Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Not interested in food, help

Since Tasha came down with this disease in March, I have had a hard time with getting her to eat. I know that when these dogs are on Prednisone they are normally eating everything they can get to. Tasha has been just the opposite, eating very little and is losing weight. I really need to get her calories up and just seem to be running out of ideas. She may like something one day and then the next turn her nose up to it. I have bought numerous brands of kibble, cooked rice, chicken, fish, beef and so on. Any ideas? Thanks, Steve

Steve Va

By the way, she does drink plenty of water and she is not dehydrated. Thanks again, Steve

Steve Va

Steve, Try pan searing some meat or liver. The smell often interests dogs. Quality protein is exactly what dogs need the most. Our vet recommends nice smelly canned fish and we use canned salmon once or twice a week. The more things smell good, the more interested they are. Scramble eggs in a little butter and offer small warm pieces. Patrice

Patrice NYS

Hi Steve, Kent initially had a huge appetite when he was on pred alone. After his relapse last november, and now on pred and imuran, his appetite is very fussy and very up and down. I think its the high doses that affected his appetite. As we have lowered the pred his appetite is kinda coming back - by that i mean that he will actually eat his dog food if nothing else is on offer, which he wouldnt do before. I have found, with Kent, that his fussiness seems to be from 3 parts - one, he is spoiled and knows i will offer him the whole fridge to get him to eat, 2 - the medicine and supplements he takes affect his appetite, so i think he gets nauseated. He will reject ham from teh deli in the morning, but eat it in the afternoon. 3 - he also is having liver and kidney issues now from the drugs, and so less appetite with the kidney problems. That should not be Tasha's problem, so i would look at the other factors. Do keep an eye on Tashas other blood values, and i would suggest making sure tasha gets supplements like Denamarin (helped Kent enormously) and omega 3 oils. I recommend the fish oil for all dogs, without hesitation. i wish i had known about the supplements when Kent first got sick, i believe Kent would have fewer problems now if i had started giving him the supplements in the beginning. Sorry this mail is so long, but i also just thought i would add what foods have worked for us. Kent loves Nature's bounty beef rolls. They are a whole nutrition food, and a supplement, and he will usually eat this. He also will usually eat: hot dogs, salami, deli slin sliced low salt ham, loves fresh corned beef (expensive :( ) rye bread, peanut butter. He started eating carrots when he got sick and still eats at least one carrot a day (for a while he ate so many his poop looked like carrot!); one dark red apple a day - not all days, some days he doesnt like apple. Green beans (low salt or homemade); strawberries (sometimes) tangerine (sometimes) avocado (sometimes) cooked brocolli is a favorite. I just try almost anything around if his appetite is off, and try to get him to take his vitamins. Usually, he will eat after a day or two of nothing or just a little. I hope something in this helps Tasha (beautiful dog!!!), take care, christine and kent

Christine Fl

Steve - You might also give baby food a try. Be sure it is 100% meat (check the ingredient line to be sure it has no garlic or onions) - BeechNut has 100% beef, turkey, and chicken varieties. If she likes it, it should be gentle on her system - the ER and specialty clinics in Chicago use baby food to get dogs back on their food after illness/. Poached boneless, skinless chicken breasts also worked well for me. Good luck.

Bonnie Chicago

Hi Steve, Cali is 5 weeks into this was vey picky at first. Hamburger was something I could always get her to eat & lunch meat to take her pills. I started offering the hamburger with rice & she loves it. Now I give it to her as a treat.She actually is happy eating her dog food now. I tried all kinds too,(canned-soft) but she really preferred anything I was eating. I'll admit I gave her anything she wanted-evn sphaghetti. Anything to get her to eat. I hope she gets her appetite back soon. Good Luck, Dee

Dee

Thanks, thought Tasha might be different by not eating when most people complain that their dogs eat so much while on Prednisone. I have tried lots of this but it seems that alot of you are in the same boat as some dogs just get picky. I was concerned that I had messed with her too much by trying to hide her meds in the food. She figured this out quickly and could usually spit out the pill and enjoy the treat. We actually cut back on some of the supplements last week because she threw up 3 times after eating one day. This past Sunday she had the runs really bad. This morning she ate a few slices of leftover chicken breast. She seems to really woof it down then all of a sudden stop. I'll keep trying and thanks again. Steve

Steve Va

Hi Steve, It seems many of the dogs become picky while on pred - maybe it does something to their tastebuds, i dont know. Kent also always prefers to eat what i am eating, to the point that if i put what i am eating in a bowl on the floor for him, forget it. It has to come off my plate and fingers, then its good! Regarding the pills and supplements - i used to hide his pills in lunch meat etc but he figured it out very quick and ate the meat and spit out the pills. I now give him his pills and supplements plain - open the mouth, pop em in. He doesnt like it but doesnt run or hate it, and i give him a piece of ham or something right after the pills, so now he comes running when he hears his pill bottle shaking! Also, Kent has become allergic to some foods since becoming sick - for example, he cannot eat any chicken at all in any form or he gets the runs and is down for a day. We dont give him any poultry now to be safe. I think it has something to do with the bacteria in his gut (he has one we cant get rid of - enteroccocus)as he used to eat turkey and chicken with no problem. So, i would suggest keeping an eye out for reactions - if tasha always gets the runs after eating xyz, then there you go. I have found that Kent is much happier and vibrant when he gets lots of top quality protein meats, so he does not get bologny anymore, just good deli meats, beef, and so on. He eats more balanced then, and more 'normal'amoounts of stuff good for him - apple, carrots etc. Its a hell of a disease. Christine and Kent

Christine Fl

Steve, I would strongly recommend you trying The Honest Kitchen food. It is a dehydrated raw that you reconstitute with warm water. It really think it helped save my Cody's life. You get all the benefits of raw that no kibble can provide but the meat is dehydrated at a high enough temp that any pathogens are killed. Theie website is very informative and I'm sure if you called, they would do every thing possible to get you some asap. BTW, it is made in a human food plant in SanDiego which, after all the scares last year, was very reassuring to me.

Betty Dallas

I would try mixing some canned cat food, Wylie was so finicky I had trouble getting her to eat and mixed some of my cats food with hers and she slurped it down. And impossible to give pills, All I hav eto do is slather a little cat food on her pills, no problem, the secret Fancy feast Ocean white fish does the trick good luck Laurie

Laurie CA

Steve, Although my dog TC does not have a problem eating he does have loose stools from the Pred and Imuran. On the advice of the Holistic Vet(he sees a Internal Med Specialist for the IMHA) we tried OLEWO, it is dried carrots that you reconstitute and it really helps the loose stools, plus it is completly natural 100% carrots. You can google it for more info. Best, Wendy

Wendy Tampa FL

Wendy. canned pumpkin ( not the pie mix, the 100% pumpkin) will also help firm up stools. Just add a spoonful. Mine LOVE it and it has become a staple, with or without loose stools. It also doesn't have the sugar content of carrots.

Betty Dallas

This thread was discussed between 19/05/2008 and 20/05/2008

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