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Re: Old dog not eating [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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So sorry to read of your dog's appetite issues. I've dealt with this on and off for the past 16 months with my now 13 year old lab. Over that time, he has been through a divorce (well, that was mine), a cross-country move, a couple of cancer surgeries and occasional other issues. Never sure how much of the appetite issue was psychological vs medical. But there were times he would eat treats galore but not food out of his bowl (or plate or any new bowl). But he would eat out of my hand, one mouthful at a time. Thankfully that is done (knock on wood), but for a long time I had to stand next to him while he ate. I also gave him a couple different appetite stimulants, the one that worked best was a pain because it is a liquid that tastes terrible (seriously?).

But because his behavior was otherwise normal and there was no clear medical cause, I stuck with it. And that's my general thought: if scans and bloodwork don't show a clear cause, but behavior is otherwise still normal for your dog, even if a little slower than before, I'd keep doing what you're doing bc there are ways to deal with decreased appetite. Try various foods. Try an appetite stimulant. Try other suggestions.

A few months back, on a friend's recommendation, I did a trial supply of food from Farmer's Dog. It is expensive, and I mix some dry in with it. But from the first meal, he showed an eagerness to eat that he had not since summer 2019. That let me stop the appetite stimulant, too. I figure that for however long he's still with me, I can splurge on him for this food, because it was the solution that finally worked. But I know that it's not an option for everyone.

When the behavior changes for good, that's when you know. One of my prior dogs lived to 16, at which time she was diagnosed with lymphoma that didn't make sense to treat at her age other than with prednisone, which also helped her appetite. The vet initially said she might only live a couple weeks, but she lived well for another four months. I made her chicken and rice the whole time. But the time came, suddenly, when her behavior just changed, and it was clear then that it was time.

It's such a tough situation, and like everyone else, I send good thoughts to your dog, you and your family.
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