[anonymous]

Did her anal glands get expressed? You may have to return her to the vet to rule out an abscess.
Yes, it happens. She may have a hard deep pocket that the vet couldn’t express without general anesthesia. If this is the case, it has to be done, listen to your vet.
It’s painful, it is what it is, call your vet and see what he advises.
At 10 she is a senior, so you may not want to get aggressive about treatment, however, there are many treatments available to keep her comfortable.
Give us an update….

This is not veterinary advise; consult your veterinarian.

Ps: See you tube for how to videos, re expressing anal glands.

[Susan]

Hi Simon, I feed the Canidae Pure Wild Boar grain free limited ingredients low carbohydrates… look at the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior for your older dogs, rotate with the Royal Canin Dental vet diet, feed one formula for breakfast & the Canidae formula for dinner but first introduce the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior over 7-10 days…
If Moose hasn’t vomited or doing sloppy poo’s & is doing well, then just keep feeding the Canidae, it’s probably all a coincidence with what’s happening with Moose… I have a dog with IBD & skin allergies & he does real well on Canidae, we’ve tried the Life Stages, All life Stages & the Life Stages, Platinum & Pure Land…..
When I rescued my Staffy he was terrified of thunderstorm & fireworks he came from the quiet country town & I live in town full of loud noises, ships blowing their horn etc..
I just made Patch feel very comfortable, held him & showed him its all OK & showed him Jeremy our old cat, he’s OK he’s not stressing, it didn’t work ignoring Patch, it seem to make him worse, he’d shake & vibrate for hours, 4yrs later he’s really good now, when there’s a storm or New Years fireworks, he’s not shaking or panting, he goes to sleep now, they just need to trust in our words & everything does work out OK…..Sometimes comforting them does work…..
You could try a natural remedy called “Rescue Remedy” you put a few drops on their tongue the Rescue Remedy calms them down before going on a long trips, loud noises etc, it’s sold pet shops & Chemist works really well I’ve been told, the lady that baths Patch said she uses Rescue Remedy drops on her old dog, she’s a real stress head…..

[Susan]

Hi Melody D,
yes it is definitely the Royal Canine Low Fat food, are you feeding the dry kibble or wet tin food, with Pancreatitis your better off feeding a wet diet instead of a dry kibble..
are you on Face Book ? join this group, “Canine Diabetes Support and Information Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanineDiabetesSupportandInformation/ go to the “Files” & 2nd link click on “2017.3.26 – CDSI Diabetes dog food options” all wet & dry low fat diabetic food will come up scroll down to the wet tin foods & the fat has been converted to dry matter….I would also change your vet…take the R/C Low Fat food back to vets & get a refund its Guaranteed money back & email R/C & tell them what’s happening a Vet Nutritionist will ring you back if you tick the box to be called back they will recommend another one of their foods but it’s always good to complain cause your dog may not be the only dog drinking water & R/C will change whatever is in the Low Fat diet that’s making dogs drink water…..
My boy does the same on another brand of dry kibble, he drinks & drinks water, I had to take him off the dry food…. Have a look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior kibble easy to digest, the fat is 10.08%max http:/www.canidae.com/dog-food/products it’s on the 3rd page..

[Susan]

Hi Melissa,
sounds like you have a puppy with a very sensitive stomach/bowel, he may suffer with skin allergies as he get’s older, there’s a few Goldendoodles with sensitive stomach & skin on a Face Book group I belong too….
Food sensitivities/intolerances can take anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks to react to a certain ingredient & have Intestinal stress… sounds like there’s an ingredient in the Fromm he’s sensitive too..
My boy has skin allergies & food intolerances & can’t eat high fat meals, tapioca, beet pulp, liver, barley & high fiber kibbles & too many proteins & ingredients he gets stomach up sets, acid reflux, sloppy poos/diarrhea & he wakes up 2am, 4am or 5am crying at the front door to be let out to have diarrhea, sometimes you can hear loud grumbling noises coming from his bowel (Wind)….
You’ll have to start working out what agrees with him & what doesn’t, keep a diary & write down foods, kibbles etc that don’t agree with him & try & work out if there’s an common ingredient, I ended up doing a elimination food diet..

I’ve had great success with “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it is a single protein formula with just lamb meal & has limited ingredients, grain free & is a all life stages formula, has the matching wet tin food…… https://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

When a dog knows a food/kibble causes pain, upset stomach, wind, nausea they’re hesitate to eat it or don’t eat it at all, listen to your dog when he doesn’t want to eat something, he’s telling you, mum this makes me sick, offer to feed something else, he might prefer a wet tin food, cooked, raw or rotate between 2 brands of kibbles that’s what I do, so he doesn’t get sick of eating the same kibble formula, Patch gets Canidae Pure for breakfast & TOTW for lunch & dinner…but you have pup I don’t know how it works rotating Puppy formula’s if it’s Ok….ask & email the kibble company, they would know….
TOTW have vet nutritionist that email back & give advise…

Canidae is another food I feed the Canidae Pure Wild Boar, all the Pure formula’s have limited ingredients.
Canidae have a 3 large breed puppy formula’s, 2 in their “Life Stages” formula’s dry & wet tin, Canidae have a new Large breed puppy Turkey & Brown Rice that has only 1 protein Turkey Meal that’s not too high in protein or fat & can be feed all stages of life Puppy, Adult & Senior large breed…
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-large-breed-turkey-meal-brown-rice-dry-formula
or Canidae Life Stages Large breed Puppy Duck Meal & Lentils wet & dry
or Canidae’s “Under The Sun” Large Breed Puppy Chicken dry

Maybe try a kibble that has limited ingredient & only 1 protein & see how he goes, no more then 8 ingredients so there’s less ingredients to cause any problems .. Read the ingredients, fiber, fat & protein % in the Nutrisource Puppy formula & the Fromm Heartland Puppy & see is there heaps of ingredients? how many different proteins? is the Fat, Fiber & Protein on the higher end?
Best to buy from a Pet Shop this way you can take it back for a refund & try another food if he doesn’t really want to eat it…..

[Linda B]

Yes, I have used ProThrive Senior for my 10 year old German Shepherd. She was having diarrhea or loose stools every day. It got better then bad again, then finally after months of this, we were told by the Collar and Leash pet store that we should try PROThrive Senior. From the day we tried it until now 1 year later, she stopped having the loose stools. It was amazing. I know I’m late we this post but maybe someone else needs the have the information.

[Susan]

Hi Christie, Fromm weight management Gold Formula has a few different proteins & a lot of different ingredients, most weight management kibbles are higher in fiber to keep the dog feeling fuller longer, read the fiber % it’s high at 7% fiber, if your looking for a lower fat diet formula have look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior, adult dogs can also eat the Pure Meadow senior formula, the protein is good at 28%min & the Fat is 10.80% max… it has 2 proteins, Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal, ingredient list- 1st-Chicken, 2nd-Chicken Meal & 3rd-Turkey Meal so the 28%min protein is mainly meat proteins & not 1/2 plant proteins & 1/2 meat proteins, then 4th- Sweet Potatoes, 5th-Chickpeas, 6th-peas, Pure Meadow has only 9 ingredients….
I know some dogs like to graze, but both dogs?? maybe just change the kibble brand to another brand with lower fiber-4-5%max, limited ingredient kibble & see if it makes a difference & see if they aren’t eating as much grass….My boy only eats grass when he’s unwell & feels sick or has a bit of acid reflux, he doesn’t do well on higher fiber kibbles, no dog really would, dogs have a short digestive tract build to digest meat proteins, not high fiber, high carbohydrate diet….. Canidae is money back if your pets aren’t happy, Canidae have other formula’s….. I like their Pure Wild Boar so does my dog & cat, the cat is always trying to pinch Patches kibbles that’s how I know when a kibble taste good Indy (cat)wants to get the dogs kibble….
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

[anonymous]

Have x-rays been done? Bloodwork? The first thing you need is an accurate diagnosis.
At age 13 (senior) I don’t know how aggressive you want to get about treatment, but I would consider making an appointment with a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist.

I would direct your questions you have to the vet, I would not give him anything (over the counter meds, supplements) unless recommended by a vet that has examined him.

Call the vet in the morning and leave a message for him to call you back when he has a minute.

[crazy4cats]

Hi IM- Hope Boone is doing better today. It’s always scary when our pets have to be put under, especially when they are seniors.

I had two of my cats in for their annual exams a few months ago. They are both about the same age, got them at the same time as kittens and they are fed exactly the same food. The male just gets a little bit more. My poor female is smaller and has short legs and shouldn’t eat as much but wants to. (I know the feeling :/) Haha!

Anyway, the vet was so pleased with how her teeth looked and mentioned her beautiful green eyes to go along with her pearly white teeth. Then she looked at the male’s teeth and crunched up her nose. She said he needed a dental very badly. They did x-rays and bloodwork. The xrays showed that two of his teeth had roots that were disintegrating and needed to be pulled. Had they not done the xrays, they might not have been able to see that and his teeth would have eventually broke and most likely cause a lot of pain. He did fine with his dental and it cost WAY too much. This was a VCA vet that are not known for their friendly prices. But, they are thorough. I hope anyway.

So, in conclusion, there must be a lot of genetics involved with teeth health as well as maintenance. These two cats are not related, but almost exactly the same age and have totally different oral health. He’s doing fine without two of his fangs, but looks funny when he yawns. 🙂

[anonymous]

Not unusual for a senior. I guarantee that you will feel better. Boone will too!

Over the last few years I have needed a couple of root canals, Not fun, but necessary.

[Susan]

Hi sorry to hear about your girl, my boy has IBD & gets Pancreatitis pain he had it yesterday & today again, real whingy I’m lucky he grinds his teeth when he has his acid reflux & licks mouth like he’s suckling, so I know he’s unwell liquid Mylanta is good too keep a small bottle in fridge & give 5mls & being kept in the fridge soothes the stomach more….
When they yarn & pant, they have pain my vet said, even paw licking can be pain & they set off endorphins from the licking & Patch does a big burp sometimes, I burp him like a baby sometimes when he has his pancreas pain, I rub his back & stomach area (right side rib cage) it makes him feel better, my vet wanted Patch on Prednisone small dose 5mg, actually 3 vets wanted him on Steroids I kept saying NO the Prednisone will give him more acid reflux in the end I have him 2.5mg with breakfast & 2.5mg with dinner & only gave for 3-4 days & stopped the Prednisone did take away his Pancreas pain BUT he felts real sick vomited a few times & got diarrhea, whe I told his vet she said yes some dogs cant take steroids now she said just start him on the Metronidazole low dose 200mg at night Metronidazole has a steroid anti inflammatory type drug & antibiotic, it does help but takes longer about 4-5 days the Prednisone worked within 1 day & Patch takes Losec (Omeprazole) 8.30am every day now, it doesn’t have to be given before they eat like other acid reducers, its a blocker, I thought the same with the Losec when Patch started taking it vet didn’t want him on a Pump Proton Inhibitor (PPI) long term & said just give it to him when needed for 3-4 days then stop but I found he was doing better when taking the Losec, I started just giving 1/2 the 20mg tablet, I buy his Losec from chemist $7.99, his vet writes me 6 repeat scripts, it’s cheaper then buying from vets-$100 & the chemist orders in the Losec that can be cut in 1/2 “Omeprazole Sandoz” I thought the same when Patch first started to take the Losec, that the Losec was causing sloppy poo’s but it was an ingredient in the R/C Low Fat Intestinal vet diet wet tin food, either the Corn gluten meal, whole corn or the wheat then I realized it was the boiled rice, he cant eat boiled rice, it irritates his bowel, he eats the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable stew, it has the least rice & no beet pulp, I take out the rice & carrots give to my cat she loves it but the fat is 14.9% sometimes Patch gets acid reflux, but not his pancreas pain, so I tried the Royal Canine HP wet tin but it has oil all on the bottom of can & fish oils cause Patch to have acid reflux & his pain so I was using a can opener that takes off the top of the can & sliding out the whole meat loaf & patting it with a paper towel to absorb all the oil & cutting the loaf in 3rds & putting the rest on a plate & cover with cling wrap put in fridge, I found he preferred the Hills I/d Chicken Vegetable stew, are you on facebook?? join this group “Canine Diabetes Support and Information? group https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanineDiabetesSupportandInformation/files/
on your left is the “Files” click on files & 2nd link- “2017.3.26 – CDSI Diabetes dog food options” click on this & all low fat foods will come up, just scroll down for the wet tin foods the lady has converted the wet tin foods to DM (Dry Matter) DM is the fat% if it were a kibble…or email the wet tin company & ask about the formula’s your interested in, can they email back fat% after being converted to dry matter, the lady has done it with the wet tin foods on the link, I ended up cooking lean pork mince or 99% fat free Turkey mince & Kangaroo mince all human grade minces, Patch did real well on the lean beef
I added 1 whisked egg some finally chopped parsley, peeled & grated 1 carrot & a few chopped up broccoli heads mix all together & make 1 cup size rissole balls or 1/2 cup size balls & bake in oven on baking tray lined with foil just take them out after 15mins & turn over the rissoles & remove any water & fat, I also boil sweet potatoes & add 1/2 a cup to 1 cup rissole ball, all mashed & cut up so it’s easy to eat, the sweet potato & rissoles can be frozen take out the day before put in fridge to thaw….
I also feed Canidae kibble have a look at the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior the fat is 10.8% max, or Canidae Life Stages Platinum fat is 8.5% min you”ll need to email Canidae for max fat % there’s also a wet tin Platinum fat say 4% but it hasn’t been converted to Dry Matter so it will be around 16 to 20% fat so its a must to email the pet food companies,
I feed 5 meals a day 7am 9am 5am is kibble & 12pm & 8pm is wet food.. I live Australia & our Royal Canine comes from France not America our ingredient list is a bit better, I would start looking for other wet tin foods to feed, have you read the ingredient list in the Purina EN? Purina uses by product meats….. I like the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew but we can only get the small 156g cans now so I was going to make my rissoles sweet potato & add the I/d Stew…. ask vet can you try low dose of Prednisone for her pain, 5mg my vet said steroids taken in morning is best same with the Losec best to take of a morning…

It’s awful watching them in pain, Patch is a real talker & whinger, he tells me when something is wrong, he lifts his front paw up, at first I thought he wanted me to shake his paw, (he’s a rescue) but he kept pulling his paw away when I went to shake his paw, then lifting up his paw again, I realised he wants me to rub his stomach & pancreas area….
Have you joined the “Canine Pancreatitis support group” on F/B I hope this very long post something will help your girl…. she will probably also feel sick some days, the Losec will helped with the nausea, I would be making her comfortable, the Losec starts working in 12 -24hrs so when you do stop the Losec its still in their system for 12-24hrs, even if you give the Losec every 2nd day & see how she goes but in the end I give it every morning now… Patch is nilly 9yrs old weights 17-18kg =40lbs… I just remember if you want to stay with Vet Diets look at the Royal Canine PR Potato & Rabbit but I think the fat is too high in the wet tins, one of the Potato formula’s is lower I think its the PV-Venison but R/C has stopped making the PV you’ll have to contact Royal Canine..

[Susan]

Hi Kathy, have you seen a vet that specializes in IBD?? what works for one dog doesn’t always work for another dog, if you go onto the “Review” section “Natural Balance” there’s a few dogs that are doing well on Natural Balance…
Sometimes a dog needs a lower fiber diet when they have bowel problems, I cant see the Glucosamine firming up her poo’s, it’s best to give the Glucosamine & Chondroitin tablets your self & add to her diet, add tablet with one of her meals, this way she gets the proper amount she needs, the amount of Glucosamine in a kibble isn’t enough for her bones & joints…..
What colour is her poo’s ?? When it’s the small bowel with problem, poos will be real yellow & sloppy, (S.I.B.O) when it’s the large bowel poos are darker & look like cow patties, your vet needs to do tests & work out is it food intolerances is she reacting to a certain ingredients??? does she need a vet diet with more In-Soluble fiber or more Soluble fiber?? Royal Canine Vet diets have a few vet diets low & high in fiber, then you’ll start to get a better idea what the problem is??
My boy didn’t do well on the Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Digestion, read the ingredient list it’s not good, it doesn’t digest easy, so don’t always believe what they right on the kibble bags..
Two really good kibbles that have worked for Patches IBD are “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, a grain free, single protein, (no other proteins just Lamb meal) limited ingredient kibble…
“Canidae” all life stages, Large Breed, Turkey Meal & Brown rice, Adult, Puppy & Senior formula’s it’s new in Blue packet on page 4.. it has 750mg/Kg Glucosamine, but your still better off adding your own Glucosamine to your dogs diet.
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
I would be trying the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & see a vet to put her on a course of Metronidazole tablets for 21-28 days to kill any bad bacteria she may have in her stomach & small bowel & just feed the limited ingredient TOTW kibble or their Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon has less fiber at 3% a lot of dogs with EPI & IBD & IBS do really well on the TOTW Pacific Stream & Sierra Mountain, I don’t know why?? maybe cause the water TOTW use is Purified or the probiotics they use are the right ones for dogs with Intestinal Stress I don’t know but TOTW was the only kibble that helped him do firm poos where the vet diets made him itch & smell cause he has food intolerances to most of the ingredients in vet diets. TOTW & Canidae are both money back guaranteed kibbles & wet tin food..

[anonymous]

Another idea, mush the kibble together with a big tablespoon of Mighty Dog canned food and a splash of water.
Dogs love this stuff and it comes in small cans and can be found at the local market.
Use a plastic cover to store the food in the fridg, good for 3 days….maybe 5 (sniff first)
I had an old Peke and this was the only food he would eat, the vet said it was fine.
Maybe he would just prefer soft canned food? With seniors, sometimes you just have to go with what they are the most comfortable with.

[anonymous]

What is the big deal about adding a spoonful of real food (chopped cooked chicken breast, lean cooked hamburger, a bite of scrambled egg) mixed in with the kibble. Feed twice a day, measured amounts, pick up after 10 minutes and store in fridg offer at the next meal time.
Let him skip meals, as long as he is drinking water, if he doesn’t eat times 3 days (he will) consult your vet.
Always have fresh water available, in fact add a little to the kibble and or presoak kibble, especially for seniors.
All kibble is like cereal, no matter how much you pay for it, dry and boring.
How would you like to eat nothing but cheerios for the rest of your life? You might be inclined to skip a meal or two, lol
Ps: If you boil a chicken breast in a little water you will have a pseudo broth (3 day supply) that you can pour over the kibble along with a bite of chicken
Zignature is a quality dry food, maybe he would prefer that? My small breeds vomited when I fed them Orijen, also, the product has changed.

[Susan]

Hi, so sad I also rescued a bully bread (Staffy) & Patch was vomiting up undigested kibble 8hrs later also, they have a very un healthy gut….who said she needs soft pallet surgery?? this isn’t the case, her food isn’t being digested, so the body rejects the un digested food & vomits, kibble is the hardest food to digest, no matter what the vet diet dry kibbles say on the front of the bag, raw/cooked & wet tin food digest quicker & are easier to digest then a high carb dry kibble….
if you can borrow the money find a good vet who can do or organize a Endoscope + Biopsies of the stomach, you need to do the biopsies to see what’s wrong in her
stomach & why she isn’t making enough Hydrochloric acid, my boy had the Helicobacter-Pylori + IBD…or ask a vet can he give you the triple therapy meds for Helicobacter-Pylori infection, the meds are: Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Omeprazole, these meds will fix the stomach & kill any bad bacteria in the gut, but the Helicobacter will come back, Ive been fighting Patches for 3 yrs until he was left on Omeprazole ant acid med this finally helped Patch & a low carb diet
….cause she isn’t digestion her kibble it’s best to change both kibbles especially the Vet Diet they’re crap TRUST ME they do not go soft within 50mins the Hills vet diet kibbles & Royal Canin kibbles take 1-2 hours to go soft but not all the way through, so the kibbles just sit in her stomach so she vomits the undigested kibble back up cause her stomach isn’t working properly,
its called “Hypochlorhydria” low stomach acid where the Helicobacter breeds & lives, she needs meds the ones I mentioned above triple therapy to kill the Helicobacter infection & a diet low in carbs preferably gluten free & more meat then carbs so kibble isn’t good to feed.
… a lot of rescue dogs have Helicobacter cause of their poor diet while growing up also she could of left her mum way to early & never got all the proper nutrients from her mums milk that’s needed for a healthy stomach, now you need to make her gut healthy you do this once her triple therapy meds are finished…
If you want to feed a vet diet feed the wet tin foods like Hills vet diet I/d Chicken & Vegetable stew but Hills have stopped making the big cans of I/d Chicken & Vegetables Stew in Australia & now only make a small 156g can instead.. Patch needs 8 cans a day, you cant afford 8 small tins a day, so he gets 2 cans a day & gets his Canidae or Taste Of The Wild lamb kibble… or buy some chicken breast & sweet potatoes & cook & freeze meals
“Canidae” make very easy to digest kibbles like Canidae Life Stages, Chicken Meal & Rice, “Canidae Pure Meadow” it’s a senior kibble but it won’t matter she’ll get extra Omega 3 & DHA fatty acids & glucosamine in her diet for her bones & it has higher protein & less carbs what is needed for easy digestion & it’s Chicken, Chicken meal & Turkey Meal & Sweet Potato same ingredients as she is eating at the moment BUT will be easier to digest cause the protein is higher…
Start testing her kibbles, get a glass of very warm water, not boiling water just very warm water, add about 2-3 kibbles to the glass of water, does the kibbles float? a good kibble should float & how long does it take for the kibbles to go soft all the way thru?? a good easy to digest kibble should only take about 15-40mins to go soft all the way thru… another very easy to digest kibble is “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, its a single protein limited ingredient kibble & grain free as well, after Patch tried all the crappy vet diets that didn’t digest easy like they say they do, finally 3 yrs later I tried TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & finally Patch started to get better, gain weight & he did the triple therapy meds 3 times as its very hard to kill this Helicobacter-Pylori, he still takes the Metronidazole a low dose 200mg with food on & off when I see he’s going down hill & getting his acid reflux bad again, he takes the Omeprazole (Losec) 8.30am every day now, it’s a ant acid medication cause they don’t make enough stomach acid, the helicobacter breeds & takes over their stomach & lives in the stomach walls & keeps breeding they get bad acid reflux, vomit, eat grass, feel sick, loss weight & cant digest their food properly, she probably gets bad acid reflux as well this is why she is thin & under weight, she needs a IBD Specialist vet….her vet doesn’t seen to be working out why she is thin & why she isn’t digesting her food & vomiting ?? she’s young her gut should be healthy so something has happened in her past her mum may have past on the Helicobacter infection, Ive had it & its awful you feel so hungry all the time & your stomach gets a norring feeling, you need a vet that will listen & knows about IBD..
yes don’t desex her yet she she’s too sick, my poor boy was desexed, vaccinated, wormed, flea, all on the same day that’s what happens here in Australia when a rescue dog is rescued from a pound before going to their career, its straight from the pound to the vets then career…Patch was too sick to be adopted & I fell in love with him & adopted him…..
Your girl needs 4-5 meals a day not 2 big meals, Patch gets 5 meals a day 7am, 9am 5pm he gets 1/2 cup kibble one of the kibbles I mentioned above & at 12pm & 8pm he gets the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew wet tin food…he was getting a cooked meals but last March he started to vomit up the cooked lean pork mince & sweet potato again so he got put back on the Metronidazole & was already taking the Omeprazole ant acid meds & I asked vet can I try the Hills I’d Chicken & Vegetable stew can it has digestive enzymes in it..
Watch her does she lick lips/mouth & swallow, burp? my boy grinds his teeth when he gets his acid reflux, when I first got Patch he was licking & licking his paws continually of a night when he was at his worst, his vet said the licking paws sets off his endorphins then
he would burp….

[anonymous]

Has she had a senior workup? Lab work? Dental check? X-rays if indicated?
There are many reasons why this would happen. Only a veterinarian that examines your dog can diagnose.
I would make an appointment with a veterinarian close to home, asap, that would be a good place to start.
Find a veterinarian that you trust and can work with.
Sudden changes in appetite and behavior are red flags, could be something benign, or something quite serious. No one over the internet can or should try to diagnose your dog.
Best of luck.

[Susan]

Hi Mike are you 100% sure it’s not acid reflux?? that’s what Patch does, its like reverse swallowing, he was doing it after eating certain kibbles, doesn’t do it when he eats wet foods, only sometime with kibbles, not since he’s been eating Canidae or Taste Of The Wild kibbles .. He’d go outside eat some grass & the grass seem to wash the acid down, then he did big burp…
Can you feed a low carb kibble & look at feeding wet foods, just make sure the fat on tin is 3-4%max & under, when you convert a wet tin food to dry matter (Kibble) 5% min fat in a wet tin food when convert is around 20-25% max fat converted to dry matter (Kibble), so 3% min is about 11% fat, I feed wet tin it’s 3.5% fat that’s around 13.7% fat….
Don’t add water to kibble it makes the acid reflux worse I have found, unless all the water is completely drained out, when kibbles is soft then put soft kibbles thru a blender so kibble all fluffs up…Your better of cooking or feeding wet tin foods….
Find a lower carbohydrate kibble look at “Canidae Pure Meadow Senior” it’s grain free the fat is 10.8% max, I emailed Canidae for a neighbor, the carbs are around 37% & protein is 28%-29%, email the kibble companies they will give you accurate % of fat, carbs, protein & fiber %…

Why I always recommend “Canidae” & “Taste of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb is Patch has IBD & gets bad acid reflux & is doing really well since starting the Canidae Pure Wild Formula & when he eats the TOTW formula & I feed cooked & wet tin food, I try to feed less kibble & more fresh whole healthy foods….
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[anonymous]

He might just have a narrow trachea…make sure you discuss the next time you bring him to the vet.
I used to presoak food for a senior. I would put the kibble in water and leave in the fridge overnight, either that, or soft food.

[Susan]

Hi Charisma sounds like his Helicobacter is back & it’s BAD.. Patch gastro specialist told me,
all dogs have the Helicobacter but cause they have a healthy gut it doesn’t take over but dogs with IBD the Helicobacter seems to take over….
this happened with Patch the Helicobacter kept coming back real bad until I left him on the Losec (Omeprazole) ant acid reducer we were going around & around in circle as soon as I killed the Helicobacter & stopped the Triple Therapy, 3-4 weeks later it was back taking over his stomach again, then I did soooo much research & spoke with my Gastrointestinal Specialist Dr & he said give him the triple therapy course meds again BUT this time we changed the Amoxicillin too another stronger antibiotic that is used to kill the Helicobacter, I cant remember name, it started with a C, he also said this time when the course is finished he must stay on the a stronger ant acid reducer Omeprazole (Losec)…..
Your boy needs the triple therapy 21 day course again, maybe he was never given it??? did he ever take Metronidazole (Flagyl) he would of improved while taking it then when it finished he would of went down hill again some dogs stay on a very low dose of the Metronidazole for the rest of their lives….
Ask vet for Metronidazole, Amoxcilin & Losec & after the 21 days when Metro & Amoxicillin is finished he must stay on the Losec 20mg, Losec is best given of a morning…..Losec is called Prilosec in America…. also you can not just stop taken Losec after it has been taken for 3-4 weeks, it needs to be reduced real slowly cause the Hydrochloric acid in the stomach comes back full on, triple amounts of Hydrochloric acids are made & your in a lot of pain until the stomach works out the right amount Hydrochloric acid to make, sorta what’s happening now to his stomach, I always make sure I tell people so they know this, you can miss one dose of Losec cause it last in the body for 24 hours but then you need to take the Losec,….
I cant believe the Vets haven’t pick this up…… after 4-5 days after taken the triple therapy meds he will be a new dog & sleep again he’ll start to feel better again & wont be starving hungry all the time & have stomach pain, the Metro & Amoxicillin must be given every 12 hours with a meal, I think the Losec is taken just the once a day, I cant remember cause Patch was put on Zantac in the beginning taken twice a day but the Zantac didn’t help his acid reflux.. feed 4-5 smaller meals a day & change his diet….can you cook his meals & freeze them? also give some Liquid Mylanta 4-5 mls 1 teaspoon, it will settle his stomach & help kill the Helicobacter, for now if he’s up thru the night, researchers have found when Pepto Bismol is given with the Triple therapy meds it kills the Helicobacter as well, I gave it to Patch for 5 days then he didn’t want the Pepto Bismol no more so I stopped given it to him & went back to the Mylanta only when he needed it thru the night …. I know when something works for Patch he lets me give it to him but when a medication causes any side effects he runs away & doesn’t want that medication…. Mylanta seem to work better & it doesn’t have asprin in it like the Pepto Bismol has..
I’ve had the Helicobacter years ago before I rescued Patch & you are starving hungry 1 hour after you eat, the food takes away the pain but as soon as food is digest it all starts over again & the acid in your stomach is awful, norring feeling in stomach, you feel depressed & miserable….Patches vet tells me Patch was very lucky I rescued him cause she wouldn’t of thought about Helicobacter but cause I’ve had it 3 times in my 20’s I knew all the symptoms….
He needs Losec (Omeprazole) ASAP & the Metronidazole, my vet gives me repeat scripts for the Losec & Metronidazole so I can just go to chemist & get when needed & since Patch has been on the Losec he sleeps thru the night & is doing really well also he needs gluten free diet low fiber, low carbs & no beet pulp diet, the Beet Pulp breeds the Helicobacter more…I would be trying a new diet as well, look at the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior kibble it will keep him feeling fuller longer & is easy to digest & feed some of his other meals with cooked sweet potato & a lean white meat all put thru a blender or finally cut up he’d be gulping his meals…. also can he eat the Royal Canine Hypoallergenic wet formula instead of the LOw Fat Intestinal? the fat is low at 2.5% email Royal Canine America what’s the fat % is when converted to dry matter (Kibble) it say’s 2.5% so converted would be around 7-9%max fat if it were a kibble the American HP wet tin is lower in fat then the Australian made R/C HP wet…. but when the fat & protein is lower the carbs are higher….
I hope ur vet listens & you gives you the Triple therapy meds or even if you can get the Metronidazole & the Losec you will see a big difference in 1 week, I know when Patch feels better he’s naughty & gets all his toys out..

[Susan]

Hi another thing I forgot to mention it’s not just a dogs diet that matters also Flea products stay away from all the new flea chews & tablets like Bravecto, Nexgard & Comfortis any flea products that need to be taken orally… cause you have senior dogs your dogs may have under lying health problems giving any of these new oral flea products can lead to major health problems that can’t be reverse, some of these flea products stays in the dogs system for over 4 months…. best not to give any chemicals…
Two years ago Patch made a new friend at the park, she was a 12yr old Border Collie, always at the park every morning 7-730am chasing & rounding up her ball & bringing her ball back to her owner, then one day I saw her owner walking all by himself looking so lost & sad, I said where’s your girl, she not playing ball this morning, he said she passed away, I asked what happened she looked great the other morning, he said, I took her to the new vets on the corner, cause she was real itchy & kept scratching around her lower back & tail, the vet gave her a steroid injection & Comfortis tablet, then that night she wouldn’t eat, she went down hill, he took her back to the vet & she had Liver failure…..this poor dog was so healthy, she was never sick a day in her life…..
also make sure they’re getting daily exercise…. add foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids like tin sardines in spring water, tin salmon, almonds a dog can have 3 almonds a day, berries are great, green lipped mussels, I buy the K-9 Natural green lipped Mussels freeze dried & the Ziwi Peak air dried formulas are great….
google foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, sardines are excellent for their joint’s, bones, brain, heart & eyes…

[Susan]

Hi Honey Bear,
yes your young & have realized pet food companies like Hills prefer to spend all their money on advertising & colourful packaging instead of making better quality dogs foods for our pets…you have taken the first steps to make your dogs healthier & live longer..
are you on Face Book, follow “Rodney Habib” he has over 1 million followers not like Skeptvet with only 1100 followers…
Dr Karen Becker & Susan Thixton were one of the first to reveal all these pet food companies & DFA he set up this DFA site all cause of his little dog called Penny
Dr Mikes story is under “ABOUT” up the top left..same as Rodney Habib he started exposing all these dog food companies like Hills, Royal Canin, Purina etc & all their false advertising saying that their food does this & that when they don’t, it all started 2 yrs ago when Rodney found out his 14 year old Golden Retriever (Sammy) had cancer he was like most of us, we didn’t know to turn the kibble bag around & read the ingredient list instead reading the bull on the front of the kibble bag…same as vets when I went to my vets the other day there’s a new light up big Hills stand all along the wall, with all their colourful packaging etc… Rodney’s said his brain went into over drive day & night doing so much research trying to find a way to reverse his dog Sammy cancer & cure for his cancer & Raw Diets kept coming up over & over again, natural whole foods, healthy foods us humans eat are the best to feed our pet, not a dry processed kibble, they found by just adding 2 tablespoons of fresh whole foods to your dogs bowl of kibble reduces the chances of your dog getting cancer, Rodney has heaps of video’s to watch, the best video is “Maggie the oldest dog in the World” you have to watch Maggies story, she pasted away last year age 30 years old, after watching her story you’ll understand why she lived so long….
Rodney Habib found “KetoPet this group of researcher takes dying dogs out of pounds around America that have cancer & were dumped there by their owners after these dogs were put on a KetoPet raw diet these dogs cancer was reversed, these dogs became cancer FREE & then needed to find new homes, its an excellent video showing these once sick dogs acting like young puppies same as Rodney Habibs boy Sammy he’s cancer free now all cause he was feed a healthy homemade balanced raw diet Rodney posted he takes 70mins a day to make his dogs raw meals for the day….

Firstly are your dogs on vet prescription diets, if yes what for? or did your vet just recommend to feed the normal Hills pet kibbles you buy at Pet shops or online pet stores?
Some vets are old school & have been Hills brain washed lol if they’re old school they will say no to a raw diet.. I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet, my vet had recommended I see a vet nutritionist for Patches health problems..
I rescued Patch age 4 yrs old he was in a bad way vets all said the same thing he was feed a poor quality diet probably Aldis or supermarket food, it took me a few years to get his gut healthy again….You need to do it slowly change 1 of the dogs meals say breakfast feed the new cooked diet or raw diet & for dinner still feed the Hills kibble or feed the same Hills kibble & start adding the new cooked or raw food to the meals & take away about 1/4 cup of kibble out of their bowl then the following week increase the new food & take out more of the Hills Kibble till you no longer feed the Hills kibble or just feed the kibble sometimes, have a look at Canidae Pure Meadow Senior grain free kibble http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products Canidae is a small family run business.
… My boy was just put straight onto a homemade balanced raw diet the next day made by the Naturopath with no bone & no organ meat to start with cause he has IBD he did really well except he would regurgitate up digested water & raw food back up into his mouth about 20-30mins after eating it, cause his esophagus had been damage thru old owner using a choke chain on him, he did the same on wet tin food & cooked foods but now 4 yrs later he doesn’t regurgitate wet food no more….
Keep us informed with what you start to do even by adding some cooked left overs from dinner & take away some of the Hills Kibble is healthy….

[anonymous]

If your dogs are in good condition at age 12 (seniors) you are doing a good job.
I would hesitate to make any drastic changes to their diets.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” 🙂

If it is within your means, a senior workup (labs and exam) would be a good idea, dentals may be needed, you can’t tell by looking. Periodontal disease can cause a multitude of problems (medical), not to mention pain and discomfort.

[Susan]

Hi T E,
if you want to start feeding a healthy diet then start adding some fresh raw foods or fresh cooked foods to his diet, chicken frames, turkey legs, chicken is the softest bone, stay away from chicken necks, the chicken necks just have fat & bone no meat, not that great, also rotate between a few different brands of kibbles with different proteins, so he’s not eating the same brand & protein 24/7…..
Follow “Rodney Habib” on his face book page he’s into feeding a healthy raw diet & feeding healthy whole foods to prevent cancer… they did a study for all the kibble feeders & they found by adding 1-2 tablespoons of fresh whole foods to the dogs bowl of kibble reduces their chances of your dog getting cancer by 90%, Rodney talks about it in the video, he also has heap of other videos, go to “Planet Paws” a lot of his video’s will be found there….

Omega 3 is a anti inflammatory & it reduces chances of getting cancer, start adding foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, like tin sardines in spring water or olive oil add a few sardines to your dogs kibble, coconut oil, almonds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, I give Patch 1/2 of an almond & I eat the other 1/2 this way he chews the almond properly its the size of a kibble give about 3-4 almonds a day….
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
Once your on Rodney’s page scroll down a bit & watch the video where Rodney’s holding up a sign that say Cannabil Oil the video has really good info…..

Take baby steps, don’t feed all these foods all at once to your dog, he will probably get diarrhea work out which ones are the best for him & you, adding a few sardines to his kibble would be a good start, Aldis sell cheap tin sardines in spring water, also add some tin pink Salmon, the bones are OK to feed, just crush them they break really easy…..
In the video Rodney also talks about when you open up a bag of kibble, as soon as it’s opened the air/oxygen gets to all the oils in the kibbles & they start to go rancid & oxides, so your dog isn’t getting the right amount of omega 3 fatty acid that he should be getting in his diet, same as glucosamine, when dogs get older people think they need to start feeding a senior food, that has Glucosamine, but you’d need to feed a heap of Senior kibble to get the right amount of Glucosamine needed for their joints, so your better off adding Glucosamine tablet supplement to your dogs diet also I forgot Green Lipped Mussels are great to add to diet, in one video Rodney asked Steve Brown if you could only pick 1 food to add to your dogs diet what would it be? Steve Brown said “Green Lipped Mussels, 1 tablespoon of Salmon & a pinch of kelp…

[aimee]

Hi Kelsey,

In addition to the blood testing was urine tested? If not that might help in determining the best course for your dog.

Ask your vet about g/d diet. The phos level is lower than commercial foods but protein is higher than K/D. I believe it is for just this type of situation. To determine if a non vet food meets your needs verify with the company what the max phos is. Non therapeutic diets are not specifically formulated for medical problems and the company may not be monitoring the the phos level in the diet as closely as the vet may want. Hill’s, because they are kidney centric likely does monitor phos in their senior products

[Kelsey F]

Thank you for the responses. I should have mentioned that my veterinarian is aware I am looking for alternatives and suggested at least watching phosphorus levels and lowering her protein somewhat which is what I have done with the senior food. The vet is also aware of the other things in her diet. My dogs creatinine was 1.4 and her BUN was not elevated at all. I have two nutritionists I have spoken to about possible raw diets but like I said I am not ready to switch yet.

[anonymous]

Please listen to your vet and start the prescription food right away and whatever other recommendations the vet has made. Provide plenty of fresh water and frequent bathroom breaks. I would get the kibble plus the canned version, mix and add a little water (measured amounts 2 or 3 times a day) no free feeding.
Believe me, you want to keep kidney disease at bay. It’s good that your vet caught this early. It’s not unusual for a senior dog to have labs that are a little off, but hopefully with the special diet you will see improvement when you retest in a few months.

I’ll never understand why people disregard the advise of their vets. The internet is not “research”. There is a lot of incorrect information on the internet.
I hope that you will pick up the prescription food today and ask your vet to explain the rationale for the special diet and anything else that you should be doing.

Btw: Raw is the worst thing you could feed a dog with kidney disease.

[Kelsey F]

I recently had routine senior blood work done on my 8 year old lab mix and some of her levels were on the high end of normal. Her veterinarian said she may be in the early stages of kidney disease and suggested switching her to Hills K/D. They aren’t sure about the kidney disease and want to retest her in several months. She has been eating a variety of mostly grain free foods her entire life with Taste of the Wild being her main food. I am not comfortable switching her to K/D for a few reasons but mainly because we aren’t even sure she has kidney disease and if she does it’s still the still early stage. The vet has said the food is well balanced and ok for a dog without kidney disease. I have switched her to First Mate Senior which I feel has higher quality ingredients. I also add a small amount of canned K/D, eggs whites, green tripe and some fresh fruits and veggies. I have been reading so many things about canine kidney disease and diet and am getting overwhelmed! I am looking for others input and opinions. Also, I am wondering what others have fed their dogs with early stage kidney disease? I have looked in to raw but am not ready to feed a completely raw diet although I have begun to do some research on it.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Kelsey F.

[Acroyali]

Hi LovelyBear!

All my dogs use their feet when eating, yet my cats don’t. Go figure 😀

I wouldn’t be surprised if she catches onto the crate games soon and remembers that her crate used to be a place she enjoyed. Some dogs just kind of get weirded out by something they haven’t seen in awhile. My overly visual herding breeds are like this. One of them will stare at something new as if willing it to move!

Truthfully I don’t think all kibble is horrible, but I’m like you–I’d rather know what I’m feeding my dogs and cats, as well as know where it’s sourced from…most of it is farm to bowl. The suppliers I’ve used for the many years I’ve been doing this have never left me anything but satisfied. I don’t feel a raw diet magically “prevents” or “cures” cancer, nor will keep a dog from dying of anything but old age when they’re well into their 30’s (but wouldn’t that be awesome….), but I consider it another form of insurance, along with environmental factors that can potentially increase or decrease those risks. We do our best.

I don’t notice a huge difference between my young or young-ish raw fed animals vs. their non-raw fed friends, but as they age I see subtle differences between the two. An NR breeder I work with has generations of dogs and her seniors look (and act) pretty much like the younger generations do. The most striking difference was between one of my dogs (then 7 years old) and another dog of the same age and breed who appeared to be much older. Maybe we just got lucky genetics but my dog was often guessed to be between 2-4 years old because of his coat condition, clean teeth, etc.

Wishing you the best of luck!!

[LovelyBear]

anon101,
Me saying “young” is a touch of sarcasm. Of course I know 8 years for a dog is a senior 😐 Even when I say my age I say “young” because I dislike the word old when talking about someone who looks and acts young. I’m changing her diet because I have to tons of research and know it will be best for her. She went to the vet for a check up less than a month ago and she is perfectly healthy except for a few things that this diet will help with. Those being she needs to loose weight, clean her teeth, and prevent future yeast infections in her ears. And yes she has gotten Vet care/cleanings to help her ears. I do believe in veterinary medicine and I’ve actually considered becoming a vet. There is an emergency I have the number to where I live. They even have an emergency vehicle that will come to the house. Also I am in the process of switching vets because I no longer trust them and a lot of things happened, so I won’t take any recommendations for a veterinary nutritionist from them.

pitluv,
Hi! yes I am extremely sanitary. I clean everything more than once! Before I moved she use to go in her kennel everyday without me telling her just to sleep in it. I put it back together yesterday after 3 years and she is terrified of it. I do want to feed her in there because it will be easier to clean.

[anonymous]

“My 8 yr young 104 lb Rottweiler”

Eight years old is a senior. I was curious as to why you would want to change her diet?
How was her last veterinary checkup? Did her senior workup, lab work reveal any concerns?
Did a veterinarian that examined her recommend a change in diet?
Just want to make sure you have looked at all your options regarding diet. Best of luck.
Ps: Your vet may be able to refer you to a veterinary nutritionist.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by anonymous.

[Robin M]

No you didn’t. I did. And the vet did. Noone is saying you DID say it. I freely admit that I am the one that said “I am desperately trying to find a good Senior Weight Loss food. I understand that most seniors need help putting ON weight, but my baby needs to lose.” I stick by my statement. Not quite sure what you want me to say. I am not denying I said anything or that YOU said anything like that.

I am a little confused by your post. I am also not sure why you are stating the above as if I ever implied that you said something you didn’t. I have gone over all of my posts and don’t see what you could be referring to? However, I will try my best to give you the info you request:

Dog’s weight: 63 lbs
Dog’s desired weight: lose about 53 lbs
Dog’s age: 8yrs

No known medical conditions that would have any affect on his weight. If you need all of them, then his right eye is clouded. He has a limp in his front right leg that the vet says is probably arthritis. That is why she wants him to lose weight. Apologies if I didn’t give the correct info up front.

Please understand…I did not in any way mean for ANY of my posts to come off as rude or inconsiderate. If that is how they sounded, then I sincerely apologize. I merely want to get information from others who have had the same issue or perhaps have more or a better understanding of the overweight and trouble losing issue. I really did not mean to come here and start something or imply anyone was anything other than nice to me. I realize that you all give advice freely and I appreciate that. If something I have said or done upset you all, please let me know and I will leave.

Thanks

[anonymous]

Listen, my dog just went in for a dental extraction, one bad tooth way in the back. The vet said because of my daily brushings, a dental cleaning was not indicated. She has never had a professional cleaning, so far, not recommended.

She is a senior, she has had 2 other teeth fall out root and all within the past year. This is what happens as they age.
I am not aware of any dietary supplements that would remove tartar or prevent periodontal disease. However, if I was not reassured by my vet’s assessment I would consult a specialist.
Ps: I was able to pick up that there was a problem because my dog screamed in pain when I tried to brush her teeth in the area of the bad tooth, something she usually tolerated.
Otherwise, she showed no symptoms.

[Robin M]

Anon101…The vet tech said to cut his food by half and give no salt green beans/carrots for the other half. So as of now he gets 1/2 c of his Blue Buffalo Senior food and 1/2 c of mixed green beans and carrots. This is twice a day. We just started that last week. She said the veggies were a “filler” with no calories. Hopefully we will see a difference. I’ve had several people tell me no to yogurt due to the dairy in it. I am going to make sure it’s ok via the vet and start giving that.

[pitlove]

That is why it’s recommended to use the weight control food. It has extra added fiber so that you can feed less without having to worry about them not being full.

Also if he has a lot of weight to lose you want to do it slowly.

Right now getting the weight off is going to be the most important thing. The senior aspect of it is less important than getting the weight off.

[Robin M]

So do you guys think the weight control is more important than the senior aspect of the food?

[pitlove]

Hi Robin-

I currently have a senior Lab who needed to lose 7lbs. So far he has lost 2.

What I did that has been working was putting him on a weight control food that was both low in fat and calories. Most importantly I stopped giving him any and all treats and table food. We also increased his walks. If you want to treat your dog, pet him, play ball, fetch etc. Those are a healthy “treat” for your dog that they enjoy.

Controlling calories is extremely important for weight loss. If they are taking in more calories than they are burning they can not lose weight.

[anonymous]

Yes, I agree. A senior workup, lab work and all. I assumed this was done already.
If not, it is important to rule out medical issues first. Seniors are vulnerable to all sorts of stuff.

[anonymous]

Natural Balance for Fat Dogs, check it out, only 250 calories a cup and the ingredients don’t look bad at all. I give a 1/2 raw carrot as a treat (not baby carrots/choking hazard)
https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry/fat-dogs/original

I would feed this to a senior. I might add a little lean ground cooked turkey or a bite of scrambled with water egg to it. Plus a splash of water to the kibble (a lot of dogs don’t drink enough water)
I never give yogurt or any dairy products to dogs. The only supplement I add is one fish oil capsule a day.

Increase walks, activity. Any way you can take him swimming? One minute of swimming is equal to 4 minutes of running! And easy on the joints.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by anonymous.

[Robin M]

I am desperately trying to find a good Senior Weight Loss food. I understand that most seniors need help putting ON weight, but my baby needs to lose. As of now, I am feeding Blue Buffalo BLUE Senior Dog Chicken & Brown Rice. From the reviews on this page I am finding that most of the Senior brands don’t get very good marks.

Should I try starting just Adult instead of Senior? I am wondering if I should just started focusing on the Weight Management part instead of the Senior Nutrition but I am worried he won’t get what vitamins, etc he needs.

Also, I was advised to give Yogurt as a treat. Is there a particular brand I should try? And can I freeze it for a special treat?

Thanks for all replies.
Robin

• This topic was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Robin M. Reason: Addition question added

[Susan]

Hi, you do not mention your dog age?? this can play a big part in her bad breath, as we get older we make less Hydrochloric acid, it’s called Hypochlorhydria, it can cause acid reflux, as well as burping, gas/wind, abdominal bloating & pain in dogs, what I think my boy has after he eats he’s very vocal & tells me when something is wrong, walks are really good… he takes Losec (Omeprazole) now 20mg every morning, I didn’t want him on a Pump Proton Inhibitor but it made a real big difference, the Zantac (Ranitidine) & Pepcid (famotidine) didn’t help at all neither did the Probiotic…
Hyperchlorhydra is excessive acid production & Achlorhydra is NO acid production….
I don’t think you can do the Hiedelberg test on dogs, I looked into it this…
I would change her diet?? when my boy eats certain foods & homemade meals he gets this bad fermenting smell that comes up into his mouth, it the food sitting in his stomach & not digesting, even thought they don’t make as much stomach acid they still need a acid reducer like Losec …Google Hypochlorhydria it will explain what happens with low stomach acid & how the Helicobacter-Pylori can take over the stomach cause this bad fermenting smell… Best to have an Endoscope + Biopsies done? has she ever had Endoscope + Biopsies done? My boy had Endoscope & biopsies done about 3-4 yrs ago, stomach looked great vet said but the biopsies showed he has Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD in stomach & small bowel, he was put straight on the triple therapy meds, Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Losec for 21 days, I had to do the triple therapy meds a few time to stop the Helicobacter taking over his stomach, With Metronidazole (Flagyl) I only give for 10-21 days max now only when he has his breath problem or very sloppy poo’s, but I wait 1-2 weeks to see if I can fix these problems first, my boy gets bad side effects when he takes the Metronidazole, he takes the lowest dose for his weight he takes 1 x 200mg a day with a meal, he weights 18kg=40lbs, he suffers with bad paranoia, scared of his own shadow, he starts acting real weird, so vet has said only give him the Metronidazole when he really needs it for only 10-21 days then stop…….
When Patch eats homemade meals he gets his fermenting bad breath smell, so I break up all his meals, have you tried feeding a kibble or wet tin food or a vet diet wet tin food?? I feed “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble & I’m trying their wet tin food as well, each month I rotate Patches meals & see which one he does best on & he seems to not react when if diet is changed, I rotate with the “Canidae” Pure Wild kibble, if you have a dog that’s 7yrs old & over have a look at the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior kibble, the kibbles are nice & small & easy to digest like the TOTW kibbles, I stay away from chicken, Patch gets real itchy & gets red paws when he eats chicken, the TOTW Roasted Lamb was the first kibble that worked for Patch, it firmed up his poo’s, stopped his acid reflux & no fermenting bad breath smell, it’s just Lamb meal & sweet potatoes, potatoes & peas & egg + probiotics & Purified water maybe the purified water has something to do with why a lot of dogs with IBD, EPI & IBS do real well on TOTW kibbles.. maybe buy a small bag of the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble & wet tin food & give it a go, or try the “Canidae” Pure formulas,
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
The Probiotic your giving is it a dog probiotic powder? do not give a probiotic with food, the best way to take a probiotic is when stomach acids are low, first thing of a morning, in between meals or at night, when you give a probiotic with food the stomach acids are very high digesting all the food, best times are first thing in the morning with no food, or give at bed time at night 4 hours after last meal or in between meals thru the day…..If your probiotic is a powder, I was adding 15ml of water to 1 teaspoon probiotic powder & mixing together in a bowl by swirling the water around so the probiotic powder dissolves & Patch loved drinking it, I found the Dog Probiotic powder didn’t help, it made Patch feel sick, 20mins after drinking probiotic, he was doing his mouth licking, I take the Yakult probiotic drink, I was giving Patch 1/4 of my Yakult drink he loved it, but he felt sick again & did his mouth licking…..Since changing his diet & he takes Losec Patch doesn’t have his bad fermenting breath no more, since I feed him a limited ingredient grain free kibble.. I also feed 5 smaller meals a day, 7am, 9am, 12pm, 5pm & 8pm, at 12pm & 8pm I feed a small amount of wet tin food. I break it up, feed Taste Of the Wild Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb wet tin & the Royal Canine Vet Diet Hypoallergenic wet tin, I don’t feed any foods that have Beet Pulp, Beet Pulp is a Prebiotic & suppose to fix & help the stomach & bowel like a Probiotic does, Beet Pulp is in a lot of Vet Diets for Stomach & Intestinal health & normal kibbles use the Beet Pulp cause it firms up the poo, Beet Pulp might work for your dog but when Patch eats a kibble or wet tin food with Beet Pulp he gets his fermenting bad smell in his mouth…..
Have you ever tried any of the Royal Canine vet diets- PV, PS or PR or the Hypoallergenic they have no Beet Pulp & are for Digestive Health the protein is a novel protein & has been broken down for the animal, so it doesn’t sit in their stomach fermenting & digesting real slow….worth a try.. https://www.royalcanin.com/products/vet/food-sensitivity
or Hills Vet diets like I/d Digestive Health? but read all the I/d formula as some have Beet Pulp, look at Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew wet, it has digestive enzymes to help digest the protein, it only comes in a small 156g tin now & smells really nice, you only feed as a small meal like lunch & late dinner in between the kibble meals … if you stop feeding the home made meals just see for 2-4 weeks does the bad breath problem go away??? it would be best to start the Metronidazole again for just 10 days while you try a new diet the Metronidazole stops any diarrhea, makes the stomach bacteria balanced properly again & if there’s too much Helicobacter bacteria the Metronidazole kills it, also when your giving the Probiotic make sure any antibiotics like Metronidazole are given 4 hours before or after the probiotic was given & only do 1 thing at a time, so if something happens like diarrhea vomiting etc you know what caused it….

[zcRiley]

Senior dog food is usually for purposes of weight loss, constipation and/or decrease in kidney function. So a healthy older dog would not benefit with an unnecessary change to less calories, more fiber and low protein digestibility. Like a senior citizen at the gym vs one in a wheelchair wouldn’t have the same diet. So keep doing what you’re doing!

[Sharon L F]

I had always been told that senior dogs 8 and over need to eat lower protein food. My greyhound is now 8 and I feed acana dry food with has a higher protein than senior foods. Am I damaging her? She has always been on 5 star foods and is healthy now. sharon

[pitlove]

Thankfully Max is pretty easy as it goes health wise. Aside from the 5lbs he needs to lose and possible arthritis on his spine he is healthy as an ox. I’m scared for Bentley as a senior. He’s already had such a rough (almost) 3 years. Dani, my cat, is a dream. Once we realized she couldn’t eat beef it was easy going.

Hope Boone and Ginger have good checkups tomorrow!

[InkedMarie]

Pitluv: Fortunately, I suppose, I have too much experience with senior dogs! Boone’s the oldest we’ve had from puppyhood….little poophead that I want for another four healthy years.

I’m way too observant. Steve knows if i say something is wrong, it usually is. Gove max a smooch!

[pitlove]

Marie-

Glad to hear Boone is ok! Max is my first “senior” that I’ve been responsible for the care of, so I’m learning a lot from him. Boone is lucky to have such observant parents!

[anonymous]

@Inked Marie
Glad he is okay.

My little one had a dental extraction a few days ago, one bad tooth way in the back. Due to the daily brushings I do, a full dental cleaning was not indicated.
However, next time I will ask for x-rays, as periodontal disease can show up at any time, especially with a senior.
She’s on antibiotics for a few days, prn rimadyl for 3 days. So far so good.

[anonymous]

As a senior dog with a history of GI problems, he may never be able to tolerate anything other than a bland or prescription diet, for the rest of his life. Don’t be shocked if the vet that you trust recommends this. Try to keep an open mind.

[Susan]

Hi Jasmine, the vet sounds awful, can you see another vet there instead if her, 50% carbs that’s what most vet diets have 50-60% carbs, no good for senior dogs…. sounds like he’s pooing blood, something has irritated his bowel probably the raw food, the Metronidazole (Flagyl) will stop the blood within 3 days, Metronidazole must be given with food a meal twice a day, every 12 hours, just hide it or crush it in the cottage cheese or something he loves to eat boiled sweet potatoes are another good thing to feed with some boiled lean meat/chicken/turkey etc…. this is how I give tablets, I stand behind Patch then I kneel down & sort of sit on Patches back but I’m kneeling on the floor, from behind I open his mouth & I have the tablet in between my thumb & middle finger, I open his mouth & put the tablet on the back of his tongue & push down throat with my pointer finger & I have a big 20ml syringe filled with water near my leg & I put in the side of his mouth so the water washes down the pill, but when Patch is on the Metronidazole I give it in his meals….. He’ll get better soon, it scares you big time, I remember when my Patch was diarrhing light red blood water all night & morning till the vet open, it was like a fountain but the vet told me pink light red blood is better then dark red black blood.. Vet will know if it’s the small bowel or large bowel, I forgot what vet said I think light red blood was from the small bowel. He’s a very lucky boy he has a real good mum that cares….Keep us posted

[susan k]

You can get Ivermectin compounded for your dogs by weight at any good compounding pharmacy that does pet meds. And it’s 100% effective if you only give it every six weeks (not four). That way your dogs aren’t getting de-wormed for every conceivable kind of parasite — just heartworm. As long as they aren’t boarded, don’t drink puddle water, or eat dog poop or road kill on the street, all you really need is heartworm protection. I’ve been having Ivermectin capsules made for my dogs for several years now. For two or three days prior to Ivermectin and two or three days after, I also give them liver support drops — in my case Senior Support by Animals Essentials, which I get from my local holistic vet (but it’s available from Amazon). Ten drops added to food twice a day. This helps the Ivermectin pass through the liver. My dogs still get a tiny bit lethargic, I think, but this whole system is gentler than using Heartguard Plus or any of those other powerful deworming meds.

[anonymous]

PS: She is due for a senior workup anyway (unless she has had one recently). That usually includes lab work.

[anonymous]

Yep, and get in the back and sides/insides (regarding brushing) I even use a battery operated adult tooth brush!
My vet is amazed at how good my dogs teeth look. I have seniors that have never needed a professional cleaning. That being said, some dogs just have lousy teeth (genetic) and may require a cleaning and extractions at least once or twice per lifetime, no matter what you do.