# Anorexia



## rokipiki (Oct 15, 2010)

Ever since Roki was six months old we have problem with him not wanting to eat. Sometimes it gets so bad that it is driving me crazy! I tried everything - change the kibble, add some yummies to kibble to tease him to eat, cook his meals, give him raw, warm up his food a little, I even bought thermos bowl (double bowl - you pour hot water inside to that it warms food up). Our trainer said to give him meal in the morning and pick the bowl up after 10 minutes and give him again in the evening and to repeat that procedure umtill he is too hungry to refuse food. I tried everything, read tons of stuff on internet... Went to the vet, checked his mouth, teeth, whole gastro-intestinal tract, did complete bloodwork... 
Right now he is in one of his worst non-eating phases! Three days ago my mother managed to tease him to eat like three spoons of boiled rabbit meat. This mornig he ate the same quantity of kibble. I am on the verge of nervous breakdown! I spend HOURS teasing him to eat! Yesterday it was so bad that I took small Xanax to calm myself down. He was running away from me, not wanting to do tricks, to cuddle, even to take his favourite treats!
I am surfing like mad and have found dozens of diseases symptom of which is chronic anorexia! When he was pup he was eating like mad, always barking when I was prepraring his bowl and then suddenly, overnight, he stopped eating. It coincided with very hot weather sto I tought that he will eat when it cools down. But no! Last summer, during hotest weather he ate like mad, two times a day, for three months! Yes, he has some periods when he eats two meals! Right now he has some small skin outbreak (lesions on ventral neck, beard and muzzle) and I think he badly needs food to heal and get better. Vet told me that skin condition cannot cause that kind of anorexia! 
Anyone has same experience? I really need some advice badly and urgently because i am afraid that he is not getting enough nutirients to stay healthy!
I am desperate!

Marina&Roki


----------



## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

OH, wow, Marina - I am sorry you are so distressed. Has Roki's weight been stable? Has Roki been getting less exercise lately? Aren't you having a wicked winter in your part of the world? Augie is my more finicky eater, and when we don't get outside as much due to the rain, there are times when he eats very little. But his weight remained stable. I was concerned about him, changed his food, and then he was chowing down more, and now he is overweight! He just doesn't need that much. Finn was a huge chow hound until recently, clean up his plate twice a day. He has now probably cut his consumption in half. Both he and Augie eat more after they have been able to get some good play in outside. 

I am guessing Roki is also reacting to your nervousness and stress? 

Maybe he has an allergy to something if he has sores?

Just a couple of thoughts.


----------



## rokipiki (Oct 15, 2010)

Thanks a lot Linda! he is getting plenty of excercise - long walks and playing with his canicne gang in the park:whoo:. His weight is relatively stable - lb. or two up and down. His average weight is around 15 lb. Muscles on his hind legs are just impressive - from RLH with that gang in the park, especiallly with one maltese little lady weighing just 5 lb. 
Last night he ate - plain kibble:frusty: and this mornig as well together with two dried fish sticks. Not much, but he ate! During walk this morning I noticed that he is pulling and snifiing a lot - and there she came - pretty westie lady - in season! I had to carry him away from the park! The second thing is full moon - sooo big that it covered half sky LOL - I am exagarating! but it was really big! And yes, I was nervous and stressed. I took some homeopatic remedies and it is OK now. 
Roki's skin condition is a kind of enigma - we tried food elimination trials, tested on bacteria, fungi, mites... His tyroid is totally healthy, bloodwork perfect, liver enzymes - perfect - a picture of health! Last summer the outbreak was awful, but now it is localized. I am washing him twice a week in Virbac Pyoderm Shampoo. That is wonderfull stuff - it stopped infection after two washes and to my big surprise his coat is now more silky and beautiful than ever and he is regaining his caramel colour. 
My homeopatic doctor started taking dogs as patients. Her lab Rufus has bad tumor in his mouth and vets told her taht he has like couple of months of life left. She stopped all medicines and put him on hoeopatic stuff. Big tumor is completely gone and rufus is happy and healthy dog! She might have an idea for appetite booster for Roki! 

I saw Finn's pics - he is really adorable boy! And Augie is one of my favourites oh tihis forum!

Marina&Roki


----------



## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Well, that rascal, Roki!! He has a thing for Westies, huh?! :biggrin1: We have been dealing with an Irish Setter in Rally class who has been in heat, and Augie has been horrible about his nose to the floor (actually it is a thick layer of sand on the floor of a barn), where the setter sits all through the course, and I am worn out by the end of the night from trying to maintain his attention.

The reason I mentioned allergies is because I *think* that is what Tammy (Tillie's Mom) mentioned before she went to home cooked for Tillie - that Tillie had sores and they did allergy testing and then came up with a formula for home cooked with the help of the canine nutritionist.

I hadn't heard of that shampoo. Is it a prescription shampoo from your Vet? It is great that it is helping.

Thank you for the compliments on my boys. Augie is a sweetheart; he sometimes gets overshadowed by Finn - Finn is a much stronger personality.


----------



## nlb (Feb 26, 2012)

Oh, so sorry to hear this about Roki. He looks so much like what Cassie will look like. I hope he gets better soon, and you can relax!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

motherslittlehelper said:


> The reason I mentioned allergies is because I *think* that is what Tammy (Tillie's Mom) mentioned before she went to home cooked for Tillie - that Tillie had sores and they did allergy testing and then came up with a formula for home cooked with the help of the canine nutritionist. QUOTE]
> 
> yes, I had actually thought the same thing when I read your original post, about the sores. Tillie started out with just one or 2, we thought maybe she had gotten scratched by one of the cats some how. I trimmed around the sores and put neosporin on them and they healed... then a week later they came back and SPREAD like wildfire, it was INSANE! Both ear flaps were covered with the sores (on the outside of the ear) they were ALL over her head and down her neck/throat and chest. Vet estimated she had well over 100 sores when we went in!! It had been about 3 weeks from when she got the first one when I finally took her to the vet. He did skin scrapings to look for parasites, mange, etc ... and they did blood work. It was the blood work that came back showing her extensive food allergies. The vet described the sore as "pustules" and compared them to acne in a teenager, bascially her body pushing out the toxins in her system through her skin. Started home cooking for her when we got the results and she hasn't had a sore since.
> Just something to consider. Has Roki had allergy testing done? Tillie was a VERY lackluster eater also...would leave kibble in her bowl for DAYS and it was because what I was giving her she was actually allergic to! She only ate what was ABSOLUTLY neseccary to live!! On homecooked, she SCARFS her food and has so much more energy!!
> Good luck and keep us posted!


----------



## Wilma (Mar 2, 2010)

Hi everybody, I have been a long time reader but never posted anything yet.
I have a 2&1/2 yr old Havanese named Faith and have had problems with
her itching and scratching since we got her at 8wks. old. Took her to a holistic
vet which told me to change her diet. I now cook for her but she still constantly itches and scratches. Not a good eater at all, eats maybe 1/4 cup of food a day. I ordered the Transfer Factor Plus capsules from the US, I live in Canada. Hoping to get them soon as you said they really helped your boy with the itching. You also said you gave him You also gave him Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil? what strength and how much daily. Would appreciate any help you can give me as this problem just seems to go on and on.

Thanks
Barb


----------



## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

I can't help with the eating. I didn't think it was possible for a dog to starve himself. They can go three days easily though, but usually start eating then. I really don't think that changing food all the time helps. When Rosie gets in one of her I'm not eating my kibble moods, I stop all other food until she goes back to eating the kibble which is her main diet.

But on the subject of dogs in heat--why would anyone take a female in heat to the dog park or training courses with other dogs. Seems extremely rude to me.


----------



## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Tammy, they can test a blood sample for allergies? I may inquire about that. Finn is having his third ear infection. And he has been chewing on his feet. I am thinking it might be an idea to have him checked for allergies. We were supposed to go to the vet this a.m. but the vet has a family member who is quite ill. I will add this question to my list.  

Lucile, the first time this dog showed up at Rally in heat, I was pretty irritated and also thought it was rude, but kept it to myself - because I was the new one in class. I have since changed my way of thinking because I could let myself become irritated and miserable, or use the situation as an exercise in training Augie to ignore distractions. I have come around to thinking that, in the long run, if we ever get to the competing level, this may not have been such a bad thing.


----------



## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

motherslittlehelper said:


> Tammy, they can test a blood sample for allergies? I may inquire about that. Finn is having his third ear infection. And he has been chewing on his feet. I am thinking it might be an idea to have him checked for allergies. We were supposed to go to the vet this a.m. but the vet has a family member who is quite ill. I will add this question to my list.
> 
> Lucile, the first time this dog showed up at Rally in heat, I was pretty irritated and also thought it was rude, but kept it to myself - because I was the new one in class. I have since changed my way of thinking because I could let myself become irritated and miserable, or use the situation as an exercise in training Augie to ignore distractions. I have come around to thinking that, in the long run, if we ever get to the competing level, this may not have been such a bad thing.


 You are right it is a good training exercise. Many people who show bring their dogs while in heat.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Linda, yes, it really surprises me how so few vets do this though and instead the dog goes through food after food, after food, costing the owner a small fortune in dog food!!
My vet is a holistic, 'natural' vet, so after he did skin scrapings and didn't find any parasites or any other reason for the massive amounts of sores all over her head, ears and neck the next logical thing in his mind was to test for food allergies.
I hope you can figure out what is bothering Finn!!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Luciledodd said:


> But on the subject of dogs in heat--why would anyone take a female in heat to the dog park or training courses with other dogs. Seems extremely rude to me.


I agree. At our training center, people are supposed to keep their dogs in heat HOME!


----------

