Finicky might equal nausea & if he is not eating alot, his stomach might also have shrunk...

Okay gunna take a stab at what I MYSELF would try 1st, When a dog quits eating due to any icky tummy.... I look at it as my kids having the stomach flu, It is not about how much calories/fats are in this yummy tasty smelly food that one would think any dog could never possibly resist....

It is about what has the best chance of keeping down & SOOTHING & Smell to a kid with the flu.... I know when I have the stomache flu the last thing I want is something greasy or fatty.... Even though secretly thats what I would eat every day if it would not make me 500 pounds

I would ask your vet if any of these ingredients will counteract the medicine 1st before trying this.... One that have never failed me

I heat it up to a nice warm temp,

10 oz. of canned evaporated milk OR whole goat's milk
Whole goat's milk is by far the best to use. Walmart sells both evaporated milk, whole goat's milk and evaporated goats milk.
Make sure you are using EITHER evaporated milk OR whole goat's milk. Do NOT use sweetened condensed milk or regular milk!

1 raw egg yolk.

1 cup of plain whole goat yogurt or regular plain whole yogurt .

1/2-1 Tsp Karo Syrup or Corn Syrup (NOT HONEY!)

Mind you this is under 10 bucks to try....& takes a couple minutes to prepare

Now I use this to create an appetite
So I use this alone, pour it on dog food, mix with canned dog food (love Chicken Soup for the puppy lovers soul) I have also put it in a large syringe and "force fed" aka shot it on their tongue short term, to create an appetite.

I have had people call me & say I have tried everything ~ fresh bacon, deer sausage etc. Go all out, but I always say, just because it smells irresistable to you or a healthy dog ~ Does not mean it does to someone or dog with nausea....

Anyways again this is just an opinion, and I am just sayin what I have used for years myself..... Good luck & our Pawyers are with your family!

BlockHeadsRed,

Andy's been on a diet that doesn't allow fatty meats like beef since last April's lymphoma relapse @ Week 22 of the 26 week MW chemo protocol. He isn't nauseous.

We made and fed him a bland diet last week for a few days. Then he didn't want rice/chicken anymore. He is more than willing to eat people food, though. All of our dogs have a tendency to 'go on strike' against 'dog food' now and then. They get really good food. Wet mixed with kibble. We also dress it up with a little chicken broth and other toppings they like (steamed broccoli, etc.). It could be a mixture of Andy getting used to the Gabapentin, a drug that directly affects the brain. We temporarily doubled Andy's dose of Tramadol to 100mg twice daily last week when he started limping again on his vet's recommendation, so I presume he doesn't feel normal right now. He is having regular bowel movements.

The frozen lamb chums are low fat. Just something new to try. He ate dehydrated duck heart treats the staff at Nashville Pet Products gave him during our visit yesterday. With relish. Some foods he'll eat, others not.

I'll try your idea tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion and for taking the time to make it

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Just looking at my notes, Morgan went off her food when she was on the gabapentin. She was on such a restricted diet it made things really hard. All the things you are trying are things I would suggest. Only other thing I can think of is low sodium broths .Fluids are the most important since this drugs stresses the kidneys. HUGS

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Also I don't know how any of you think about this but,

But I would try Liquid Acidophilus also ~ you can buy it in the refrigerated health food section...

L . acidophilus has long been used as a therapeutic agent for gastrointestinal disorders
L. acidophilus is one of the most commonly used probiotics, or "good germs." These are microorganisms that help to maintain a healthy intestinal tract and aid digestion.

Acidophilus Benefits

So maybe this is why the mixture works, but our family (including canines) also uses not only this, but DE, and Kombucha....

(sorry if I am a little uniformed with all that has been going on, but I read the first few posts & the most recent, ~ there are hundreds of pages !!)

Ya, yogurt has 'good bacteria' the stomach needs after upset. I've used it in the past, but haven't yet this time because he isn't nauseous. Have to get the timing right and do it a couple hours before or after the antibiotic.

Thanks

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Luckily for us, he's drinking his usual amount of water.

My MIL was on Gabapentin a couple years ago. She said the first few days she felt a little disoriented and confused, but after a few days that stopped. I'm thinking a lot of Andy's stuff is due to starting it. Also the higher dose of Tramadol (an opiate). In a couple days I'll cut his Tramadol back to 50mg twice a day instead of the 100mg dose. It may take time to get the balance of the Gaba and Tram balanced so it's just treating the pain and not affecting his state-of-mind.

Thanks

PS - Ollie the rescue follows me around like a shadow. Sleeps by my head after Jane gets up. He likes the human touch. And soft places to lay

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I suspect you're right about the Tramadol. Ky was on it 100mg 2x a day for her back and she stopped eating almost entirely. I finally started feeding her breakfast long before I gave her the pills so she would get some food.

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He gets the Tramadol with his meals. Shouldn't it kick in well after he's eaten?

I think I'll reduce the dose of Tramadol back to 50mg since he's now had a few days to get used to the Gabapentin and his ankle swelling is gone again. I need to talk to his onco next visit about perhaps reducing the dose of Gabapentin if he doesn't seem normal by then. My MIL had to go through a couple readjustments of Gabapentin as pain from shingles lessened as it slowly went away.

Thanks

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I guess it depends on the dog with the effects of Tramadol.
I would think since Andy has been on Tramadol for a long time, that would not cause the eating issues. I am thinking more about the Gabapentin or the combo of Tramadol and Gabapentin, causing the picky eating.

Tramadol can be given with or without food.
Tramadol can cause nausea in some dogs.

None of my two seniors ever had any eating issues with Tramadol. It just depends on the dog.

I agree, if Andy is not limping and seems not in pain, try reducing the amount of Tramadol and see how he does. Just remember Tramadol also needs to be slowly weaned off if given for any length of time.
Good luck!

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My boys from left to right:
Thunder Dachsi Toby




http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...is-issues.html

My Toby, my heart dog 3/12/2003 - 3/30/2013, I miss you Toby!


Christa

I pulled my notes as well. When Hannah was on gabapentin she ate poorly during that time. She would eat treats with relish (even if it was kibble), but then might stop chewing and the food would fall out of her mouth. She was so spacey that she had a hard time getting her mouth in the bowl to eat, even after guiding her to the bowl. We are also limited because of her diet.

Her dosing was 100 mgs to be given every 12 hours. We initially backed off to 100 mgs once a day which helped a bit, but as the drug leveled off in her system we were right back to the weirdness. She was about 65 lbs at the time.

I hope Andy gets back to eating soon.

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Part 1 of Hannah's story - Cancer diagnosis - - - - Part 2 of Hannah's story - grab bag of health issues