Nutrition

Re: I can't get him to eat...

brookcove — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:47:45 GMT

I do the poached thing. The dogs love it. Because I'm using a lot of Tripett and the ducks have stopped laying, we're only doing eggies once a week at present. But it's sooo nice in the winter with the warm water.

Re: I can't get him to eat...

jennie_c_d — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:23:58 GMT

Chuffy:
I would guess very lightly poached... with the whites just firm and the yellow still runny

That's how I do it, and pour the egg, with some of the water, still warm, over a bowl of kibble. They LOVE it. Of course, Em is allergic, LOL (this is a fun new game)

Re: I can't get him to eat...

Chuffy — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:54:22 GMT

Thanks! I always wondered why it was meant to be an appetite stimulant, that makes a lot of sense!

I had a friend with a sick GSD (puppy mill puppy) who had assorted health and behaviour problems, including problems with his diet and appetite. He swore by egg, but he always used raw and I wasn't sure if it had the same effect cooked.... so thanks for that!

Our dogs love egg in all its forms; raw, scrambled, poached, boiled.... what would you say is the best way to cook it? I'm thinking that often cooking (or over cooking) can destroy nutrients in various foods, so how would you cook the egg so that it is most nutritious, but also safe? I would guess very lightly poached... with the whites just firm and the yellow still runny? Or is that not cooked enough? Or maybe there is a better way to prepare them?

Re: I can't get him to eat...

brookcove — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:12:43 GMT

Egg, raw or cooked, has vitamin B complex in it. Egg (cooked) is awesome for ill dogs, but I'd combine it with extra supplementation with a complete complex for needed energy, appetite, nausea, and support for the liver.

You don't want to give raw anything to a sick dog.

Re: I can't get him to eat...

Chuffy — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:38:42 GMT

I have heard egg (raw) is meant to stimulate the appetite too - that doesn't come under dairy does it? It might be worth a try next time he is feeling peaky, provided it doesn't affect the meds. I'm glad he is doing better!

Re: I can't get him to eat...

glenmar — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:25:03 GMT

I'm so glad that something worked!

I truly don't stress if my chowhounds miss a meal or two but none of them are ill and on meds.

Re: I can't get him to eat...

willowchow — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:10:23 GMT

LOL, Willow loves Hunk of Beef too!

Re: I can't get him to eat...

CoBuHe — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:18:54 GMT

That is very good news!!

Re: I can't get him to eat...

RidgebackGermansShep — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:11:13 GMT

Evanger's hunk of beef- he LOVED it!! He seems to be feeling much better since he has eaten. Thanks for all the advice and putting up with my endless stressing. You guys rock!

Re: I can't get him to eat...

calliecritturs — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:09:32 GMT

RidgebackGermansShep:
How do i know if it's the un modified version?

First talk to the vet -- and then call the compounding pharmacy. You might want to email Gratefuldawg -- he's far more knowledgeable about that than I am cos that's what Cloppy has been taking and he had the devil's own time getting that straight at first. I'll email you his email -- I know he won't mind. He's elaborated on it A LOT in the IMHA thread. Val (Cooper's Mom) has also found the same thing.

Re: I can't get him to eat...

calliecritturs — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:07:02 GMT

RidgebackGermansShep:
It's okay Barbara, usually he loves cottage cheese and yogurt and i didn't realize he couldn't have either on these meds. He's now on cyclosporine,ketoconazole,flagyl,cephalexin, reglan, and metacam.

That's not something the vet will typically tell you, but when Billy was taking cyclo I was using ricotta cheese to put his pills in cos he LOVES it (the dog LOVES dairy) and Dr. Goldkamp at UF had me stop ALL dairy of all kinds and frankly right after I stopped it he started responding to the cyclo far better.

I just figured given what he's going thru you wouldn't want anything interfering with absorption, and I know Dr. G had found that to be a common opinion.

Re: I can't get him to eat...

brookcove — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:14:39 GMT

Tripett is awesome. I've had dogs on death's door (literally, in Ben's case ) lap it up, thinned with a bit of warm water. K9 Cuisine ships $50 worth of food for free and it gets there really fast. Like, two days in my case. They sell three different flavors of Tripett tripe - the lamb seems the most attractive to my dogs.

Also try a vitamin B complex dose. Give it about half an hour before mealtime. A couple of the "B's" stimulate appetite, one eases nausea, and one supports the liver. Don't try to sneak it in anything, just chuck it down the hatch. B is really nasty tasting. But it's well worth it to perk up a sick animal.

Re: I can't get him to eat...

RidgebackGermansShep — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:08:58 GMT

Anne, the store i buy my food from has a few different brands of tripe. I'll stop and get him some.

I'm going to call my sister and see if he will eat anything...

Re: I can't get him to eat...

stanton — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:53:58 GMT

The med's themselves are probably causing him to not want to eat; but at the same time, I know a few of those meds should not be given on an empty stomach either...at least not consistently.

Is there anything they can prescribe for him for tummy issues? or appetite stimulant?

If it were my dog, if he was taking meds I wouldn't be overly concerned; since your guy is taking meds, take a trip to the store and see if you can find some calf liver to help stimulate the appetite, but don't give a ton of it.

Re: I can't get him to eat...

spiritdogs — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:49:24 GMT

If you have a store that sells the higher end dog foods, they may carry tripe. A lot of dogs will eat that when they aren't interested in other things. You could also try a bit of roast beef with a tad bit of garlic on it. The theme really is "stinky". Sometimes, the baby food vienna saugages stimulate appetite.

Tripett has a store locator on their page: http://www.tripett.com/