Our DDB is refusing to eat Health

Discussion in 'Dogue de Bordeaux' started by Mel97, Dec 27, 2016.

  1. Mel97

    Mel97 New Member

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    Our DDB is refusing to eat

    Hi all,

    I am new to this forum. Our gorgeous DDB Miko is almost 10 years old and started to loose his appetite at the beginning of December. We assumed at the time it was due to the warmer weather, as summer has always affected him. We made our usual summer adjustments for him (i.e set up a small pool, spraying him with the hose and changing his feeding time till later in the day when it is cooler). This time nothing has seemed to work and he started refusing to eat at all. We had blood tests done at the vet and they sedated him and did a full mouth/teeth inspection, which were all clear. The vet said he had a temp so likely just has an infection. While on antibiotics he started eating small amounts of food again, but only a few hundred grams each day. And now once again he has stopped eating completely. He is still drinking water, and we have another vet appointment for tomorrow. We are terribly worried and wondering if any other owners have experienced this with thier older DDB's? Thanks
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  3. 6JRT's

    6JRT's Member

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    Mel97 likes this.
    Some dogs don't eat for days I have dogs that sometimes don't eat for days
    There are 10 dogs in my house.
    one will only eat when he's hungry which can be 5 days before he eats anything.
    another of my dogs will only eat every other day & 2 will only eat their food if its as been warmed first.

    If your dog as started loosing weight & is lifeless then I would be concern, but I have seen your going back to your vets, so I wouldn't worry to much & see what your vets say on your next visit.
  4. Jackie

    Jackie Member

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    GsdSlave likes this.
    if he is normally a good eater then I can understand your concern, if they suddenly stop eating then it usually is a sign they are not feeling well. I would ask vet to do a full blood panel to see if they can find out whats going on,

    Hopefully they can find something , given his age and all, i can understand your worry, hope you get some news soon.
  5. LMost

    LMost Member

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    Mel97 likes this.
    10 years old is a great age for a DDB.
    Most likely age and slowing down has effected his eating.

    Do you feed kibble or raw?
    If kibble I would try small portions of raw.
  6. Mel97

    Mel97 New Member

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    Thanks Jackie, yes up until late november he was a great eater. Almost 1kg of meat plus cruchies each day. He had the full blood panel done on his last visit which all came back in the normal range. The vet was suprised by that. I know his age is a big concern for his breed, but up until a few weeks ago he was still running around chasing his squeeky toys. Its just all happened so suddenly. Hopefully the vet can give us some positive news tomorrow.
  7. Mel97

    Mel97 New Member

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    We feed him both kibble and meat, he stopped liking raw meat so we started mincing it with some rice and veg. He loved that for while, but has gone off that too. In the past coupe of weeks has only accepted bbq chicken, pork chops or cooked lamb, but now refuses everything except water.
  8. mjfromga

    mjfromga Member

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    Mel97 likes this.
    My boy was always a picky eater. A few months after his 15th birthday, he went off his food like your boy. Normal temp, his heart was fine etc.

    Unfortunately, he had a nasty cancer that was extremely aggressive and he was I guess feeling the effects of it. I didn't have a blood panel done because there was no point at that time, but I heard that cancers don't always alter blood panels.

    Maybe have him X rayed to check for any mass or maybe an obstruction? Hope he gets to eating again. I was going to say maybe a tooth issue, but you had that checked and a tooth issue usually won't make a dog absolutely refuse all food like that. Usually the dog will eventually TRY to eat after a while. Refusing all food means no appetite, which is a huge concern indeed.
  9. Jackie

    Jackie Member

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    Mel97 likes this.
    I can understand your worry, I think more investigation is needed ....
  10. Malka

    Malka Member

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    Mel97 likes this.
    I hope your vet can come up with a reason why Miko has gone off his food. Best wishes to him and to you.
  11. CaroleC

    CaroleC Member

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    GsdSlave likes this.
    I agree that this sounds more serious than being a picky eater, and needs further investigation by your vet.
    However he needs to eat something while the reason is being diagnosed. Tinned sardines in tomato can sometimes tempt a reluctant dog to eat, or if he is OK with milk products, you could try an easily digested food, like tinned rice pudding, or a home made egg custard.
    Best wishes, I hope you have better news soon.
  12. Mel97

    Mel97 New Member

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    Thanks. He did eat tuna and salmon one night, but not again since. Ill try the sardines if that has worked for u. He has gone off all milk/dog milk based products tho. He liked the cat food for a hot minute aswell, but went off that too, much to the relief of our cats. I can not think of a food group we have not tried. His favorite treat was the doggy chocolate (carob) treats but now just turns his head away from all food.
  13. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

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    Mel97 likes this.
  14. CaroleC

    CaroleC Member

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    Just an extra thought. I would take a fresh urine sample with you when you visit the vet.
  15. Mel97

    Mel97 New Member

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    That is a great idea. I will be sure to get one before his appointment tomorrow. Thanks
  16. Mel97

    Mel97 New Member

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    Hi all. Thanks u for all your suggestions an concern. At miko's vet visit today they discovered a large mass the size of an orange. They are running tests over night and basically said that it will most likely be a cancer hunt. His heart beat is also fast and erratic and does not line up with his pulse. All in all he is a very unwell boy. We will see what we should do in miko's best interest when we receive the results. Thank u.
  17. mjfromga

    mjfromga Member

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    Mel97 likes this.
    Sorry about this. Same happened with my boy and I was concerned about this. Be strong.
  18. Jackie

    Jackie Member

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    Mel97 likes this.
    So sorry to hear this news, give him lots of extra hugs !!!!
  19. CaroleC

    CaroleC Member

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    Mel97 likes this.
    So sorry. Know how you must be feeling. Listen to your boy.
  20. Malka

    Malka Member

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    I am so sorry. It might sound hard, but please do not suffer.

    (((hugs)))
  21. 6JRT's

    6JRT's Member

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    So sorry to hear this - please think long & hard before putting him through surgery :(

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