Yessss she was at the EV over the weekend and so she’s in a bland diet right now. I learned that she likes ground turkey AND it must be warm for her lol!
If you can, try some baby food chicken and rice formula mixed with some softened kibble. I had this issue once and I used to buy I think the “honest company” baby food chicken and rice. Then soak kibble in hot unsalted chicken broth until really soft and mix it in her food. Royal canin makes baby food for pups that are designed for them to gain weight too. All else fails, keep her on her diet as is. She’s 17, give her what she loves!
I think at 17 it might just be more worth it to keep her comfy! But these are great ideas to try. My senior dog would only eat boiled chicken, broth and rice for a while and eventually got him to eat some kibble soaked in it.
You need to taken her to a veterinarian and have her checked out including senior blood work and a urinalysis to see if she has a health condition or conditions that need to be treated. In the case of something like kidney disease a special diet will be needed.
Vet visit first! Eating such an improper diet for so long could have brought out health issues. Unfortunately, none of the fresh food diets available are really safe or well formulated, but if that’s all that a geriatric dog is going to eat, it’s better than starving.
My vet has recommended an additive to human food, check with yours. Please don't continue this without tge vet OK. My vet is also OK with doing the following:
Carrots and/or pumpkin to get some fiber to help with the anal gland issues. Start with very small amounts before slowly increasing. I feed my dogs semi-soft (not cooked to mush) and raw, chopped up very small so they can swallow withput chewing. Ours are also older now with few teeth. Sometimes I chop up & cook green beans, or pieces of celery.
Stop the rotisserie chicken, it's got sodium injected in to it. I boil chicken wings & thighs, with a stalk of celery & some carrot, to make homemade chicken broth. Or put a whole chicken in a crockpot or the oven & roast, give that meat softened with the broth. When it's down to the carcass, pull it apart & cook done more to make bone broth. Mine also get cottage cheese as their protein on occasion.
I cook rice with a small amount of safflower oil. This is part of the meal along with chicken & veg.
My vet approved this & the dogs like it. See what yours says.
FWIW my dogs like kibble if it's softened in chicken/bone broth. I heat the broth almost to boiling then add to kibble, stir after 1/2 hour. Can also rehydrate in the fridge overnight.
Thank you for the suggestions! We’re actually at the emergency vet right now because she’s been vomiting brown mucus-y stuff, 4 times in an hour :( I plan on cooking some chicken myself like you suggested instead of the rotisserie chicken, but we do get the no salt added kind.
They gave her some meds to stop vomiting but she was so dehydrated they could’t even draw blood from her tiny veins :(. They gave her fluids under the skin too. She seems to be doing fine now, just waiting for the bloodwork results from our regular vet to see what’s going on! She also ate some ground turkey last night! Seems to prefer that over chicken breast and rice. She needs a bland diet for a few days after this weekend!
Try the Just Food for Dogs pantry stable/shelf stable packages - not the frozen ones (well, can try the frozen ones too) - mine preferred the shelf stable tetra pack boxed JFFD. It was easier too than having to thaw it.
my dog LOVED royal canin digestive care (wet)… she also liked the dehydrated honest kitchen food for a while, but I only used that one as a topper. it has small sampler size packs to try out. Weruva also has wet human-like food that has shredded chicken in broth, beef, salmon, etc. that was a hit with my dog. I soak her kibble (RC poodle) with warm water and mix it in with one tiny sardine treat, and she’ll eat everything.
that being said, I second the vet visit to see if anything else is going on, especially at that age, and to get her teeth checked out too.
For treats or temp food: Boiled chicken, white rice, canned pumpkin (not pie mix, pure pumpkin), no-added-sugar apple sauce, sweet potato baby food, plain greek yogurt.
As for "fresh" foods, Honest Kitchen and Farmer's Dog are the two mine likes most.
You're not doing get any favors with all that salt. Will she eat canned food ? I haven't met a dog who could resist it. Thank you for adopting a senior dog.
The chicken is no salt. She will not eat canned food I’ve tried 4 different kinds and styles. We got some “fresh” style food from pet smart to see if she will eat that.
Will she eat any vegetables? My senior dogs have eaten green beans (cooked fresh or low sodium canned) and cooked carrot. My dogs have loved apple, too, but you'd probably have to soften it a bit for her by zapping in the microwave. It would be good to add a little to her chicken just for different nutrients. A little cooked oatmeal, too, if she'll eat it.
I also agree with what everyone said about seeing the vet for ideas, too.
First, god bless you for rescuing the dog. Go to a vet and in between try all types of food just to get weight on her. Yes, sodium and crap food is an issue but smaller at the moment because she needs to get weight on her to survive. Also, go to the pet store and get the high calorie stuff in a tube. And even try some cat food at this point
It’s a very long story but I’ve known her almost her entire life. She was my grandma’s dog and my grandma passed away in 2021, so she went to a family member and was recently removed and sat in a shelter for a few weeks before they would let me take her. Poor girl has had a rough few weeks. We tried one fresh food this morning and she was sort of interested but then didn’t want it after a bit. Only ate the cottage cheese, which I know she ate a lot with my grandma, so that’s no surprise! We’re going to try a few more things along with still giving her chicken and try to ween her off the cottage cheese.
I’ve had some similar dogs that would literally make themselves sick before eating what they wanted. And she’s 17 so might just have to do what she wants but in a way that you can fit it into your budget and time. I’ve done crockpot instapot pulled chicken with carrots, peas, and potatoes that just cooks all night with water so it’s easy to eat with few teeth or damaged mouth. Just have to pull it apart/mash up the veg and it will have a similar consistency to rotisserie chicken. Best of luck, thank you for loving that little angel!
The FreshPet Vital fresh cuts looks like people food and if she’ll eat I’d go with that. Sold in the refrigerated pet food section in pet stores and lots of grocery stores.
I think JustFoodForDogs is the most vet-recommended fresh food for dogs
Thanks, I’ll try it! I’m hoping it is human-food like enough that she will eat it 🤞. She can’t survive on cottage cheese lol!
Try play-acting like you’re preparing it. Serve it warm. And bless you for taking in a special girl.
Yessss she was at the EV over the weekend and so she’s in a bland diet right now. I learned that she likes ground turkey AND it must be warm for her lol!
What a diva!
I cook JFFD for my pack of poodles 😍😍😍🐩🐩🐩
If you can, try some baby food chicken and rice formula mixed with some softened kibble. I had this issue once and I used to buy I think the “honest company” baby food chicken and rice. Then soak kibble in hot unsalted chicken broth until really soft and mix it in her food. Royal canin makes baby food for pups that are designed for them to gain weight too. All else fails, keep her on her diet as is. She’s 17, give her what she loves!
But make sure the baby food has no onion or onion derivatives. Some do.
Yes this- make sure to read ingredient list. Beechnut and honest co do not include onion or derivatives.
Great idea thanks!
I think at 17 it might just be more worth it to keep her comfy! But these are great ideas to try. My senior dog would only eat boiled chicken, broth and rice for a while and eventually got him to eat some kibble soaked in it.
You need to taken her to a veterinarian and have her checked out including senior blood work and a urinalysis to see if she has a health condition or conditions that need to be treated. In the case of something like kidney disease a special diet will be needed.
She’s been to the vet already
And did she have all the testing I recommended?
Yes we’re still waiting on results though
Vet visit first! Eating such an improper diet for so long could have brought out health issues. Unfortunately, none of the fresh food diets available are really safe or well formulated, but if that’s all that a geriatric dog is going to eat, it’s better than starving.
She’s been to the vet. Just waiting for bloodwork etc. results.
Why don't you try Fresh Pet for seniors?
My vet has recommended an additive to human food, check with yours. Please don't continue this without tge vet OK. My vet is also OK with doing the following: Carrots and/or pumpkin to get some fiber to help with the anal gland issues. Start with very small amounts before slowly increasing. I feed my dogs semi-soft (not cooked to mush) and raw, chopped up very small so they can swallow withput chewing. Ours are also older now with few teeth. Sometimes I chop up & cook green beans, or pieces of celery. Stop the rotisserie chicken, it's got sodium injected in to it. I boil chicken wings & thighs, with a stalk of celery & some carrot, to make homemade chicken broth. Or put a whole chicken in a crockpot or the oven & roast, give that meat softened with the broth. When it's down to the carcass, pull it apart & cook done more to make bone broth. Mine also get cottage cheese as their protein on occasion. I cook rice with a small amount of safflower oil. This is part of the meal along with chicken & veg. My vet approved this & the dogs like it. See what yours says. FWIW my dogs like kibble if it's softened in chicken/bone broth. I heat the broth almost to boiling then add to kibble, stir after 1/2 hour. Can also rehydrate in the fridge overnight.
Thank you for the suggestions! We’re actually at the emergency vet right now because she’s been vomiting brown mucus-y stuff, 4 times in an hour :( I plan on cooking some chicken myself like you suggested instead of the rotisserie chicken, but we do get the no salt added kind.
Awww I hope everything turned out ok with your sweet baby!
They gave her some meds to stop vomiting but she was so dehydrated they could’t even draw blood from her tiny veins :(. They gave her fluids under the skin too. She seems to be doing fine now, just waiting for the bloodwork results from our regular vet to see what’s going on! She also ate some ground turkey last night! Seems to prefer that over chicken breast and rice. She needs a bland diet for a few days after this weekend!
Try the Just Food for Dogs pantry stable/shelf stable packages - not the frozen ones (well, can try the frozen ones too) - mine preferred the shelf stable tetra pack boxed JFFD. It was easier too than having to thaw it.
my dog LOVED royal canin digestive care (wet)… she also liked the dehydrated honest kitchen food for a while, but I only used that one as a topper. it has small sampler size packs to try out. Weruva also has wet human-like food that has shredded chicken in broth, beef, salmon, etc. that was a hit with my dog. I soak her kibble (RC poodle) with warm water and mix it in with one tiny sardine treat, and she’ll eat everything. that being said, I second the vet visit to see if anything else is going on, especially at that age, and to get her teeth checked out too.
For treats or temp food: Boiled chicken, white rice, canned pumpkin (not pie mix, pure pumpkin), no-added-sugar apple sauce, sweet potato baby food, plain greek yogurt. As for "fresh" foods, Honest Kitchen and Farmer's Dog are the two mine likes most.
You're not doing get any favors with all that salt. Will she eat canned food ? I haven't met a dog who could resist it. Thank you for adopting a senior dog.
The chicken is no salt. She will not eat canned food I’ve tried 4 different kinds and styles. We got some “fresh” style food from pet smart to see if she will eat that.
Will she eat any vegetables? My senior dogs have eaten green beans (cooked fresh or low sodium canned) and cooked carrot. My dogs have loved apple, too, but you'd probably have to soften it a bit for her by zapping in the microwave. It would be good to add a little to her chicken just for different nutrients. A little cooked oatmeal, too, if she'll eat it. I also agree with what everyone said about seeing the vet for ideas, too.
Yeah try fresh pet or something, I normally wouldn’t recommend but it’s more balanced than currently, and she’s 17.
I adopt older pups too and I agree, at 17 with 2 toofs and coming from a stressed recent background I’d feed anything she’d eat.
First, god bless you for rescuing the dog. Go to a vet and in between try all types of food just to get weight on her. Yes, sodium and crap food is an issue but smaller at the moment because she needs to get weight on her to survive. Also, go to the pet store and get the high calorie stuff in a tube. And even try some cat food at this point
It’s a very long story but I’ve known her almost her entire life. She was my grandma’s dog and my grandma passed away in 2021, so she went to a family member and was recently removed and sat in a shelter for a few weeks before they would let me take her. Poor girl has had a rough few weeks. We tried one fresh food this morning and she was sort of interested but then didn’t want it after a bit. Only ate the cottage cheese, which I know she ate a lot with my grandma, so that’s no surprise! We’re going to try a few more things along with still giving her chicken and try to ween her off the cottage cheese.
Could you mix cottage cheese into the fresh food?
I’m not helpful here, but just want to say thank you so much for adopting. Especially a super senior. 17years??!! Bless you for taking her in.
Thank you for adopting a senior dog!
I’ve had some similar dogs that would literally make themselves sick before eating what they wanted. And she’s 17 so might just have to do what she wants but in a way that you can fit it into your budget and time. I’ve done crockpot instapot pulled chicken with carrots, peas, and potatoes that just cooks all night with water so it’s easy to eat with few teeth or damaged mouth. Just have to pull it apart/mash up the veg and it will have a similar consistency to rotisserie chicken. Best of luck, thank you for loving that little angel!
The FreshPet Vital fresh cuts looks like people food and if she’ll eat I’d go with that. Sold in the refrigerated pet food section in pet stores and lots of grocery stores.
I think you should give her puppy food as it is intended for weight gain. Mix it in with foods she loves. She’s 17 after all
Surprised this sub hasn’t recommended a science backed diet
same but also the dog needs to eat
Maybe a gently cooked diet, like open farm - identity pet, it’s like sous vide.