# worried...



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Hello hav friends!

The past few days Tillie has started not wanting to EAT. I home cook for her, she has always been trained to sit/stay until we release her and then she runs to her bowl and gobbles it right up. The past 2-3 days she has been getting more and more hesitant to approach her food at all... last night I had my daughter sit next to her and called her, encouraged her and finally got her eating. Once she STARTS she polishes off the whole meal. This morning, she would NOT eat, I finally had to put it in the fridge so it wouldn't go bad! 
AND she is VERY lethargic, nothing excites her and her tail is down more than it is up over her back. 
I did take her a lot of places over the weekend. Could she maybe have gotten a virus?
She seems to be drinking somewhat okay, and is peeing and pooping normal for now. I keep expecting her to throw up, but she hasn't yet.
OH and yesterday she had a really bad episode of the reverse sneezing, it lasted off and on for almost 30 minutes!! It hasn't happened again since...?

Any advice?? What is the "big" clue that she NEEDS to go to the vet? 
I even just got her another himalayan chew and she doesn't want anything to do with it... I am worried sick about her.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

reluctance to eat is the 'big clue'. The fact that it is getting worse ....

I would make the appointment for tomorrow. At least she is peeing and pooping. Is she drinking the same amount as usual?

Any limping? soreness?


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## Lila (Apr 9, 2013)

Oh, I'm sorry to hear Tillie isn't feeling well. She could have picked something up over the week-end but hopefully it's just a cold or something not serious. I agree with Pam though, if she's still not doing well and not wanting to eat or being very active, it's better to be safe and make an appointment. You could call and tell your vet and see what he/she says.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

OMG. I hope she is ok. When Bella does the reverse sneeze she is totally not herself. She shakes and is terrified. I can't get her to walk etc. I hope this is all it is...... xoxo


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

thanks everyone! I decided to get down on the floor and spends some 'serious' one on one time with her. I have a bad back (had surgery a few years ago) and knee so getting on the floor is NOT something I do. ever. lol
I chopped up TINY peices of zucchini (one of her favorites) got the clicker and we worked on "roll over" and she ate up all the zucchini and listened and is making good progress towards LEARNING roll over ... and now she is drinking. We'll see what happens when dinner time comes. I am thinking she may have a small cold... hopefully that's all it is. She isn't wanting to go for a walk, but she played with her toys for a bit and is now happily chewing on her himalayan chew... I am actually wondering IF she is holding out for kibble!? I actually fed her a dinner of kibble a few nights ago as I had run out of her food and needed to make it but didn't have time, so I used my "back up" kibble ... do you think she could actually be WANTING the kibble and refusing to eat her home cooked food!?? I know lots of havs do things like this, Tillie NEVER has, but I wonder.... 
I also have been very busy and there is a lot of emotional things going on right now so Tillie hasn't gotten the attention she is used to, could she be mopey because of that??! That's what I am trying to address by getting down and doing some training with her. Maybe she is feeling lonely...?
I called our vet, but beacause we are rural he is only in town T/Th ... so I have to wait till Tuesday unless it's an emergency, then I have to take her to the emergency (crappy) vet. 
He thinks it COULD be just a virus as there are some going around right now and she does have a slight runny nose. OR it could be allergies as our winds have been INSANE the past week... so many things it COULD be. sigh...


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Hope it is just a simple virus, Tammy, and that Tillie is soon back to her cheerful active self. Augie went through a three meal stretch recently where he did not eat. He had been eating so well. I had scheduled his Rabies shot, and then he didn't eat the three meals prior to his appointment, so I cancelled. I think he knew! Because then he ate the next meal.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

morriscsps said:


> reluctance to eat is the 'big clue'. The fact that it is getting worse ....
> 
> I would make the appointment for tomorrow. At least she is peeing and pooping. Is she drinking the same amount as usual?
> 
> Any limping? soreness?


I agree with Pam. Especially with her history, I wouldn't waste any time!


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Hope Tillie is better soon, getting her to the vet quickly is probably best . . .


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

Feel better Tillie. I hope whatever it is goes away ASAP.


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## nlb (Feb 26, 2012)

So hoping everything will be ok for Tillie! 

Cass did that when I was feeding her dry food, and as soon as I changed it to fresher food she jumps for joy every meal!


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Hope Tillie is feeling better soon.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

hmmmmm, so this afternoon I kept her busy and she seemed to be doing a bit better, smiling, tail up ... and then came dinner time!  She refused to eat again!! I left it for 10 minutes, then put it in the fridge... about an hour or so later I decided to test my hypothesis and took her food out, put in about 5 peices of kibble and encouraged her to eat. and she DID. at first picking the kibble out and eating them, then finishing off her dinner. hmmmmm... I'm also wondering if she just doesn't need as much food nowadays?? When this diet was created she was only 9 months old ... stayed tuned...


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I hope she is better soon. I found a kibble that is for dogs with bad allergies its called California natural. I cant remember what she is allergic to but that is a real simple recipe.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I'll look into it ... the kibble I have had on hand is Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Lamb and brown rice... but it is expired. (lol) and it doesn't look like they make it anymore.
I WANT to continue homecooking, but this is a possiblity as it seems everything else is settling down and she just needed some extra time and one on one with me ... it's very odd.


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## Beau's mom (Oct 6, 2011)

Sending all good thoughts and prayers for you and Miss Tillie . . .


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

How frustrating! Like the others said, go to the vet if you're concerned. I'm a Murphy's Law kind of girl, if I don't go then it's normally issue. If it's any consolation Timmy has been eating less as well. I wonder too if he just doesn't need as much food. Do you think the heat might be effecting her appetite? I'm not sure about the change in season where you are, but the temperatures you mention are really hot! I know when it's hot here, and when I was in Florida a couple weeks ago, Timmy just wanted to lay on the tile floor. Maybe a call to Sabine might be in order, she might be able to suggest something new to stimulate her palate.


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

I hope that Tillie is feeling better.

Lizzie is not and has never been a big eater. As you know, I home cook for her, too. You would think that they would devour it every time you feed them. There are times every few months that Lizzie doesn't eat much over a 3 or 4 day period. She will smell the food and walk away. She protects it from the cat (who has never even tried to eat it) and will eventually eat some of it late in the day or before bed. That is why my day to cook her food has gone from Mondays to Saturdays!!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I hope she's okay now, I think sometimes they just get in funks or tired, blah...moods, I've seen Gucci do that, not eat and sleep more and my friend that is a vet tech says as long as she's drinking water, we're probably good, so I try not to panic unless she stops guzzling her water at night and seems like she'll snap out of it in a day or two, I hope that Tillie snaps back to normal soon


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

I'm thinking of Tillie and hope she has a better day today and is back to normal. It's so worrisome when our Havs stop acting normal and don't eat. Keep us posted.

Hugs,
Jeanne


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

thanks everyone. She SEEMS to be mostly normal, but still refusing to eat ... it seems she will eventually eat ... but I don't have time for "games" she either eats it or I pick it up and put it away. She just really. really. doesn't want to eat. it's the weirdest thing... she even stopped eating her Kong for the past 2 days I come home from work and it is all still stuffed...


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Wow. okay, so I continued with my "hypothesis" and it looks like I may be right.

Like I said I gave her kibble a few nights ago for dinner and it was after that that she stopped eating... last night I put a few peices of kibble on top of her food, and that got her eating. Today. NO GO. she wouldn't come anywhere near it. I left it out for almost an hour and then remember it was out and threw it away. And then I put a small amount of plain kibble in her bowl. and she gobbled it up. I put some more in. Gone. huh?! What kind of crazy dog wants kibble over homecooked!??? I think she was so lethargic because she hasn't been eating!!? Is this even POSSIBLE??
sigh. soooooo, it's off to the dog store after work to get some fresh kibble since what I have is well over a year and a 1/2 old ... seriously????? there are 2 different kinds of kibble she can have both are lamb based, California Natural and Natural Balance L.I.D. she has the LID right now, I'm hoping I can find it ...
looks like our homecooked days are nearly over. really?? I am just in disbelief right now!
Could it be a "phase"? She's never had a "phase" when it came to eating. never been "picky" ... this is so bizarre to me...


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

*Worried*



TilliesMom said:


> Wow. okay, so I continued with my "hypothesis" and it looks like I may be right.
> 
> Like I said I gave her kibble a few nights ago for dinner and it was after that that she stopped eating... last night I put a few peices of kibble on top of her food, and that got her eating. Today. NO GO. she wouldn't come anywhere near it. I left it out for almost an hour and then remember it was out and threw it away. And then I put a small amount of plain kibble in her bowl. and she gobbled it up. I put some more in. Gone. huh?! What kind of crazy dog wants kibble over homecooked!??? I think she was so lethargic because she hasn't been eating!!? Is this even POSSIBLE??
> sigh. soooooo, it's off to the dog store after work to get some fresh kibble since what I have is well over a year and a 1/2 old ... seriously????? there are 2 different kinds of kibble she can have both are lamb based, California Natural and Natural Balance L.I.D. she has the LID right now, I'm hoping I can find it ...
> ...


I never have done home cooking for Tyler. He has always had kibble (almost 16 years of it) and at times he wouldn't even touch his breakfast or take a piece of kibble out, put it on the floor and chew it like it was a chore. He would usually eat his supper but never really with gusto. Well, after Bailey departed to the Bridge, Tyler started having episodes of diarrhea and/or soft stools, although bis stools were never really great over the years. I decided to experiment on my own and found Natural Balance LID Fish and Sweet Potato. What a change! It's been almost two years now and he can't wait for each meal. He jumps and spins whenever I get ready to put his dish down. He finally loves his kibble and his stools are good now. I think it was chicken that didn't agree with him and perhaps some of the grains. I know Tillie has allergies, but if she's okay with fish perhaps you could try Tyler's kibble, if they no longer make the lamb product, although I don't know why they wouldn't. Just a thought.
I hope you get to the bottom of her problem soon. It was just a,while ago that she wasn't drinking her water, wasn't it? How is that going now? Did she switch water for food? Good luck. You've had a bad time lately.


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## nlb (Feb 26, 2012)

sandypaws said:


> I never have done home cooking for Tyler. He has always had kibble (almost 16 years of it) and at times he wouldn't even touch his breakfast or take a piece of kibble out, put it on the floor and chew it like it was a chore. He would usually eat his supper but never really with gusto. Well, after Bailey departed to the Bridge, Tyler started having episodes of diarrhea and/or soft stools, although bis stools were never really great over the years. I decided to experiment on my own and found Natural Balance LID Fish and Sweet Potato. What a change! It's been almost two years now and he can't wait for each meal. He jumps and spins whenever I get ready to put his dish down. He finally loves his kibble and his stools are good now. I think it was chicken that didn't agree with him and perhaps some of the grains. I know Tillie has allergies, but if she's okay with fish perhaps you could try Tyler's kibble, if they no longer make the lamb product, although I don't know why they wouldn't. Just a thought.
> I hope you get to the bottom of her problem soon. It was just a,while ago that she wasn't drinking her water, wasn't it? How is that going now? Did she switch water for food? Good luck. You've had a bad time lately.


I want to try that food, because Cassie has been on the chicken and veggies and loves it, but has developed a nervous tick or itch that makes her shake here ears and scratch at them. I took her to the vet and they said there was nothing in her ears. So I'm hoping if I change her to lamb and/or fish maybe the scratching will stop?


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

thanks! 
Yes, she actually HAS started drinking again "normally" over the past week or so!!
That Fish and sweet potato LID food MIGHT work, I need to research "Potato fiber" though as she IS allergic to potatoes (NOT to sweet potatoes though, diff. starch.) ...
The lamb and rice one looks to be online still, I'll see if I can find it around town.
Tonight will be yet another test. Just put the kibble in a bowl. and see if she eats... weird. lol


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## Regina (Mar 9, 2013)

you might want to look into Wellness Core (grain free food) or Wellness Simple solutions it is limited ingredient. I used to use the Core for my little guy who had allergies. Just a suggestion. But I would also ask Sabine her opinion since you have consulted with her before.


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## Lila (Apr 9, 2013)

You know Tammi, this is probably a stretch but, maybe she actually got a cold or virus or stomach bug and after she ate the chicken you normally fixed her she felt sick so she blamed it on the chicken, when it wasn't the chicken at all but a bug of some kind ???? Who knows?? I know when I ate an Orange Julius as a kid, I got sick afterward and to this day I won't eat one but I can eat ice cream and orange juice and everything in one so it probably was that I had a flu bug or something but it was the Orange Julius that I blamed it on all these years  Just a thought. Glad she's feeling better though!!!!


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I've looked into wellness core, but she can't have any of the recipies..

Her main protien is beef, she is actually "allergic" to chicken ... the list is LONG of things she can't have! lol


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lila said:


> You know Tammi, this is probably a stretch but, maybe she actually got a cold or virus or stomach bug and after she ate the chicken you normally fixed her she felt sick so she blamed it on the chicken, when it wasn't the chicken at all but a bug of some kind ???? Who knows?? I know when I ate an Orange Julius as a kid, I got sick afterward and to this day I won't eat one but I can eat ice cream and orange juice and everything in one so it probably was that I had a flu bug or something but it was the Orange Julius that I blamed it on all these years  Just a thought. Glad she's feeling better though!!!!


No, that's not it... Tilly got sores all over her body. And it happened more than once. Then she was tested for allergies, so Tammy knows exactly what she's allergic too.


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## My2Havs (Jun 5, 2009)

TilliesMom said:


> I've looked into wellness core, but she can't have any of the recipies..
> 
> Her main protien is beef, she is actually "allergic" to chicken ... the list is LONG of things she can't have! lol


PetFoodExpress.com has a feature that might help you find a kibble or any type of commercial food. Go to Products & Offers and it's under Product Finder. You can pick ingredients you want and don't want and if it comes up zero, try leaving out the "special needs" section. Good luck!
Monica, Dooley & Roxie


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