Our 13.5 year old guy is on a hydrolyzed protein diet for skin allergies. He has been on this diet for about 3 months and had eaten the food enthusiastically until the last few days. Skin and ears show amazing improvement, he is not scratching constantly nor losing his coat. In addition, he does not have recurring staph infections (from scratching). He has had albumin in his blood and has 60-70% kidney function, so we know he is showing is age. Recent ultrasound was unremarkable. Lately he is not eating enthusiastically if at all...maybe one meal a day. I don't want to change his food back as the allergies will return (and he needs the hydrolyzed protein to help his kidneys). He did eat two meals off the floor but hasn't done that lately. He goes for walks in the woods (for about an hour a day) and enjoys them, and sometimes eats after walks. This has only been going on for a few days but it is not normal lab behavior! Any advice?
Re: Old Lab, not eating Poor old fella Apart from the usual response of get him checked by the vet I'm not sure what to say. If he was mine, at that age I think I'd put something tasty on his meals to try and entice him, maybe some salmon oil or a little tinned fish if he's allowed those things....
Re: Old Lab, not eating Hello and welcome, sorry your old lad is not eating so well at present. I've had two old dogs myself, and know how worrying that is. I would agree with Barbara, can you add some tasty morsels, or some meat stock or similar, to his food to make it more tasty for him?
Re: Old Lab, not eating You say it's not normal lab behaviour but my old lab could happily ignore his food. When he got old though and didn't have a good appetite the vet told me to feed him what he wanted and not to worry about what food it was. I know you have the problem of his allergies and kidneys to consider though. What protein is in the food youre currently feeding him ? Would white fish be a suitable protein that you cook yourself and add to his food. My old lab had to have food with fish protein because of his stomach. Please excuse my ignorance of hydrolyzed protein. I found a food called NatureDiet it's a wet food and comes in a tub. I used the cod and potatoe and just added a small amount to his dry kibble. If fish is suitable NatureDiet is natural ingredients and a small amount might get him eating without causing any problems. I hope you find something he will enjoy I know what it's like when your trying to get them to eat. Good luck.
Re: Old Lab, not eating Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear your boy isn't enjoying his food at the moment. I've just goggled hydrolysed diet so won't suggest adding something to his meal to encourage him to eat in case it causes an allergic reaction. It might be worth a chat with the vet as to what he would recommend as I'm sure his lack of appetite is worrying you.
Re: Old Lab, not eating Hi there,I'm just stopping by to welcome you to the Forum....I'd have only said the same as the others ,to add something SCRUMMY to his meals to encourage him,poor old man ,I hope he is ok Best wishes Angela x ( and Dexter 2.5 year old yellow boy)
Re: Old Lab, not eating Aww the old ones do challenge us sometimes. I think all aging species go through a spell where they lose their appetite - as they slow down, their calorie needs decrease. If he's holding his weight ok...I would just keep tabs on him and discuss it with your vet too. If there are tantalizing things you can add to his diet, that's one approach - but certainly not the only one. Games that involve treats are good....rewards based training....that kind of thing. Unfortunately sometimes, it's just a matter of trying different things with our old guys/gals and keeping them happy and comfortable for as long as possible. Good luck!!!
Re: Old Lab, not eating Thanks, everyone. Just got his bloods back - Creatinine is high (2.7) so his kidney function is worse than it was in November. He's not supposed to have other food, but if he continues not to have an appetite I'll supplement his food a little bit. Vet has suggested Prilosec so we shall see... will keep you posted.
Re: Old Lab, not eating My 11 year old Lab Riley has also suddenly stopped wanting to eat his regular dog food, which was recommended by his vet. It was a natural duck & potato based dry food. I mixed it with a little cooked venison and brown rice. He has been on it for about 7 years and as of late February he doesn't not want anything to do with it. So now I give him anything he will eat, which has been bacon, corned beef, scrambled eggs, ham and even McDonalds plain cheeseburgers. I took him to my vet and so started a battery of tests with no specific problem found. Several ultrasounds, urinalysis, liver asperation, fecal exams and everything else they could think of, with still no specific answer. The only thing they saw was a slightly enlarged and inflamed liver, which they do not see as the problem. The next thing they suggest is a liver biopsy and 2 separate scopes, for which I am not in favor. I started looking for a more natural solution for liver problems. I have found Milk Thistle to be a good supplement for liver health. I also learned that Labs can be prone to "copper storage" which causes liver problems. I would like to know if anyone has used it and how it worked for them.
Re: Old Lab, not eating Reading this thread about old Labs not eating made all my memories of Molly's last few months come surging back. Molly was 14 when I had to put her down, and the 4 or so months prior were very hard for her and for me. Her problem was liver disease, but she had the same issue of a decreasing appetite and great reluctance to eat anything. I tried everything I could think of to entice her to eat, thinking that some food was better than no food, even if it was not on the approved liver-diet list. When she did eat a bit, it usually came back up pretty quickly. I used a veterinary formulation of milk thistle and SAM-e, which helped for a little while, but she was just at the end of her life and nothing was going to work for long. With a 13.5 year old dog with what appears to be worsening kidney problems, I would follow others' advice about aiming for comfort at this point. We all know our beloved dogs are going to reach the end long before we're ready for them to go, but the best thing we can do for them nearing that point, is keep them comfy and happy. My fingers and toes are all crossed for you, and I hope, hope, hope you get another good stretch for him.
Re: Old Lab, not eating [quote author=Riley link=topic=10148.msg151290#msg151290 date=1427043877] I started looking for a more natural solution for liver problems. I have found Milk Thistle to be a good supplement for liver health. I also learned that Labs can be prone to "copper storage" which causes liver problems. I would like to know if anyone has used it and how it worked for them. [/quote] My old lab had liver problems when he was about 13. In fact at one point he technically had liver failure but very quickly recovered. The vet put him on Denamarin. If I remember correctly this is just a supplement to encourage normal liver function and I think it contains milk thistle. It's expensive but you can buy it online. You could ask your vet if it would be suitable. My vet actually told me it's good if you have a hangover !!!! ???
Re: Old Lab, not eating This sounds a worrying and sad time for you. I saw two of my cats decline and go in the last 10 months and I know how heartbreaking it is. I would see a vet who I trusted and had a good relationship with and ask her/him for advice. My vet said to feed them yummy stuff and just be with them. Of course, every case is different and medicine may be the answer and really make a difference to your Lab. so I would go back to the vet.
