Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: Hawker
Date: 06 May 06 - 11:51 AM

Our dog stole a dozen eggs off the kitchen worktop once, I thought we were going to have to move out till he stopped farting, I am sure I could have sold it as a deadly weapon!!!!!!!!!
NOOOOOO eggs for mr Hawker!
Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 May 06 - 11:44 AM

Well, it was an interesting weekend. Faulkner and I experimented, and I cleaned.

I needed to find out how much he would/should eat and how thin the mix needed to be-- too thin was taking too much processing time and stank up the house so bad the people got barfy! And we never got to true doggie-diarhhea, but there was one night of very loose stool to discover yesterday AM.... nice surprise for Hardi at 6 AM on a Sunday morning getting ready to go do church, eh? It took all day to get their corner, the dog beds, the dog rugs, and the cleaning implements all cleaned up, eeeewwwww.

Results of various prep approaches and dog reactions-- I'm making a rice-cooker full a day and running a potato masher through it when it's hot and loose, and giving it to him in two divided batches. It amounts to 5 cups kibble steamed in 2-1/2 cups water a day for regaining the weight (4 cups more likely for daily maintenance).

This "picky" eater is now wolfing down food as soon as I set it down, looking for more, sleeping like a fat snake, and no more loose stools.

The boarding kennel has OKd using this as a daily ration when we vacation, and I can start making extra for the freezer.

I think I made it 4 different ways yesterday to see which worked best-- now that I have to down to a reasonable system, I've thrown out the unnecessarily yucky ones!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Jun 06 - 09:54 AM

DINNER Rounds!!!!!!!! (Happy doggie!) (Happy mommie and daddie, too)

But-- in Googling around for info on them I discovered that one brand of it contains pentobarbital???? What is up with THAT? Also found mixed reviews on the form and content of the food-- so yes I know about that-- ranging from "garbage" to "highly recommended" from breeders and others. (Sans pento.)

Also discovered (late) that the vet recommends trying a child-dose of Dramamine for dogs that fret in cars. Says it's a symptom of motion-sickness ("LemmeoutNOWIneedtoBARFoutsidetheCAVE!!!") Says they often give up the fretting on short trips when they've had a couple of good long ones.

I guess we'll start to find out tomorrow morning! (No food or water before, and give pill an hour before departure.) I hope he'll be able to walk, and hop by himself into the car he just helped me load all his dog-smelly stuff into.... beds, food, treats, bowls, etc. All Things Faulkner he's been nervously watching me collect for several days. Also hope he's not totally comatose on the 8-hour ride.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: MaineDog
Date: 03 Jun 06 - 10:06 AM

I find that lots of short trips tend to reduce the anxiety that builds on a long trip, especially if the long trip begins in the direction of the vet! So, frequent short trips past the vet without torture are a good learning experience.
MD

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Jun 06 - 10:20 AM

Right-- it was the fact that technique never worked for Faulkner that helped form the possible-motion-sickness picture. It's the short rides everywhere else scare him, especially our hilly and twisty roads here, so WE have never been able to stomach trying a longer trip until now (hopefully!).

Actually he's a very lucky dog-- he LIKES going to the vet! He has never had a really bad experience there (yet) and as he likes the people there. And a good thing, because one thing he likes to do in his spare time is visit people at medicine-smelly nursing homes with slippery floors and noises behind closed doors not unlike yelping dogs being hurt.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 03 Jun 06 - 08:22 PM

My two cats are now well able to cope with fairly regular 2 hour trips. The spray bottle was a great training aid... :-)

When I got the second kitten, both settled easier - they lie curled up together (in the one cane cage which is put on the other front seat, the open weave style door facing me) - the older one likes to reach out and put a paw on either my knee, or the floor gear stick lever!

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: Bonecruncher
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 10:05 PM

WYSIWYG:-
Regarding your dog's eating habits, I have had a similar experience with a dog so perhaps I may be able to offer some suggestions.
After many months of dog weight-loss and many trips to the Vet, stool (turd) samples analysed and blood tests, eventually the dog was diagnosed with partial pancreas failure.
As you probably know, the pancreas produces insulin, which regulates blood sugar, and the digestive enzymes lipase, protease and amylase. These last three enzymes are responsible for the breakdown, respectively, of fats, proteins and carbohydrates into substances which can be assimilated through the gut wall, into the blood stream and thence nourish the body.
It might be an idea to ensure that your Vet actually HAS done these blood tests at a time when the dog is either off its' food or when it's eating ravenously. If it is off its' food then it might be in pain and when eating ravenously it is probably starving, as any food eaten will pass straight through undigested, affording no nutrition to the body.
Usually the production of insulin will be unaffected, so the dog will not be diabetic, although it might be as well for the Vet to check for this at the same time.
If partial pancreatic failure should be the cause of the dog's problem this might account for any irrational behaviour in the dog. Poor nutrition can have wide-ranging effects, not just on the body with vitamins, the lack of which caused diseases such as scurvy, rickets and night blindness, but also on the regulation and production of hormones which control behaviour.
Studies on young people with a poor diet show that problematic behaviour such as lassitude, aggressiveness, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and other anti-social attitudes can be greatly modified by a properly balanced diet.
I am not for one moment suggesting that there is fault in the way you feed your dog, just that there is a strong relationship between diet and health. If your dog cannot digest the food you give it there must be an effect on its' health.
In particular, it has been shown that if a diet is short in one particular element, usually a "trace element" needed in only minute quantities, the body will ask for some food containing that element. Hence our cravings for particular foods on occasion, especially during pregnancy or recuperation from accident or disease. A dog cannot ask, only by displaying that need as being "picky" over its' food.
If it does turn out that your dog has a pancreatic insufficiency the cure is simple. Your Vet can provide you with an enzyme in powder form that you mix with the dog's food. However, you may find you need to try various makes before you find one that is suitable for your particular dog. In other words, some makes will have little or no effect on the dog.
The reason for this is that all enzymes in the natural state are made to either a right-handed or a left-handed form, i.e. like a pair of gloves. One form will work while the other, although appearing to be a similar molecule, will not. As an example, Glucose, a natural sugar, is a right-handed molecule (D-Glucose, or Dextro-Glucose) while Sorbitol, an artificial sweetener, is the L (or Laevo) form. Both sweeten tea or coffee but a large dose of Sorbitol (L-Glucose) is given by medics to empty a person's bowels. This it does with remarkable efficiency!
I hope the above is helpful to you and to others.
Colyn.

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: Scoville
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 04:53 PM

My ex-boss/vet's advice has always been to steer clear of foods with cute names (Gravy Train, Kibbles N Bits, Mighty Dog, etc.)--she calls them "McDonald's for pets" and says a lot of them have too much sodium. She tells me Iams is the best brand sold in the grocery store. Purina One comes in second. Mine does really well on Nutro (Senior now that she's old). It's low-filler so her poops aren't as big, but it's not cheap so that may be a problem if you're feeding multiple dogs (I have one 35-lb. dog. Doesn't eat much).

I've never heard of a *good-quality* dry food being vitamin-deficient. I'm sure this was true at one time but pet foods have come a long way. However, if a dog will eat them, vegetables (apart from grapes, onions, and garlic) are good. Mine doesn't like plain veggies but loves frozen broccoli and green beans--sort of like chewy ice cubes.

We always fed white rice and boiled chicken for GI problems--bland but most dogs will still eat it. Mine spent a week on it a while back when she got a messy spirochete problem, until the antibiotics and Imodium kicked in.

LOw-sodium broth over the regular food sometimes works, and there are special "sauces" sold just for dogs. I don't know if they're OK for dogs with sensitive tummies, though.

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 04:53 PM

My dog has always ate eggs, sadly the wind he releases is foul

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Jun 06 - 12:35 PM

Thanks for the continued input.

Bonecruncher, thanks, but I doubt pancreatic involvement-- it doesn't quite fit the pattern we're observing.

F. did quite well on his trip outbound with the Dramamine, and we had a GREAT trip all the way around. The Dramamine took about an hour longer to kick in fully than I had been told, but he was quite peaceful throughout the drive without being knocked out. He mostly slept, but wakened easily and alertly any time there was cause or an opportunity to get out and stretch his legs. But no travel fretting. He did sleep a lot the next day and seemed also to be constipated, but this soon cleared with no ill effect.

While we were gone he didn't have much of an appetite, but we let him decide how much he needed to eat. He mostly drank water and played with his hosts a lot.

He adjusted very quickly to the new household rules and expectations of his hostess. The first few days he was reluctant to let me out of his sight, but he settled down each night quite happily in his dog bed and awoke eager to go downstairs without me as early as his hosts got up. He hung out and played with them, and he was happy to take a short walk with them each day and to patrol (and visit with me) in their enclosed patio.

He didn't treat his "new" quarters as "home" exactly-- didn't bark at passers-by as he would have here at home.

He happily rode along (sans Dramamine) on short trips around the neighborhood, even settling down calmly on the sleeping mat (in the van he'd arrived in), whenever we left him parked for a restaurant meal, etc. (And YES he was left ONLY in cool shade with open windows, and checked on often, for these short times.)

The trip back home was uneventful except that he was told he was going HOME (a word he knows), and every once in awhile he'd pop up and ask, "Are we THERE yet?!?!?!?"

He slept a lot the next day again, and then set to eating lots of Dinner Rounds quite happily. He brought back a few balls and a brush the hosts gave him, as well as a bag of VERY special treats, and through the smells of these he seems to have connected the whole experience up as having had an interesting time. Just having his familiar bed along seemed to be very, very reassuring.

Me, I travel with about a dozen various pillows. What's one more (dog bed), and a little doggy suitcase for treats, bowls, etc.-- no big deal, and he now has a whole new diminsion to his life. And I am very pleased to know he is as calm when traveling as he is at home-- there will be motels where he will be very welcome all along our usual routes.

Overall, a GREAT training experience. Just long enough, but not too long for him.

~S~

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 07:35 PM

Update

Faulkner has held his weight on the Dinner Rounds so well, I can't believe he ever was deemed finicky or underweight, though he was. He still has the same big-eat-every-third-day habit, but eats in between, too. On those hungry days we add a big measure of dry, crunchy stuff and he gobbles it up with the rest (SMALL kibbles).

Funny thing, though, now he's developed the ungraceful habit of lounging to eat-- plunks himself down in front of his bowl, paws on either side like a hungry teenage boy, and dines. We tried raising the bowl, but no-- prefers the lounging mode!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: jeffp
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 07:47 PM

Glad to hear he's doing well. I've got a great mental picture of Faulkner taking up entirely too much floor space chowing down.

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 08:06 PM

My two black cats - Spqueak and Bpubble (all cats have a silent 'p') are now so used to travelling regularly - about a 2 hour trip - that they mostly sleep all the time. Only recent hassle was when I woke up Bpubbles and didn't give her time to attend to nature - lucky I had just left my friend's place, and could turn back to fix the smell...

They love the chance to visit their mum (& the place where they were born), and she seems to now enjoy their company, as she now seems to prefer not being alone.

When I slow down they occasionally ask "are we there yet?" - I cured the original constant howling with the water spray bottle (just the sound and sight is enough if you train them properly!). They travel on the other front seat in their cane cage, and often push their paws out to just touch my leg - until they fall asleep. They are now VERY calm about the whole thing.

I think it's better than leaving them home alone - with the neighbour feeding them - they run up to me mewling every time I come home from shopping - and often come onto the house during the day calling to see where I am.


I think that once the original fear is overcome, and pleasant memories are attached with the journeys and anticipated destinations, most pets can cope well with comfortable travel. They just need to get used to it - and some mild sedatives at first may be a good idea - travel sickness I'm not an expert on, but MAYBE it could be aggravated by stress.

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 08:38 PM

Jeff, he does like the small spot of clear floor space where we enter or leave the room. Black dog on a dark rug in the dark, like we like it for hockey, often nearly results in pizza on floor. And he don't get no pizza!

~S~

Subject: RE: Finally Got the Dog to Eat-- Eggs OK?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 09:32 PM

Well, I might as well add our practice.
Both the breeder and our vet recommended two meals at first for a young puppy, then shifting to one-a day. Our 10-month old is getting one meal now. The recommended 'dry' food is Natural Balance Potato and Duck (21% protein, 10% fat as Canola, with a raft of supplements and vitamins, and the usual fiber). The taste until recently was improved with a couple of spoons of Science Diet Mix-it, again as suggested by the vet, but he is now weaned off that.
We have an older dog, who receives a quality dry food balanced for adult dogs (similar to "Science-Diet" brands, but cheaper, not the 'MacDonald's for dogs," as Scoville calls them). Iams is recommended by our vet, but a superstore chain here makes a 'President's Choice' that is very good.
Our dogs get an egg once week, when I cook my once-weekly eggs sunny-side up. A little chicken from time to time which they love. Only beef shank bones to chew on.
They get cooked broccoli and asparagus, green beans, etc., the part not eaten by us. Yes, this increases gas volume and potency, but smaller amounts are not harmful. If you have noticed, many dogs get their greens by chomping on grass. After all, the animal is an omnivore.