[Therese M]

We got our 3 yo golden mix from a rescue 3 weeks ago. They got her from shelter a week before we got her so no real history. She’s heartworm positive and almost done with her 30 days of antibiotics. She was 5 lbs underweight when we got her and has lost another 1 lb since then. She’ll start heartworm treatment soon and I understand she’ll likely be very ill and lose weight from that so we’re very concerned.

Pretty much from the beginning she refused food. We fed her what they gave her (Muenster dry, pro plan chicken and rice wet). Wouldn’t touch it. Tried each separately, no go. Tried tuna, chicken toppers, nothing. We’ve rotated through at least 10 dry foods and 20 canned foods. We took her back to the rescue and they tried a bunch of stuff on her. Of 7 dry and 6 wet, the only thing she ate for them, and has consistently eaten for us is Cesars trays. I’ve been trying desperately to get her to eat anything better than that but nothing else will work. I’ve tried everything form Fromms to Weruva to Bil Jac picky eater. Nothing works. I’ve mixed in pumpkin (plain and fruitables), raw goats milk, broth, nothing works. Homemade chicken and rice, ground beef, oats, green beans, eggs, cottage cheese. We took her to the vet earlier this week for vomiting and diarrhea. The vet gave us some prescription food, which she refused to eat, and some antinausea pills which stopped the puking but hasn’t helped her appetite. Said otherwise shes great. My husband is starting to wonder if we’re capable of dealing with her, and I’m not far behind him. We throw out $6-8 of food every day bc she just wont touch it. Is there anything left to try? We’re trying to stay on the high quality foods but at this point I could care less what it is if itll get her to eat. For her weight she should be eating 16 trays of Cesars a day- she eats at most 2. She eats less than 1/3 what she should every single day, on the days she eats at all. We will do literally anything at this point, so all suggestions are welcome. We live in Dallas so we have access to pretty much everything, we just need to track it down. Thanks for any help you can provide. If you need any more details please be specific- this is our first dog and we’re doing our best but I’m not up on lingo just yet, or what might be important that I’m leaving out.

[Randy D]

Bless your heart, that sounds awful for your pup and frustrating as heck for you. I wonder if the lack of appetite could be due to the antibiotics she’s on. Was she eating well the week she was at the rescue?

[Therese M]

No, she wasn’t. When I took her back they tried the standard stuff they’d been feeding her and she wouldn’t touch it. They said keep trying something until you find something she likes. Sigh. It’s almost definitely the antibiotics causing this. She only has 3 days left, but that’s still 3 days. I just got some dog probiotics tonight and put it on her food so now of course she won’t eat the food. She likes pepperoni and peanut butter. We can only get her to take her meds with that, but I’m guessing there’s no dog food that tastes like that by any chance??? She also doesn’t like most treats. Some weird looking marrow ones from target and some yogurt ones basically made of sugar. I have 3 kinds of zukes that she wont touch plus other random stuff. A bone here and there. At first she loved bully sticks but now she doesn’t care much about them.

[Randy D]

I had to give some antibiotics and probiotics to my son’s pup, and used the pill pockets. I had to squeeze and mash the probiotic into the pocket or he would spit it out. I hope once she is off the antibiotics and the probiotics kick in her appetite comes back. It took a couple of days for our pup-I could get him to drink a little milk and eat a boiled egg, that was about it for those 2-3 days.

[Susan]

Hi Therese,
sounds like she has stomach or panreatitis problems & the cesars food probably doesn’t upset her stomach any cause any pain or whatever she is having, I would NOT start any treatment for her heartworm yet, it will kill her, vet needs to work out what’s wrong with her stomach first & why she is hesitant to eat, something is wrong, Golden Labradors LOVE their food….
I got a rescue 5yrs ago & he was the same in very bad condition, but he was the opposite & ate everything in site, even cat poo, after vomiting weekly, doing bloody diarrhea, sloppy poo’s, acid reflux, up thru the night with rumbling, grumbling bowel noises, in the end I asked the vet can we do Endoscope + Biopsies, vet put camera down his throat into the stomach & did 2 Biopsies, you need the biopsies cause when the vet looked into Patches stomach everything looked excellent, there was no stomach ulcers like we thought, but what I thought he had, he had, waiting & waiting for biopsy results Patch had the Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD, he was put on triple therapy meds for 21 days, Metronidazole, Amoxiccilin to kill the bad bacteria that lives in the stomach walls & Prilosec for the acid reflux the Helicobacter causes, Patch did real well while taken the triple therapy meds then once the 21 day course finished it all came back again within 1 week of stopping the meds, it was a nightmare in the end now Patch takes 20mg Prilosec every morning & only takes the Metronidazole 200mg for 10-14 days when needed, if he’s doing sloppy poos or diarrhea, starts feeling sick everyday & whinging for me to rub his stomach/pancreas area & is eating & eating grass…

Can you ask the rescue group do they have some money in their budget for her to see a Gastro specialist or a vet that knows about stomach/bowel problems, in Australia the rescue groups post picture of the very sick dog & asks for help on their face book page & raise some money so dog can be treated by vet & do the Endoscope + Biopsies need to shop around cause there’s cheaper vets around that do Endoscope & Biopsies, people will help with donations…..
I wanted to do the same give Patch back to rescue group so he got another foster carer, he broke my heart, I couldn’t give him back cause I thought will the new foster carer care for him like I do or will he just be thrown out the back yard again & suffer & the rescue group puts dog up for adoption & someone else gets stuck with the problem hoping they will pay all the vet bills, Patch was weeing blood the day I got him from teh pound, the rescue group had to paid $1,500 for 2x ultrascan, desexing, vacination, vet diet wet & dry food the dissolve his crystals, medications, at that stage he just had Urinary crystal, the rescue vet said he must of gotten infection from being used to breed, I thought everything was done all fixed, he’s all healthy now & I adopted him but it was just the beginning of my sleepless nights the vet office I ended up staying with felt sorry for Patch & me for adopting a sick 4yr old Staffy + all the vet nurses were Staffy lovers & my bet did alot of discount rates & now my vet writes out repeats for his prescriptions so I can get his meds from a chemist it was costing $120 for 1 month of Prilosec, now all I pay is $8 & the Metronidazole only cost $7 when I need it I keep spare in cupboard….

I would be only feeding low fat wet food, nothing over 3% in fat, the fat & protein & isnt like it is in a dry kibble, wet raw & cooked hasnt been converted to dry matter (Kibble) yet, Do NOT feed any more dry kibble, it must make whatever she has, worse, like my boy the kibble made him worse with his IBD (Stomach) in the beginning till we worked out what was wrong & I found a kibble that works for him.
Read what is the fat % in the Cesars wet food??? also start boiling potato or boil sweet potato whatever firms her poos up best & start adding say 2-3 cesars foil tin & the same amount boiled mash potato do not add any butter or mil to the mashed potato & mix potato all thru with the Cesars food, maybe start off with only 1/2 mashed potato with her food cause she may not trust the potato yet, whatever she has got, has cause her alot of pain & she doesn’t trust food no more… I have to go the Pet Shop it’s closing, I have to pick up something, look what are the ingredients & fat % in these Cesars foods she etas & post, stop trying all type of foods for now, I’ll try & find a similair food to the Cesars same ingredients once you post, that is in a bigger tin size & low in fat, maybe someone else knows of a lower fat wet tin food similair to Cesars food….
Do you shop at “Costco” ?? Costco has their “Kirklands Signature” Nature Domain wet tin & its cheap & looks pretty good, click on “Reviews” look for Kirkland, Signature Nature Domain canned foods & click on link & scroll down a bit & there’s a photo of Turkey & Pea stew looks good & you can mash with boiled Potato this will work out cheaper till vet works out whats wrong, also ask the vet can you try a 21 day course of Metronidazole?? take back the vet diet food she won’t eat for refund & ask can you try 2 tins of the Hills I/d Canine Chicken & Vegetables Stew, Digestive Care wet tin food, do not get the Hills I/d Low Fat, Rice, Vegetables Chicken stew Restore, they look similair, the I/d Low fat Restore wet tin is full of rice & fish oil, the I/d canine Chicken & vegetable Stew Digestive Care has less ingredients & has more chucks of meat no fish oil, fish oil can make them feel sick, see if after being taking the 21 day course of Metronidazole if she starts to get better after 4-5th day, it has to be taken with a meal every 12 hours…
What is her name??

[PATTI L]

Hi Therese M
I think that is very unfair of the rescue , on the dogs health and on you, her new owners ,
Any dog should be 100% fit & healthy for their new home before a rescue lets them go.
The treatment for heartworm will be very taxing on her system and difficult for you to deal
with as well as her not eating food issues,
I think the rescue should take her back into their care until she has full health back.
Best wishes

[Caroline L]

Hi there Therese M

I think you are right, her poor appetite is likely due to the antibiotic she is on and overall just not feeling well. Reach out to the vet and ask that he/she prescribe a calorie supplement. Its a dark brownish paste that can be prescribed to underweight dogs. Try mixing it with peanut butter, liver Kong treat paste or spreading it on some pepperoni, anything she might tolerate eating. The supplement will help with her calorie deficit while (hopefully) her appetite gradually improves.

As far as food, stick to what you know she will eat – Cesar trays, pepperoni and peanut butter. I know it isn’t ideal; do what you can. If her appetite does not increase within 2 days of completing the antibiotic round call the vet.

Its easier said than done, but be patient and don’t stress yourself out further trying to find different foods for her right now. When you do start your search for a dog food, buy the smallest bag possible and ask for any samples or trial sizes the store may have of other foods.

While Susan brings up a good point about potential stomach or pancreas issues, focus on resolving the most immediate issues you are aware of – finishing antibiotic routine, increasing appetite. If her issues eating persist after the antibiotic is done, then explore other more invasive options.

Best of luck!

[anonymous]

Try boiling some chicken, chop it up, mix it with the dry food and pour water or the chicken water over it. She needs to stay hydrated. Maybe a little boiled white rice mixed in too.
Don’t keep adding all kinds of stuff or supplements, it will only make her more nauseous.
Keep it plain and simple, only give what the vet has ordered. Don’t leave food down, but offer her small meals with water added frequently.
This dog has been through a lot, heartworm treatment is hard, she still has a way to go.
She may have diarrhea when she is going through the treatment, but you have no choice, the heartworm treatment is crucial and needs to be done ASAP, it is a priority.
I assume the shelter is paying for it.

You said this is your first dog, this may not be a good match considering the dog’s medical issues and ongoing care she will need.
If you are not up for it, if your gut tells you it won’t work, talk to the shelter NOW.
There are experienced pet owners that will be better able to take care of her.
If you return her to the shelter, they will most likely place her with a foster while she recovers.
Take a break, and next time get a dog that is doing well, and is younger.

If you decide to keep her, work closely with your vet, ask if she’s dehydrated? Sometimes they need subq fluids once or twice to get them over the hump.
This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[anonymous]

PS: Most likely the Heartworm Disease and the stress of being in a shelter and a new home are her main problems, if she makes it through the next 3 months, you will see a much different dog in 6 months.
Don’t expect too much now. She is sick. See what the vet advises, talk to the shelter.
Good luck

Oh, I almost forgot, for some reason dogs like Mighty Dog, it comes in small cans so there is less waste. You can find it at your local supermarket.
I had a dog that was having a rough recovery from dental surgery and Mighty Dog was the only thing he would eat. Vet said it was fine. Actually he thrived on it for a few years afterwards as a senior. Some of them have bacon flavors, yum.

[Joyce B]

Hi there, have you tried Pepcid? When one of my dogs was on several prescription drugs for a ruptured disc and wouldn’t eat, Pepcid made the difference. He is small and only required a half a tablet at 12-hour intervals. It’s inexpensive and you can use the generic. This was on the advice of our vet; please check with yours. And as others have said, I wouldn’t keep trying different foods, just give him whatever he will eat for now. There is plenty of time later when he is healthy to experiment. (Dry food is usually the least appetizing of all.) For another of my dogs – and I may get criticized for this – but I added plain cooked pasta to his wet food when he had a tummy ache. He loved it and while it has no nutritional value, it was soothing and added calories. Best of luck and hang in there! He will get better and be forever grateful to you.

[Cath N]

The meds, new home is causing havoc on his system. Doggie should be in home with experienced owner who has resources, knowledge, etc. if you cannot locate thru your rescue and you take this labor of love on…..please note, the fat in his diet will likely worsen his condition. 99% fat free chicken breast is available in freezer section in our local Florida market, (packaging “says” 99%), hopefully you can locate, also steamed sweet potato; small amount given in intervals throughout the day to determine his tolerance. NO DRY MEAL. Our dog has irritable bowel, now controlled thru this diet, expensive but it’s helped. The stomach needs time to heal. Susan gave logical advice. Wish you were our neighbor, would be happy to assist. Best wishes for a healthy turn around for your pup.

[Therese M]

Thanks for all your replies. When we got her, they seemed to think she was perfectly healthy, which made us comfortable taking her. We all assume that her issues are antibiotic related. She’s been to 2 vets, both think the same. Other than the not eating, she’s overall healthy. We have insurance for her, so if we need additional testing it’s not a problem for us to cover it, but neither vet mentioned anything about it. We’re not giving her back- we’ll work out what we need to to get her better. We’ve had (sick) pets before just not a dog.

I tried Costco canned but I didn’t get the stew one and she hated it, although it looked pretty gross to me too. She really likes gravy- she’ll lick that out of the bowl first then eat the chunks with other brands. I can get the stew kind- I was looking at it last time I was there actually.

This is the info on Cesars: “The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 44%, a fat level of 19% and estimated carbohydrates of about 28%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 45% and a mean fat level of 21%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 26% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.
Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And below-average carbs as compared to a typical wet dog food.”

The paste looks like it would be very helpful- I’ll ask about that tomorrow. I’ll get the costco stew today, no more dry, low fat. Thank you all for your help- Lucy certainly appreciates it!

[anonymous]

Communicate with your vet that the antibiotic is making her nauseous (from what you can tell).
On more than one occasion I have had the vet change the antibiotic to a different one, problem solved. There are other broad spectrum antibiotics that may be able to be used.
Something to keep in mind, have the vet note on her record that this antibiotic does not agree with her.

Stop worrying about the quality of ingredients in this food and that food, you can worry about that later, if and when she is stable.

I told you, dogs LOVE Mighty Dog and they have gravy formulas. I have owned dogs for over 30 years, I think I know a thing or two.

Another trick, supermarket rotisserie chicken meat (no bones, of course). I have NEVER seen a dog refuse it, mix it with the prescription food and a splash of water and watch her eat!
Try it and let us know.

Oh, and take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt 🙂
For science based veterinary medicine go here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by anonymous.

[Therese M]

The vet knows the antibiotics are making her nauseous. She gave us a couple anti nausea pills when we were there. She basically said she weighs enough that just waiting out the antibiotics is okay- I guess for heartworms one antibiotic is the best and that’s what she’s on?

We did the rotisserie chicken and she did eat it, I was just worried about all the salt. If we start mixing things she won’t touch it so I dont think we can mix in the prescription stuff. If we mix with dry food she picks out the good stuff, if we mix with wet she won’t touch any of it. The vet said return that if she isn’t eating it so we will. Vet suggested we try Fromms which she wouldnt touch so I took it back. I’ll get mighty dogs- I know I saw that at target. We only have one tray of cesars left so I need to get more of something today anyway. 🙂

[anonymous]

When she is stable, Zignature is a quality food (imo). Stop worrying about ingredients and quality, she needs the calories right now, no matter how she gets them. She could probably use a little extra salt right now. You want to jump start the appetite, that is the goal.
I would pick up another rotisserie chicken 🙂
Keep us updated, we are all pulling for her.

[Therese M]

I’m not worried about ingredients so much as something that isn’t 16 trays a day! Surely there’s a big dog food like cesars- I just cant figure out what is in that that she likes so much. Hopefully Mighty Dogs will work! Thanks- I appreciate it!

[Randy D]

With her stomach not being right, forget the recommended amount. Let her eat whatever she can handle, and 2-3 trays may be it. Think about when you’re sick-you don’t want to eat much, if anything. Just try to get her a couple of days past the course of antibiotics and see if she is feeling better. Until then the rotisserie chicken and PB and pepperoni and Cesar’s will have to suffice.

[pitlove]

Hi Therese-

My Lab was being weird about food recently and I found that he really like any of the Hill’s Science Diet stew canned foods they just came out with not too long ago. They come in larger cans, but are not very cheap. Still might be an option for you though.

Best of luck with your pup. I hope she feels better soon and makes a full recovery from her heartworms.

[Jill T]

Hi! Just wondering if they have checked the dog for pancreatitis and have done any bloodwork? Also has anyone checked the dog for intestinal parasites? Since we are positive for heartworm, which is a very expensive, and long, drawn out treatment, it would not surprise me if we are positive for giardia, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworm, or any other intestinal parasite. Bland diet is the best choice for her right now, such as boiled, skinless, boneless chicken and white rice. If she has pancreatitis it my take a couple days for her to want to eat. The pancreas needs to rest, and if she does have it Caesar’s and Mighty dog are high in fat, which is the worst thing you can give your dog with pancreatitis. I’ve worked with animals for 15 years and have a dog prone to pancreatitis. She will always have to be on a low fat diet for the rest of her life. Her only treats she is able to have with no issues is pieces of her regular diet or it sends her into a bout of pancreatitis. Good luck with your dog and I really hope she recovers from this. If she is this nauseous from the antibiotics, I would sincerely hope the veterinarian would recommend changing it to something else. Hope this helps a little.

[Therese M]

Wow mighty dogs worked!!! She ate a beef and a chicken one. Along with a bowl of goats milk I’m super happy with that meal! Trying to get her to eat pumpkin now but this will work for me! Thanks for all your suggestions!

Shes had bloodwork twice- once when we got her and I took her back 10 days later for a followup. Results were normal. How do I know what other issues she might have? Are there symptoms I should be looking for? Especially curious about the pancreas- if the vet didnt say anything about it, is it not an issue or is it being missed?

[Randy D]

Good news indeed!

[anonymous]

Glad to hear that something worked!
As far as other medical problems, don’t go there. I am sure your vet will bring it up if additional tests are needed. Once a year for an annual checkup and labs, heartworm check is more than enough.
There is concern for over diagnosis http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=overdiagnosis
or even worse “Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy” it can occur with pets, veterinarians keep their eyes open for it.

Focus on getting her well nourished and settled in her new home so she can tolerate the heartworm treatment. That is enough to worry about for now.

[Susan]

Hi Therese,
Glad you have finally found something Lucy likes, so she is a gravy lover like most dogs, this must be the type of food her original owner feed her gravy type stews, now when you give her her anitibiotics make sure she is taking them on a full stomach, this is why she’d be feeling nauseous, antibiotic’s must be taken with a meal & if she wasnt really eating much it would be hard to give her her meds…..

With Pancreatitis just make sure the fat in a wet tin food is 4% & below when feeding some wet tin foods, some are 5,6,7,8,9% min in fat, eating high fat foods 24/7 can cause Pancreatitis.. even with this Mighty Dog 1 food might be 3%min fat then another formula might be 6%min fat, just make sure you read the can first, if you see 5%min fat min when you convert 5%min fat it will be around 20-25% max fat, depending on the brand when it’s converted to dry matter, so it’s best to stay around the 2-4%fat in wet tin foods, for now just stick with the mighty dog wet tin food, then once she is off all her meds & she is feeling heaps better you can venture out & try better quality foods…

Hills Science Diet has their new Youthful Vitality 7+ Chicken & Vegetable Stew, the can is lime/green back round with a border collie dog running on the side, the Youthful Vitility food has everything a dog needs, even thought Lucy is only 3 she could be in poor condition on the inside, the Youthful Vitility Stew has antioxidants for brain support, L-carnitine helps with stomach & diarrhea, Vitamins C & E help bolster a strong immune system, Omega 3 & 6 for skin & coat & has high quality ingredients, the fat is 15%max, Hills converts all their wet tin foods fat, protein, fiber etc it’s on their Hills site, even if you just buy 3-4 tins a week & she gets 1 tin every second night for dinner or breakfast, if she does not eat this food then wash out the Hills tin & take it back to Pet Shop, Hills is guaranteed money back for palability….it’s a bit embarassing but the workers get to know you & your dog…
also instead of the boiled pumkin, try boiled sweet potato, the orange sweet potato, maybe its called Yams in America, it’s healthy like pumkin & taste like pumkin but it’s sweeter, just add 1spoon mixed thru wet tin food, I boil cut up squares about the size of 1 spoon & freeze then I take out when I need 1-2 spoons to add to a meal, it thaws very quickly & then heat in micro wave so its not cold, that’s another reason dogs & cats won’t eat their food if its cold from the fridge, I warm my cats wet & raw food for just 7-8 second to take off the chill..

[Therese M]

Thank you guys so much for your help. She’s doing so much better. She scarfed down a couple cans of purina one smartblend and a can of Costco stew. She even ate the Costco stuff with pumpkin mixed in. Plus some dry with wet mixed in. Zignature is sending me samples and coupons- super helpful and so nice. I’ve also had great customer service from muenster which is the local brand the rescue feeds. I’d love to get her on that to support them but I’ll take what I can get now. Puking stopped, diarrhea is still going on but hoping the antibiotics ending will clear that up. So much less stress right now and she’s obviously happier too. Found some high cal treats to help get her bigger for her next treatment too. Still trying for at least 5 lbs, vet said some extra would be better bc she’ll lose a few during treatment. Funny I can put on 10 lbs overnight but she doesn’t seem to share that genetic disposition.

[Randy D]

That’s great! I’m in the dallas area(north toward Denton) and muenster is one I am liking to get my pup on. Tried a few samples and he liked em.

[Therese M]

I bet if we tried again she might like a different one. We had chicken and switched to the fish. I have $100 worth of the fish sitting in the dining room so I’d really like her to eat that! Pet store said I could swap it though so that’s okay. Right now I’d like her to finish *any* of the bags of dry we have open. Making progress for sure. We live in Dallas so luckily lots of choices and we have an A&M vet.

[anonymous]

Glad to hear things are improving. Remember to add a little water to any dry food 🙂
Be careful about overfeeding, as much as you would like her to gain weight, rapid weight gain can have issues.
Slow and steady is better.

[Susan]

She won’t gain any weight while having diarrhea, just feed one brand formula for now, feed the wet tin food that was the chuckest & wasnt al mashed up & sloppy or best to feed home cook boiled chicken & boiled potato while taking antibiotics & having her diarrhea… you need to firm up poo’s, check her gums make sure they are pink & not white, her gums need some colour in them, you don’t want her to dehydrate especially if it’s hot, also pinch & pull up her skin on 1 of her front paws after you have pulled up her fur/skin, does it go back to the bone quickly?…

[Therese M]

We have Answers goat milk but I dont see anything else available around here. Which products do you use and how do you feed?

Lucy had bloody diarrhea this morning so we’re headed back to the vet this afternoon. So frustrating. Having the vet do ALL THE TESTS today. We’re having a crash course in crate training today also so rough day her for.

Someone mentioned Diggin Firm Up. Any experience with that? She’s not getting anything until after the vet but I can grab it tonight if it might help. We have fruitables canned digestive stuff with pumpkin but she won’t eat it. 🙁

[anonymous]

Stop the goat milk, and stop all supplements unless recommended by the vet. You are throwing too many things at her. Keep her diet BLAND and SIMPLE.
Ask the vet, he will tell you. Stop wasting your money on phony baloney crap.

[Therese M]

She hasn’t had any food today. I don’t think I said she had? We’re doing what the vet says. Just asking about the product in case the vet says pumpkin which doesn’t work for us.

[anonymous]

It’s like with people, when they are sick all they can eat are one or two things that are bland and that agree with them (ginger ale, saltine crackers, chicken soup).
Just the thought of canned pumpkin makes me want to gag.
Just saying, sometimes less is more. See what your vet advises.
Ps: Another food change is the last thing I would do right now. Wait till she is stable.
Try to use the prescription food, at least as a base with a topper (canned food) and water added.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Theresa M:
Sounds like you’re on top of the care for your dog as you wrote you are “doing what the Vet says.”

My Vet recommends pumpkin for my cats and dog. It worked wonders for my cat a few years ago that was on his death bed from a life threatening reaction to a med. He was not eating and dehydrated. Euthanizing was discussed, pumpkin worked for him!

However, I wouldn’t fool around trying out too many things to remedy diarrhea especially with her condition. Dehydration happens before you know it. If an OTC remedy doesn’t work quickly I would have a back up plan in place with my Vet.

I have never used Firm up, but I think several regulars on DFA have. Maybe they will read this and post their experiences. Some other things I have used to firm things up are apple sauce and sweet potatoes.

Hoping the best for you and Lucy.

[Therese M]

Well she has giardia. Vet said chicken, rice, goats milk, pumpkin, nothing else. Easy enough. Poor girl is miserable. Thanks for your continued suggestions.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Therese-
May I ask what you are giving her to get rid of the Giardia? Both my dogs had it and it can be a bugger to get rid of. They didn’t lose their appetites though. Did they prescribe Panacur C?

[Therese M]

Panacur granules for 5 days not the typical 3 plus metronidazole for 2 weeks (apparently this stuff tastes HORRIFIC. I had to throw her chicken only diet out the window and hide it in a huge chunk of ham before she ate it. My husband has had it and says even if you swallow fast it’s the grossest thing he’s ever tasted).

The vet said we could do the panacur through saturday and if she wasnt better add the antibiotic but bc she was just on the last antibiotic she wants her cleared out completely. Bumped the goats milk up to 1 cup a day and approved my probiotic on top of that. Said keep the probiotic through the heartworm treatment which is now on hold bc of this.

She was lethargic before- I assumed she felt crappy from the antibiotic and the vet wasn’t concerned. Now she’s fully awful. She fell asleep during the vet appt and in the car on the way home. She ate almost a whole chicken (YAY) and is asleep again. She normally stirs when I walk by but right now shes fully out.

Shes a hard one for sure but I cant imagine her being anywhere else but with us. She’ll get better. Right now it’s hard explaining to the kids how awful she feels. They’re not old enough to really get it. Hopefully by monday shes turned around and I can go back to the food discussion. :-/

[Susan]

Hi Therese,
I would be doing research on treating Giardia & research treating Heartworm, I would treat & get rid of Lucy’s Giarda first then wait 1 month re test poo’s to make sure the Giardia is all gone, if not you’ll need to do another round of Panacur C to kill the Giardia & a round of Metronidazole to kill any bad bacteria in stomach & bowel, then when the Giardia is all gone wait a month again make sure her poos have firmed up & stay firm everyday then re test her poo’s again to see if the Giardia has gone…. Is her vet a good vet, is he treating her Giardia? some vets become attached to their patients & are really good, if you feel her vet isn’t really good look for another vet in the area, a busy vet practice normally have very good vets….

Lucy is in a bad way & needs to heal her stomach & bowel first to become healthy enough to handle the Heartworm treatment….
70% of our immune system is in the gut, a healthy gut is a healthy dog….
once all her antibotic treatment is finished for the Giardia & her Giardia has gone then start giving Purina “Forti Floria:” probiotic, a few dog probiotics were tested & “Forti Floria” had live cultures & came 1st best dog probiotic, you can give probiotic 3 hours before you give antibiotics or 3 hours after you’ve given antibiotics….or just wait till course of antibiotics is finished, Probiotics help stop diarrhea, until the Giardia is treated she’ll have diarrhea..
With the boiled rice buy the short grain rice, it’s a short fat grain rice with rounded corners or there’s long grain rice it’s long skinny rice with pointy corners. Hills use the short grain rice in their I/d Intestinal Health wet canned vet formula’s, you have to over boil the rice so the rice swells & it’s gluggy & there’s no sharp corner’s on the rice like the long grain rice has…..cause her bowel is irritated from having Giardia & diarrhea at the moment boiled rice can irritate her bowel more causing more diarrhea, this happened with my boy, but she might be OK with boiled rice, some dogs are but if she’s not then try boiled potatoes instead like I’ve suggested in my first post…..
Crazy4Cats has dealt & with Giardia & it’s hard to get rid of….

[Therese M]

I’m not doing research on anything. We have a great vet and do what she says. She said no heartworm treatment until the giardia is gone. It’s a little complicated in that the heartworm treatments are coming from the vet at the rescue (we dont pay so we’re going back there), but they can talk as needed. She’s a Texas A&M vet which is the only school I’d take my pets to. A&M is the best for veterinary schools, at least in this area. The vet recommended Synacore probiotic which we have and have been using for a week now. She said Synacore was the best bc it has more than just probiotics in it. Potatoes were not given as an option for her diet right now, only chicken, white rice, pumpkin, goats milk until Monday. We’re closely following her guidelines, so while I appreciate other advice, we won’t be following it if it contradicts what the vet says. Last time we were in we got Hill’s ID and she refused to eat it. I dont blame her it looked disgusting. We returned the rest while we were in today. The vet didnt seem to think it was hard to treat at all- she said normally the dewormer alone works but we dont want to wait any longer and have her lose more weight so she added the antibiotic today anyway. She does do 5 days of dewormer instead of the recommended 3 so maybe that’s the difference?

[anonymous]

“I’m not doing research on anything. We have a great vet and do what she says. She said no heartworm treatment until the giardia is gone. It’s a little complicated in that the heartworm treatments are coming from the vet at the rescue (we dont pay so we’re going back there), but they can talk as needed. She’s a Texas A&M vet which is the only school I’d take my pets to. A&M is the best for veterinary schools, at least in this area”

“She said Synacore was the best bc it has more than just probiotics in it. Potatoes were not given as an option for her diet right now, only chicken, white rice, pumpkin, goats milk until Monday. We’re closely following her guidelines, so while I appreciate other advice, we won’t be following it if it contradicts what the vet says.”

“The vet didnt seem to think it was hard to treat at all- she said normally the dewormer alone works but we dont want to wait any longer and have her lose more weight so she added the antibiotic today anyway. She does do 5 days of dewormer instead of the recommended 3 so maybe that’s the difference?”

@ Therese M

YAY! EXACTLY! Go by what the vet advises, no one else! Myself included, lol
Sometimes I have to stop reading these type of forums for a while because I cringe at some of the advice being doled out. My vet rolled his eyes when I mentioned online pet forums.
PS: I have heard of the wormer being given 5 days vs 3, vet wants to be sure it works.
Lucy is on the road to recovery! I detect a positive vibe. And don’t think she isn’t aware of all the care you are giving her, it will aid in her overcoming her ailments 🙂

[anonymous]

Delete. I have decided it is best not to respond.

I wish the original poster the best of luck and I am so glad she has found a vet that she trusts and is working closely with.
I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

[Therese M]

Thanks for your continued concern. Susan, where did you go to vet school? Have you examined Lucy? Do you have her past medical records that include more information than what is posted on here? I’m married to a physician and know how much medical professionals hate people doing their own research, and when I know nothing about how dogs, how am I supposed to know what information is correct? Why would you think enzymes are only for pancreas problems? Enzymes break down food into easier to digest forms. That’s just chemistry. If it were harmful why would my professionally licensed vet not only be okay with it but recommend it? How did you end up with more knowledge than my vet? 🙄

[crazy4cats]

Hi Therese-
I’m sooo glad to hear your vet prescribed the Panacur for five days rather than the standard three. Hopefully, that will take care of it. Often a second five day course is needed. Also, I believe the probiotic will be helpful. You need to make her tummy as healthy as possible to rid of those nasty parasites. In addition, the pumpkin will be helpful as it is high in fiber.

Sounds like your pup is in good hands. She is very lucky. My dogs, who are a lab/golden mix came to me a little sick too. They now, are the most energetic, happy dogs I’ve ever had. Honestly, a little too energetic.

We are all pulling for her. Best wishes!

[Randy D]

Therese, it sounds like Lucy is in good hands and you finally have an idea of what’s wrong and a solid plan to treat it. When I’m sick, I try to follow the doctors directions, and common sense dictates that I would do the same for my dog. Good luck to Lucy from a fellow Texan.

[anonymous]

Forgot to mention that an acquaintance of mine adopted an adult lab mix a couple of years ago, the dog came from a shelter down south. Initially the dog tested negative for heartworm, when he went in for a routine heartworm check a few months later he was positive, vet said sometimes it can take a few months to show up.
Anyway, the dog got the complete heartworm treatment…..I think it went on for quite a while, with the follow up and all.
The only side effects noted from the heartworm treatment were lethargy, dog appeared tired and slept more, and occasional loose stools.
Other than that, all went well. The dog has no other issues now, eats a variety of foods and a Purina kibble as a base.
Well, he’s slightly overweight because the owner shares his food with him The dog was thin when he got him.
His vet and I have told him, less food and more walks 🙂
Hope this helps.

[InkedMarie]

Anon: I saw your first response; there wasn’t anything wrong with it, you didn’t need to delete it. I agree.

[anonymous]

@ Marie
Thanks, I appreciate that.
We all don’t have to agree. But, there is no need for name calling and such.
Unfortunately, the moderators put the responsibility on us to report inappropriate posts.
I don’t think that’s right.
I don’t care to complain about anyone. It’s not worth it.

[Author]

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