gest up even less to eat. I have no idea how to get her to eat more or why she doesnt want food.

 

[sidescrollin]

I called the vet and asked today about the ibuprofen. He said because of her being such a large breed and because it was only 2 a day that she shouldnt be completely fine as long as I don't give her any more.
I got her to eat some today. It was weird. I made some hotdogs and she ate one and the refused another. Early I gave her a cookie and for some reason this got her to eat a hotdog and then she even ate the other half can of Dog food I had been offering to her all day long.
I don't know what causes her to suddenly eat but I would like to figure it out.

 

[Jacafamala]

I called the vet and asked today about the ibuprofen. He said because of her being such a large breed and because it was only 2 a day that she shouldnt be completely fine as long as I don't give her any more.
I got her to eat some today. It was weird. I made some hotdogs and she ate one and the refused another. Early I gave her a cookie and for some reason this got her to eat a hotdog and then she even ate the other half can of Dog food I had been offering to her all day long.
I don't know what causes her to suddenly eat but I would like to figure it out.

Maybe it was the prayer to St. Francis for intercession. I'll say another for her...

Glad the vet isn't worried about the ibuprofen.

 

[spotted nikes]

In your earlier post, you said you were giving her 2 Ibuprophen every 8 hrs, not just 2 a day. You did tell your vet that, right? Not that she got 2 a day?

 

[sidescrollin]

In your earlier post, you said you were giving her 2 Ibuprophen every 8 hrs, not just 2 a day. You did tell your vet that, right? Not that she got 2 a day?

Well I said that because thats what I was SUPPOSED to be doing because All of her other meds called for doses every 8 hours.

Usually I ended up only 2 a day and at the most 4. Anyways the vet told me it applies to all dogs but regular doses used by adults for a prolonged period is harmful and very small doses are bad for small dogs. But since she isnt showing any symptoms of it affecting her and because she is big it should be fine.
Oh and another update, she just ate like 1/4 of a pizza. I know people food isnt regarded as best for them but I am definitely not worried about her becoming fat...I really don't know how people manage to have overweight pets.

 

[salask]

1/4 slice or 1/4 of large pizza?

 

[sidescrollin]

1/4 slice or 1/4 of large pizza?

lol 1/4 slice. No she had about 1/4 of a medium pizza, a little bit less actually but around there including crust from my pieces

 

[Willowy]

Sounds like something my dogs would do, LOL. I guess she has an appetite, just not for her dog food!

If you want to try a better grocery store brand food, try Purina ONE. Regular Dog Chow would be better than Beneful anyway...all that food coloring might be upsetting her system.