Faith won't EAT!

[RoughCollies]

Okay, well she will eat, but not the way she should be. I have to REALLY coax her to get her to even nibble at her food. We were just at the vets and she had a full exam, nothing was wrong but her UTI. At one point, she had a decent food drive. Now, it's like I have to fight her on it everytime. I have tried putting food down, walking away, taking it up. Then, she throws up stomach acid. I can't damage her stomach any more than it already is. So, we were giving a diet of almost all food roll. Now, not even that will do it. She is getting canned food, dry food, and food roll. So, taste is not the issue. She LOVES the canned food. Beef Tripe used to be her favorite thing in the world. Now, I can't get her too munch on it at all. I am force feeding her when it comes down to it. Once she gets going, she seems to feel better. It's not like eating is making her sick. Just the opposite as a matter of fact. But now, I can't get her to eat in the first place. OY!

[Aria]

have you tried some " human food" such as chicken, and rice? maybey she is having a negative reaction to the food she is used to eating, since she was sick so many times after not eating or being " forced" to eat. It could be all in her head. I would try something that she might not get al the time but is her fave, introduce small amounts at a time and mabey that will help her get her appitite back.

If you didn't want to use human food ( if she isn't used to it), i know that my dog started eating again on the Authority brand dog food, ( usually sold at petsmart), it was the lamb and rice formula. Kinda smells like liver pate. However the smell may make your dog think its most palatable. I hope something works for ya good luck , and keep us updated =)

[RoughCollies]

Originally Posted by Aria

have you tried some " human food" such as chicken, and rice? maybey she is having a negative reaction to the food she is used to eating, since she was sick so many times after not eating or being " forced" to eat. It could be all in her head. I would try something that she might not get al the time but is her fave, introduce small amounts at a time and mabey that will help her get her appitite back.

She was never sick after being forced to eat. When she is sick if she doesn't eat, it's becuase she has a large acid build up problem. I have been trying to mix in new things, but I can't always add other things. I don't want to get into that habit and not be able to get out of it.


If you didn't want to use human food ( if she isn't used to it), i know that my dog started eating again on the Authority brand dog food, ( usually sold at petsmart), it was the lamb and rice formula. Kinda smells like liver pate. However the smell may make your dog think its most palatable. I hope something works for ya good luck , and keep us updated =)[/quote]

Thanks, for the suggestion, but the food she is on now is the only food that I have found that doesn't bother her. It has to be an all natural, very basic food or her tummy goes wack. I finally found a food that works for her, but now I need to get her to eat it, lol... can't win!

[loveukaykay]

I am coming across this forum as I am sitting here hugging my beatutiful Kayla's favorite toy and her sweater, crying and wondering what point there is to go on in life without her. I have experienced nothing like this before and don't have a clue how I am going to make it through.

Kayla stopped eating, well she would eat a piece or two after much coaxing but that's it. After about a week we decided she needed to go to the vet, we did actually get her to eat a hamburger patty which she really wanted (that was no problem getting her to eat it) because we thought she just needed SOMETHING in her system. Is your dog drinking more water than normal? Kayla sure did drink a lot. I took her to the vet, her full physical exam was fine but the vet said not eating is serious so she took blood. The results came back, Kayla had pancreatitis. Vet said to leave her there to get fluids and nutrition from an iv. I took her back the following two days for the same thing during the full business hours, taking her home at night. After the third day we redid the blood work, and the vet said everything was looking great and just to take her home with the antibiotics and antacids, and everything should be back to normal soon. She did seem to eat more, although still not normal.

The second blood work was done Wednesday 3-15-06. Friday night, Sat. morning (this morning) at about 5:00am while sleeping in her usual spot, in the bed with my husband and I under the covers right between us with her head on one of our pillows we heard a noise and both woke up. I reached over to turn on the light, well she had just died. Right there. In like, 2 seconds.

We brought her in for a necropsy today and found out that her pancreas had hemmoraged and killed her. All I could figure was that I had waited too long to bring her in in the first place and by the time we did it had damaged itself so bad that the treatment didnt help. The vet said thats not necessarily the case.

This is so fresh in my mind - she was 3 and a half, the most beautiful thing to ever walk the earth, I have been so lucky to have had her in my life for the time I did, and I am just trying to find the strength to go on. She was our daughter - she was not a dog. Ms. Personality. The sweetest, most loving angel in the world.

Please do not take this chance go get a blood test done asap.

Also, do reserch of pancreatitis see if her symptoms match... and DO NOT force her to eat... DO NOT give her table food. Should pancreatitis be the case you will only contribute to the problem.

PANCREATITIS: (in my words im not a doctor)
The pancreas becmes aggravated (reasons vary - usually due to a high fat diet, or one instance where they ate something high fat ex. got into a bag of chocolates, fat from the grill, etc.) and secretes too much of the enzymes it normally does to digest food. Thus leaking in a way and "digesting" or harming itself and the organs around it. This can usually be treated, but as in my case, can be fatal.

Symptoms include lack of appetite, depression, dehydration, abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever... among others. Please visit www.peteducation.com and type in pancreatitis to find out more. If you do a search you get get a lot more info too. Most importantly (depending on how long she hasnt been eating) get her to a vet to check for this.

Please keep us in your thoughts as we struggle through losing the love of our lives. Hope this has helped you and good luck.

** Kayla my angel pie, we love you more than anything. Thank you my good girl. **

[Sheltiemama]

Hi RC, have you tried her on probiotic enzymes, like an every day dose? These aid digestion and may help her with her acid stomach. I use the probiotic Acidophilus on Magic, myself and Mom. It's a harmless enzyme that aids digestion and can be found in yogurt or otc in capsule form

[GermanShepherds]

I hope she stars eating!! Inform us ASAP

[RoughCollies]

pancreatitis... After reading up on it a little, it doesn't sound like what she is going through, but I will mention it to the vet on Tuesday. The symptoms didn't sound that much like what she is going through, but I am not going to take any chances.

[mara]

Has she finished her UTI antibiotics? They are very nauseating to alot of people and pups too.

Lovekaykay--I sure hope you are OK. Such a tragic loss. I'm so sorry.

[carrie79]

I agree with the med thoughts. Maybe they are making her feel yucky. Also I dont know if she can handle this or what your thoughts are but here almost every collie owner (even border and bearded) use this stuff called Pimä on their dogs food. It is sort of a soured milk. It helps the digestive and is very gentle on the tummy (we use it with stomach flus believe it or not and it REALLY settles the tummy) Maybe something like that would help? My mom always gave fried chicken with the skin and fat removed and eggs when dogs were feeling yucky from meds...

[loveukaykay]

Thank you mara. Im not handling this well its unbearably painful. dont know what to do, my worst nightmare this cant be happening it cant be true its not fair