Anyone here cook "natural foods" for their dog?

darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member

 
Dood, get over it. Argue that in your own thread. I wish I were in your shoes, if those were the things I had to worry about. And learn what quotations mean.
 
 
 
Yes, congestive heart failure and kidney failure.
 
 
Beagle and ummmm.... snails pass her up. She's 16 and has arthritis in her hips, knees and back. She's been doing ok with it on her meds, but all these vet trips are taking it's toll on her legs. She's barely walking.... I hope it is just temporary. Not over weight per se, she's 34 pounds. She's always been about that, but now it's fat instead of muscle. We all know how that goes.
 
Low salt, but most every recipe can be adapted. Super yummy as I want these days to be "filled with lemony goodness" :-) Fat is not an issue.
 
These have to be complete diets. I'm not giving her commercial products any longer. If it's not totally complete, that's ok, it won't change the outcome.
 
 
 
First step I would recommend is a lower protien diet with less cholesterol. Apparently your dog is picky though...so better to ask a dog nutritionist. Something I a educated in........strange isn't. Honestly, this stage in your dogs life....I would let them eat what they have been. A drastic change in diet may put her system on overload...especially if her digestive system is not used to it or can handle it. Keep the diet the same and supplement with multi vitamins, glucosimine, brewers yeast with garlic.........vitamin c....and yadda yadda yadda.
I didn't use quotations either. Not sure who's post you were reading.
Darth (I can spell dude) Tang
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
I know he's not meaning to per se. But sometimes there is not a legit reason for being argumentative or side-tracking a topic. This is the most devastating thing that has happened yet (as both my folks are still alive) and I'm popping xanax and losing my mind.
Great..... she just puked. Must mean her kidney values are going up.
Darth, I get it, but just sometimes, it's not a joke or a time for political correctness. I used the quotations I was referring to. That means it's the best word I could think of at the moment and not necessarily the correct word. I always find you funny, but your urge to debate is really best left for the political threads.
She's not really eating much. I think the recipes are moot. :-(
Friday I get more labs drawn. I'm going to convince them to start a heplock and then I'm gonna boot it out the door.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Renee...I am so sorry you are going thru this.....I can not offer any knowledge pertaining to good foods...just a comforting thought floating your way :)
 
bender77

bender77

Member
So sorry about your pup Renee. As a pet owner, this is the worst thing we have to go through with them. At this point it really doesn't matter what she is eating, as long as she is eating. I'd feed her any of her favorite treats as long as they don't make her sick, even if that meant White Castle Hamburgers.
I don't know what meds you have tried or what you have discussed with your vet, but when you talk to them next you could ask about:
mirtazapine- helps appetite and nausea
Famotidine -helps with the ulcers of kidney failure
Zofran - helps with the nausea
If you aren't doing sub-cutaneous fluids at home you can ask about that too, but it can be a slippery slope with balancing the fluids with the heart disease.
I know it doesn't need to be said, but don't do anything without talking to your vet first.
The hardest decision to make is the decision to let go, but sometime the best gift we can give our pets in the end is the gift of ending their pain. My thoughts are with you during this hard time. It isn't easy watching our pets decline. I hope you find something that can help both of you.
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member
cranberry,
try a product call fromm shredded chicken or shredded pork. only thing i could get bambi to eat in her last weeks. even then, sometimes we were spoon feeding. appetite loss is a tough thing to deal with. i wasnt exactly being argumentative....ok i was....however i did not have all the facts at the time the question was purposed.....kinda like finding out a tang wont eat in a ten gallon tank....
she is stressed. no two ways around it. give her what she will eat...try canned, healthy, crap, "natural cooked" (shuddering), dry...dehydrated...there are many options.
dose her with vitaminc ...500 milligrams should be good.
darth (no sarcarsm or argument) Tang
 
S

smartorl

Guest
What medications is she on? The side effect of a lot of the drugs geared more to the geriatric dogs is appetite supression. Because of drug interactions and patients being different in each animal vets often don't disclose all the possibilities of what could potentially become problematic.
I would research the drugs carefully and contact the vet and see if there is anything he can give her to stimulate the appetite or maybe modify her medications hopefully allowing it to come back naturally.
I have a friend who is very, very knowledgeable in canine medications, diets, treatments, and troubleshooting. I can see if i can hook you two up. She can go over all her certifications, she consults on another forum I am a member of.
 
socal57che

socal57che

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///t/388377/anyone-here-cook-natural-foods-for-their-dog/20#post_3425686
She also lived in Texas

You can take the Canadian out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the Californian....or something like that.

Hey, Renee. I'm going to sound real heartless, but after nearly 17 years, it's time to say goodbye. It sounds like your dog is ready to go, but you're keeping it going. Just wanted to make sure you're doing all this for the dog and not yourself.
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member
get out your video cameras. this is gonnna be a first. i am stepping out of the darth persona and giving you a glimpse into my other side.
stop and think what you just recommended. better yet look at it this way.
she is sick. she is old. still loves to see you when you are around. will lie her head in your lap while you are sitting on the couch watching tv. still gives you a kiss when you are near. still follows you or wants to be in the room you are in. cant hold down her food or cant eat at times, so you feed her yourself. she goes to the bathroom where she is lying because at that moment she cant get up quick enough. she doesng so muchas complain. just wants to be near you. she knows she is dying or sick. she can feel it. yet she still enjoys being around you. you are the reason she is happy when you walk in the door.
do you see her?
now picture her as your mom...your daughter...your grandmother....
are you gonna put her down now?
Chad
 
bigarn

bigarn

Active Member
As a dog lover that really brought a tear to my eye Darth. It's when dogs are no longer able to lay in your lap or follow you around, or even give you a kiss without suffering pain that really hurts. I'm talking in general here and not calling anyone out on it. People can laugh at me if they want, but with the 2 i've had to put down it was looking at their sad eyes that led to the decision. I knew they were very sick, and did everything i could for them, but they let me know it was time for them to go. It's such a heartbreaking thing to do but also the humane thing to do.
big (tearing up) arn
 
S

smartorl

Guest
I had to put my relatively young Great Dane to sleep as she had an inoperable brain tumor and it broke my heart but she was failing fast and it troubled her so to have accidents or be unable to stand. She was young enough to be deeply distressed by her body not cooperating and like Darth said, she knew.
Fifteen years later, I still cry thinking about it. Of all the dogs in my life that I have loved, she had my heart like no other.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
I always knew Darth was a big ball of fluff LOL!
I would assume the vet will have that talk with her once all the options are exhausted.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Thank you for the answers, but it's really hard for me to participate in a thread when I'm not exactly sure what names on here match up with the names on Facebook. So Thank you for the help from those who are truly nice people. And a sarcastic thanks to the Facebookers who said horrible things including ones that never said anything.
So, it's looks like I'm being snarly to some people who are trying to help..... but some of these people are High School mean. But Doods.... I'm an adult. I left High School behind many years ago. You guys were shameful.
I appreciate the help from those that have no idea what I'm talking about, I really do, but please don't put time into responses that I won't be following.
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member

Thank you for the answers, but it's really hard for me to participate in a thread when I'm not exactly sure what names on here match up with the names on Facebook. So Thank you for the help from those who are truly nice people. And a sarcastic thanks to the Facebookers who said horrible things including ones that never said anything.

So, it's looks like I'm being snarly to some people who are trying to help..... but some of these people are High School mean. But Doods.... I'm an adult. I left High School behind many years ago. You guys were shameful.

I appreciate the help from those that have no idea what I'm talking about, I really do, but please don't put time into responses that I won't be following.
if you arent going to be open to and willing to take the time to read any advice you ask for, then dont waste the time to ask the general question. dont ask the question if you are not gonna like the answer.....
darth .....will this tang be ok in my goldfish bowl....tang
 
socal57che

socal57che

Active Member

Thank you for the answers, but it's really hard for me to participate in a thread when I'm not exactly sure what names on here match up with the names on Facebook. So Thank you for the help from those who are truly nice people. And a sarcastic thanks to the Facebookers who said horrible things including ones that never said anything.

So, it's looks like I'm being snarly to some people who are trying to help..... but some of these people are High School mean. But Doods.... I'm an adult. I left High School behind many years ago. You guys were shameful.

I appreciate the help from those that have no idea what I'm talking about, I really do, but please don't put time into responses that I won't be following.
Just so we're on the same page, my name is Phil and I'm the one who added you to that Facebook group. Sorry you decided not to stick around.
 
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