Loving my Oldies

Do you mean the canned food is 25% fat? I've been looking at the cans and it isn't Science Diet it is Hills Prescription Diet and although I need a magnifying glass, I can't see anything about fat content. I'll go onto the internet.

Three throw ups since last post. Will definitely be calling SASH vet today and hopefully talk when I collect his Cisapride.

Thank you for all that information, Steve. Danny weighed 5.2kgs on Monday afternoon before the procedures at SASH. I am feeding him with his head elevated, either holding the bowl or having it on another bowl. I have also elevated the water bowls. The only chicken stock he ever has is made by me with no additives and the fat skimmed off and then strained through cloth to get the fat out. Until further notice his food is Science Diet l/d blended 1:1 with water. He seems to quite like that and so far he is keeping more down than bringing up although he is still bringing up. :( His medications are Ranitidine and Cisapride. I don't have the latter yet, as it is being compounded, but will collect today. My next appointment with SASH is for Tuesday at which time he will have a Fluoroscopy and, depending on whether the vets think he is a candidate, surgery to fix the hernia. Frankly, see how he has been affected by the anaesthetic for the scopes, I am very very concerned as to how he will handle all that. I really appreciate your input here, Steve. Thank you. ETA: Vet has said no raw meat as he is not coping with that. I had tried roast chicken, but he wouldn't eat that. Maybe it was too rich. I'll check about boiled chicken though.

Not really. :) They deserve all the help they can get, provided a good outcome is the prognosis Yes, I have actually just remember another very elderly dog who took two days to recover and on the other side another one who the vet told me to watch as he would probably be very groggy had no affects whatsoever. I hope the improvement continues, animallover99. It is just so so distressful to see them unhappy. He has been a tough little guy, SG, but this has sure knocked him for a six.

God, what an idiot, I'm posting over and over again the same thing. I thought my other posts had disappeared LOL. I'd better be better tomorrow or the dogs and Gussy Cat wll leave home !!! :eek:

I'm in the process of getting ready for bed and so poor boy is trying to follow me everywhere. I am sleeping on a mattress on the floor as I don't want him trying to jump off (or falling off) the bed. My bed is quite high and he could easily injure himself. The poor little fellow can't even walk properly yet nearly 12 hours after the procedure. Although I remember one of the anaesthetics I had a long time ago, I was sick for hours and one of the nurses told me I was yellow. His back legs are knock kneed and bent like some of the GSD bred today whose "back elbows" are practically on the ground. He also has a little gash over his left eye which he didn't have when he left home yesterday :( Tomorrow will be better.

I think it is going to be a struggle, coogie He is now on stronger medication which can be syringed, thank goodness. Ditto his food: Science Diet made into a slurry with water or chicken stock and syringed, but he has been able to lap this. Small but frequent amounts. He is totally miserable, but I am hoping that part of that is the hang over from the anaesthetic and once he starts being able to keep his special food down, he will start feeling better. Ed to correct: He is on Hills Prescription Diet i/d.

I've not had any experience of this, persephone. Each little dog decides to do things differently. I've given an update in my other thread in General.

I think it is going to be a struggle, coogie . I brought him home early this evening and he is really zonked out. I was quite shocked when I picked him up as from the vet's report, I thought he would be pretty well normal. He is totally miserable and to see him so unhappy is breaking my heart. He is now of different medication (more heavy duty apparently) which has been compounded so I can syringe that into him. He is on a special diet (Science Diet cans) mixed to slurry with same amount of water and either small amount syringed or given in a raised bowl. He is taking that quite well, but drinking a lot and throwing up a lot as well. I can mix the Science Diet with chicken stock, so I will make that tomorrow. He must be exhausted.

Thanks everyone. You have all confirmed my initial response (I left out the horror I felt at the time I was asked).

But that would have been done just to get them going so they could go on to lead happy and healthy lives ??

I have been asked if the worst came to the worst I would consider a feeding tube for my dog Danny. I have said no. But I wonder if I were presented that option as the only one, whether I would change my mind. Does anyony have any experiences??

Danny has come through the first hurdle with flying colours ..... an anaesthetic so he could be scoped and biopsies done. Being 15 and having a slight heart murmur we were all on tenter hooks for this. I figured he would be okay, though, as he has always been a sturdy little fellow. Unfortunately, I now have a 2-3 days wait for the biopsy reports. They did feed him last night, but that was regurgitated through the night .

Riches to rags --- never a dull moment. I should have said: heroes to villians very easily. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Danny has been left at SASH for them to start their investigations. He will be there at least until tomorrow. Examination of previous xrays this afternoon and possible more xrays if SASH feels they are needed. Someone else will know but I've forgotten the name .... Fluso something .... xrays while he is seating up and given food with dye in it. Ultrasounds and scopes tomorrow. Poor little man. At least he will probably relax and just sleep because he doesn't spend his whole day following me, checking me if I leave the room, etc etc. Thanks for the good wishes.

Thanks Persephone. Don't worry - when I have very sick and/or old dogs to the vet, my first instructions are that my feelings are not for consideration, only what is best for the dog.

I've been dreading this day Why? How many times can one hear, "Well may we say 'God Save the Queen' because nothing will save the Governor General," and not go crazy? If I had a dollar for everytime I have seen that on the television or heard it on the radio in the past 39 (minus a few weeks) years, I would be a wealthy woman. Was originality by reporters, programmers, newscasters, etc sacked on that day also?

One of the mysteries of life. Why is is when a littly puts the brakes on they can practically pull you over :confused: :laugh: :laugh: Walking along at a slow rate to start with and suddenly jerked backwards because a blade of grass has become totally irresistable to a canine snozz.

Thank you. I just want to cry, really, because Danny is my little boy and I am his mum.

The point is that Danny is feeling sick: he has a sliding hiatus hernia, weakened (through age) oesophagus and reflux. I atually did try to push a tablet down his throat this morning, I was so worried, but he just about choked to death . For the past couple of days, vegemite toast and roast chicken have worked perfectly, but today he just didn't want anything. He is obviously getting worse. Luckily my car was back in time from the garage for me to get down to see my vet and he told me that in the whole of his career, he has seen only one other dog like not responding to medication. Poor little Danny had two very rancid throw ups at the vet. Mostly his throw ups are undigested food or food he hasn't been able to get past his oesophagus. He has gone from 5.4kgs to 5.2kgs in 6 days. Hopefully, tomorrow's visit to the specialist will provide us with some answers.

My poor little Danny is still far from well and we are off to SASH tomorrow for ultrsounds and, if indicated, scopes. I hope they find something treatable.

I'm starting a new thread following on from this one: http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/259784-what-food-can-your-dog-not-resist/ Danny is not keeping anything down. He is okay through the day and I manage to give him all his medications and small amounts of food and he eats the little bits I give him with gusto. Unfortunately, every morning when I get up he has brought up everything he's eaten through the day. He had been on his medication regime for a while now and it is not working. I have to now think about further tests at SASH (Small Animals Specialist Hospital for non-Sydneysiders) and, depending on what they find or don't find, whether to go down the surgery route. Danny is elderly but, still spritely when he wants to be, and that, of course, is the biggy. But I would be interested to know of other people's experiences.

Westiemum, how is Sarah progressing? I thought of you and this thread when I wiped up the umpteenth vomit Danny has done in the past few days . Despite my comment (#3 in this thread) Danny is not doing well, and I have been posting about this in my thread "What food can your dog not resist". I am waiting on my vet to call me back as I have sent him the chart I've kept covering the past four days. I am without a car at the moment, but hopefully it will be ready late afternoon. Danny's case is different from Sarah's as we have a diagnosis and there is nothing wrong with his poos. He seems to be [just] maintaining his weight and I have tried to address that by syringing Nutrigel with one of his tablets. That was working for a couple of days, but now he is bringing that up as well. If I had to put my dogs on an elimination diet, I would be in your situation as, over the years, they have been fed just about everything. However, from now on I am just going to stay with plain old beef (I buy Prime raw rolls). I have been mixing it with mashed vegies and Prime Raw Chicken for bones, but I'm going to stop that too. Even Bunter has thrown up a couple of times in the past week . Watching Danny is just breaking my heart. He is too old at 15 for the repair operation to his oesophagus, but I am beginning to wonder whether we might have to risk it. Terrified. :cry:

Happy birthday Tibor. :birthday: He sounds totally gorgeous, VM. ( Unless you are planning on marketing it :laugh: :laugh: can you post your recipe for his special mince, please. Looking for dishes that dogs would walk over hot coals for. Thanks. )

Off to phone vet. Danny has thrown up three times since I last posted :( Strangely enough he seems happy enough, though. The first two I saw and he licked them up. The third I have just found on the deck so don't know when he did it.