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My mother's dog is an older fellow who has now skipped three meals. He's an old man-dog (16+) and I suspect she needs to be preparing herself to say goodbye to him. I've brought him chicken, hot dogs, cheerios softened with beef broth in attempts to encourage him to eat but on the chicken was tempting enough for a single nibble. He laid down this morning and just doesn't seem to have it in him to get up again. When I saw him earlier, I helped her slide a sheet under him so we could stretcher carry him over to his bed instead of the floor so he would be more comfortable, and he didn't even flail at that the way I would have expected him to. I don't assume anything I can get in him is going to be a long term situation, but I was hoping y'all might have a suggestion or three on something for me to try and feed him to help keep him comfortable and nourished until he gets to the vet. He is technically a long-term foster dog, so my mother is forced to rely on the woman she's fostering for for the vet appointments, but I'll be calling the woman from the rescue group in the morning, hoping to convince her to let me take him into a vet tomorrow instead of making him wait several days. She had thought/hoped it was arthritis that had him down, but after seeing him today I am going to do my best to talk her into getting him looked at as soon as she'll let him. A photo of a comfortable snooze from last year as thanks. 
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Mar 13, 2015 10:59
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| # ? Apr 30, 2024 08:44 |
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 Poor old thing. Chicken is probably your best bet at the moment - there are richer foods that might tempt him to eat, but they also might upset his stomach and obviously you should try to avoid causing him any more discomfort at this stage. You could try putting a little bit of peanut butter on the chicken to see if that helps (not too much, though). Just make sure he's got a plate nearby of whatever food he shows most interest in, so he can pick at it whenever he wants, and plenty of water. If you're worried about his hydration, maybe put out a bowl of very watered-down beef broth as well, as long as it's not too salty.Apart from that, there's not really much you can do. It sounds like you've done all you can to get him to eat, and unfortunately, for a dog of that age, going down and losing his appetite isn't a good sign. Definitely get a vet to look at him as soon as possible, and keep him comfortable in the meantime. Don't try to force him to eat if he doesn't want to. He looks like a sweet old boy and it sounds like you and your mum are doing the best you can for him - they definitely know when people are trying to help, so just having you fussing over him a little would make him feel better. 
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Mar 13, 2015 11:11
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Man, at this point, pretty much anything he'll eat. Cheeseburgers, whatever. It might upset his stomach but at his age and in his condition, not eating is probably worse.
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Mar 13, 2015 11:47
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These will definitely upset his stomach, but you could try offering him some dried seaweed, flavored potato chips, or microwaved canned tuna. Plain fast food hamburgers and chicken nuggets are also extra stinky and appetizing to sick dogs. He looks like a good boy.
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Mar 14, 2015 02:06
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