Not eating - advice?

[calsmum]

Hi there,

My lovely boy Cal has been having tummy troubles for about 6 months. We’ve had him in and out of the vets and they just can’t find anything wrong. His last trip was last Monday where they did more tests and some scans - we’re waiting on the results of those, but they’ve said it’s nothing obvious.

I’m really worried - he’s not eaten a proper meal since we brought him back from his last vet trip (5 days ago), just the odd few sausages, or treats, but mostly he’s turning his nose up at those too. He’s drinking water with no problem, but is losing weight. He’s mostly sleeping, but will still smile and greet us when anyone comes back home, and then goes back to bed.

I’m going to ring the emergency vet tonight/tomorrow - how long can he go on without a proper meal? I’m just posting in desperation really in case anyone has any ideas or advice. The vets seem completely in the dark and I’m worried we’re going to lose him if we don’t turn this around quickly...

[ragsysmum]

Worrying when they won't eat for no obvious reason I know. Could be the recent hot weather has upset him more than usual especially if he has a dodgy tummy anyway. Something really smelly/tasty like sardines or pouches of cat food sometimes gets their appetites going again and the vets can usually give an injection to help. Have they checked his mouth/teeth/throat in case there is something sore there or a growth or obstruction of some sort making it difficult or painful for him to eat. Is your vet greyhound savvy as this breed do have some idiosyncrasies and you really need a vet used to greys? Many do have sensitive tummies and can be a bit difficult till you find a brand of food which suits them. Have you spoken to his original breeder/owner/rescuers to see how he was with them and what he was fed? Hope you get some answers soon and do please let us know how you go on.

[jodav]

Some good questions posed made by Ragysmum which are very useful in considering how best to help Cal. Also how old is Cal, has he previously been eating well and what do you usually feed?
I have an older hound who doesn't always eat kibble but she will eat food I cook.
I wish you the best of luck with Cal and would urge you to speak with a vet with as much greyhound knowledge as possible.

[calsmum]

Thanks both for replying. We’ve had Cal for 7 years - he’s probably about 9, but he was an RSPCA rescue, and they had no history for him. He’s always been a bit picky, and gets bored of the same food easily. He’s led me a merry dance over the years in and out of pet shops searching for new food to interest him... but this time he won’t even have treats. I’ve never known him to turn down a cocktail sausage, but he just walks away from them now.

I took him in to see the vet this morning and she has said that she thinks it’s either inflammation of the digestive tract, or cancer of the stomach lining. She’s going to treat him for the first in the hope that it works, but if there’s no improvement over the week she thinks it’s likely to be cancer. Please send him good thoughts - he’s a real gentleman and an important part of our family!

[jodav]

Sending lots of healing thoughts for Cal and I really hope the first treatment for digestive tract inflammation works and that it's not cancer. A terrible worry for you. Obviously you must be guided by your vet's advice as to what food he can have and what is easily digested as he is so poorly. I assume he's rejecting all kibble so have you tried a small amount of microwaved white fish with a sprinkle of grated cheese and a spoonful of rice to get his interest if your budget allows it? Frozen white fish can be bought at not too bad a cost. Other foods I use are roasted sweet potato, pasta and turkey mince etc.
He sounds like a lovely lad with a special place in your heart. Fingers crossed for him.

[ragsysmum]

Very best wishes for the vet treatment to work for your boy. Do let us know how things go with him.

[greybeard]

Agree with Jodav's food suggestions.Our little girl Jem has problems with pancreatitis,refused to eat prescription diet,so we home cook.Iceland(not promoting ,but we found is a lot cheaper)has good quality white fish.Local market for chicken breast,she loves cottage cheese and yogurt,zero fat preferably.Eggs ,hard boiled or scrambled,loves porridge but water, not milk.Perry is old now and needs tempting,but mainly eats the same. Good thoughts for Cal -Cath.

[calsmum]

I just wanted to update this and let you know that we lost Cal yesterday. He was very poorly and dropped from 29 kilos to 23 kilos in just over a month. They're now fairly certain it was cancer of the stomach lining. He never stopped trying to smile and wanted to be around us right up until the end - but he was very ill over the last 24 hours.

He's broken my heart. We're absolutely devastated at his loss. He's my first dog, and I feel truly blessed, and incredibly spoilt, to have found him and loved him for 7 years.

[calsmum]

I'd also like to add that I found the greyhound gap forum when we first got Cal (and had no clue how special greyhounds and lurchers are). The forum has helped me to be a better parent - there's such a lot of help on here. I hope that it keeps going - I'm sure we'll eventually get another greyhound.

[ragsysmum]

So very sorry for your loss. Fly free sweet Cal.

[greybeard]

So sorry.Have fun at the Bridge Cal,happy and well again.Cath

[flosspeople]

So sad. Run free at Rainbow Bridge Cal

[lurcherlot]

I'm so sorry.

[jodav]

So sorry. Run free Cal.

[gvgeam]

So sorry xx