man and beast

[veg tom]

about four months ago we got an a Italian grayhound dog. The people we got it from said they had to many dogs so wanted to give a few away. We already had an ig [16 years old now] such sweet dogs, Very smart. Took a look at her and first thing about her was she was fat[never though that they could get over weight] and she had a bad cough. Ovcourse we asked about that and they said it was bad allergies and gave us meds to control them. They gave us the dog for free also a cage and a bunch of stuff and all her paper work from 3 different vets. After a few days we thought it was more. had the wife call the last vet and asked about it and they said just that it was allergies.
Ok we thought maybe it was the food they were feeding her [wounder where I got that from ] It went on for a short time because when we got the dog it saw the vet 2 week before we got her. She was not getting better so we took her to our vet. He checked the heart and in 2 sec I saw the look on his face that something was very wrong [we had a good idea]. Well long story short we walked out of the office 6 hundred dollars shorter and 6 different meds. Wow 2 weeks later she was not getting better,we took her back to the vet more meds another 150 dollars. Ok this went on for a while and she was getting worse [she was very sick] More money later[ we now have 1300 dollars in her] . She was now getting expense but sweet dog poor baby. No one else will take a sick dog and she cant take care of herself,so I guess its us u know. As time passed she still was not getting better was still feeding her good food [the last 3 dogs we had did very good on the food we were feeding her]. Our other ig is almost 14 years old and the dog before made it to 17 years with no health problems so.
I was watching a dr.mcd video and he was showing an x-ray of a person with an enlarged heart and how diet fixed them. I thought dud its the food. I put her on only rice,carrots, and a little peanut butter to put her meds in. she started to get better in 2 days.Wow that was fast.Took her to the vet yesterday and good news is she lost 5 lbs her heart is getting better and he reduced some meds,[she is now 22 lbs] still a little more to go. We told the vet what we did and he said the rice,carrots,and pb was fine for a life time. I was surprised he agreed she has some perment damage but doing much better.She will always take some meds [according to the vet] but we will see. Its the food I wounder where I heard that from.

[mountain]

veg tom, this dog can be so happy that you found him/her.
But I learned a bit about dog food and I would suggest that instead of rice (dogs aren't made to eat grains etc) you feed him cooked sweat potato/ yams. She also needs some veggies and they can't digest them unless they are blended very well. And instead of peanut butter I would suggest coconut oil. And from all I learned, dogs don't get high cholesterol so I would definitely give some raw meat as well.
My daughter's dog has a liver shunt and he can only have a very minor amount of animal protein and he is doing wonderful on the above food. And I switched my little rescue (a Chihuahua/pug combo ) to a raw diet and she does amazing. No more swollen belly because the kibble takes forever to digest.
Hope you don't mind me telling you all this, but I love dogs ...actually all animals!

[patty]

veg tom, this dog can be so happy that you found him/her.
But I learned a bit about dog food and I would suggest that instead of rice (dogs aren't made to eat grains etc) you feed him cooked sweat potato/ yams. She also needs some veggies and they can't digest them unless they are blended very well. And instead of peanut butter I would suggest coconut oil. And from all I learned, dogs don't get high cholesterol so I would definitely give some raw meat as well.
My daughter's dog has a liver shunt and he can only have a very minor amount of animal protein and he is doing wonderful on the above food. And I switched my little rescue (a Chihuahua/pug combo ) to a raw diet and she does amazing. No more swollen belly because the kibble takes forever to digest.
Hope you don't mind me telling you all this, but I love dogs ...actually all animals!

I have a 8th month papillon and she has just been on dried food. What type of raw meat do you purchase? And veg tom I too am so happy for the greyhound. In visiting my friend at a convalescent i noticed a lot of the residents are given stuffed animals to hold. They are such wonderful comforters.

Aloha, patty

[veg tom]

her name is lixey but I call her sweetie and I will take all advice never had a dog this sick.

[mountain]

Patty, to answer your question....I give me dog human grade meat and I switch between beef, pork and some seafood. I also give her pork ribs with the bone in it....you wouldn't believe how fast those disappear
It sure is gross to cut up the meat but I have a special cutting board I use for her meat. And I read that there have been more e coli recalls with kibble than with meat. And I used to just use my hand to get some kibble out of the bag and into her dish...yuck, yuck, yuck....I didn't know better back then.

[baardmk]

Very good of you veg tom to figure this out for your dog.

I wonder why is it even more difficult to figure out what a dog should be eating than what people should be eating. There's regularly threads on this. Many pets' diets are easy, but not the dog's, I find.

I think rice can be wonderful to dogs as well as humans, but I don't know what the 100% ideal diet for dogs is.

[nayasmom]

Dogs are scavengers, like coyotes, and they rarely hunt their food. That's why you see them digging in trash bins and eating cat poo and all that loveliness. If they kill something, usually they don't eat it.

Dogs are also omnivores, so they eat a variety of foods - animals, berries, etc. Feeding a domestic dog a varied diet of meats, veg, some fruits, nuts, and so on will keep them healthy.

Now, for a sick dog, it's different. When my Dorian got into some kind of poison and went into liver failure, she didn't want to eat anything. She had to be kept at the veterinary for IV fluids and I got to visit with her once a day, but no more often than that so that she wouldn't get anxious and upset.

When she had her spinal cord injury, quiet was what the doctor ordered then.

So, here is what I have learned to take care of a sick dog. First, no excitement. Keep them contained, keep them quiet, strictly limit their stimulation. This means no walks, no play with other dogs, and contact only for petting, not playing.
Second, encourage plenty of fluids, and you can put some chicken broth into the drinking water to facilitate this. The sodium in the broth will help with electrolytes.
Third, feed whatever they will eat, but keep it simple and light. Overcooked rice in chicken broth is good (low sodium broth or use only enough to flavor the cooking water), with a few pieces of white meat. Baby food pureed meat (lamb is my choice in this case) is good, like a tablespoon at a time. Pumpkin puree should be mixed into the food if the dog will eat that.
Fourth, keep them warm, protected, and loved.

Sick dogs will lose weight. I have a photo of my Dorian when she was learning how to walk again, and she was skinny already to begin with (half whippet) but was downright skeletal after the trauma. It's natural to worry, but they do have a built-in defense mechanism and will take nourishment to stay alive as long as it's available and easy.
Dogs, like many animals, tend to prefer isolation when ill. They want to be quiet and still. They aren't thrilled with being cooed over, but accept and sometimes welcome just the presence of their human.
This particular dog is going through depression as well, from being abandoned by its family. That takes time to work through, so be patient.

I recommend "Natural Care for Dogs and Cats" by Dr. Pitcairn, if it's still in print. It's the best book I've ever had on the subject of appropriate diets for dogs. There's a section for feeding sick animals too.
Time will heal this dog. Be patient, try not to fuss (at least not in public). Communicate with your "inside voice". Your dog will hear it. A head bonk is appropriate too, a gentle one.
Robyn

[veg tom]

Thanks for the advice. She was at one point on 6 meds now down to 3 with a reduction of some of the 3.
the one thing about her is she is so friendly when she first meets someone she is super sweet. I like the idea of chicken brough in the rice.
I know dogs eat meat [I do not] She almost died , she got to the point where she would not respond to anyone talking for about 5 min, after we first got her. That is why I like hearing from dr. mcd people they tend to be intelligent.

[nayasmom]

With sighthounds, it's very rare for overweight to occur. It's a sign, to me, of neglect. Dogs are pack animals, and sighthounds seem especially attuned to the pack leader. When they are abandoned, they turn into themselves. That's the depression I mentioned.
When I adopted my Dorian, she was several pounds underweight. She was with her rescue mom for several months, and had been mistreated prior to that, and was not socialized to other dogs, so the living situation was highly stressful for her. I met the rescue mom at the veterinary for the "hand-off" and Dorian just jumped into my car carrying her bully stick, which she never actually chewed. it was her blankie. She and I were meant for each other, but there was still a transition period of about a year while we came to an understanding of who is in charge and who is not in charge. Even now, as a disabled incomplete paraplegic, she is one of the most stubborn dogs I've ever met. Friends who have taken care of my dogs while I was away have remarked the same thing.

It sounds like your IG is coming along nicely. Keep her diet simple and her body will do the rest. It's important to keep stimulation minimal, too. Walks, not runs. Body massages, not roughhousing. Head bonks, not shouting. She'll thank you later.
Robyn