Update on Riggs - Question about appetite/junk food

[bigtoeklein]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my original post a few weeks ago (Itraconazole vs Amphoterecin B).  Riggs is doing great.  Thanks to a quick diagnosis by our local veterinarian, we began treating him the day we took him in.  The only issue we are now having is trying to get him back on to dog food!  He has had some rough days with his system due to all the junk we're letting him eat.  Had an accident in his kennel one night.  Does anyone know how long the hand feeding of bologna, sausage, hot dogs etc. should last?  When does the normal appetite come back.  We've been treating Riggs with Itraconazole for almost 4 weeks.  Don't know if the appetite is affected more by the blasto or the medication.  Thanks again.

[Kash-]

It's a funny line between, caring for a sick buddy and developing bad behaviors and habits.  I do know what my vet would say.  She'd lean on the conservative side and remind me that the quality dog food I buy has important nutrients that the junk doesn't.   

Otherwise, the only advice I could give you would have to do with Riggs maintaining weight in the face of the disease.  If he's recovering and not losing weight, then it's probably time to break the bad habits. 

[Wilson3]

Glad to hear Riggs is doing well!
As for the feeding junk food....well .......
Through Wilsons whole treatment he was kept on a high protein diet low carbs he still is
raw foods meat,vegs fruit yes we do also feed a high protein dry dog food w/no carbs
the only fatty foods he got or gets is from fresh fruit
raw bee pallon for nature calories
I know they say fed with fatty foods but.... I just can not feed a hot dog to any of my dogs
Do what works for you and Riggs all dogs are different onwhat they will eat my love a bloody steak or fresh rasberries
very happy to hear riggs is responding to treatment way to go
wilson3

[Jen]

   That's a good question.  Here it is, 2 years after, and Dirtbike would still enjoy a sammich if I'd only get up off my lazy butt and go get it for her.
She's just now losing the weight that she packed on during her recovery.  It's pretty hard to deny them, they get so spoiled. 
   I do remember that she got so used to pigging out on anything and everything that she'd go hover over her dry food when I would withold the junk food.  When she started picking at it, I added gravy, broth, or whatever I had to the dry food.  After that, she just started eating it dry again.  But LOTS of it, then ALL of it, then all of everyone else's too. 
Then I cut out everything except for small treats, but she makes up for that by stealing the neighbor's dog food buckets.
   She's like Scarlett O'hara, never gonna starve again! 

[mhitesman]

I found that my Comet was coaxed back to his kibble (Taste of the Wild) by mixing it more and more heavily with his "human" food that he got while he was on meds (brown rice, roast beef, broth, eggs, etc).  He always did  -- and still does-- get all those human foods each day BUT they are just a little handful chopped as opposed to the whole diet.  In the beginning of the transition back to kibble, I wanted to ensure he was eating and not just trying to outlast me (hoping I would cave), so it helped that I would sometimes sit with him and "feed" him so he could eat out of my hand.  Don't know why that helped, but it works for Comet.

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

   When Duke was at his sickest, I just fed him what ever he would eat... Hot Dogs, Chicken Breast and scrambled eggs, Salami. When I could see he was feeling better. I would offer his dry food first in the morning. I even put a few kibbles in my had to feed. I guess it would seem a little more enticing that way.
   If he didn't eat dry food that morning, he would get any human food he would want. Luckily, Duke is VERY food motivated, which I think actually save his life.

[carolh]

I just finished reading your posts and I have to tell you, I just love this site.  Jen, your sense of humor is amazing.  You are all so appreciated! 

For you raw food feeders, here is a tip from me that some of you can take advantage of.  Deer hunting is big around here.  The venison processors have to work very fast to satisfy their customers.  That means there usually is a lot of very good meat on the deer skeletons.  So I take the truck to the processors and beg 3 or 4 fresh skeletons which they are happy to give me.  It's a pretty ghastly night of getting the rest of the meat off those bones but the result is 52+ packages of venison in our freezer.  That means I can give my dogs a good few bites of raw venison every day.  Cost to me: just the cost of gas to the processor and some physical labor.  Hope this tip helps someone.

Carol

[Richard]

I was giving Hans hot dogs, canned food, and all kinds of greasy things to keep him eating. Then I tried his regular dry dog food with some melted butter and then some hot water to make it soft & soupy. He loved it more than any of the other things so now that what he gets every meal ad is back to his normal weight.

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

If you are at the point where he might eat dog food, then try to feed it first. If he is not about to eat it (and give him time) then give what ever they like. Just make sure he eats!!!

[jefndebbacon]

When our Winter first stepped away from her food bowl and started shaking, I knew that something was really wrong.  I thought it was a small puncture on her foot, but she was later diagnosed with Blasto. I think she may have had sores in her mouth, but I am not sure, as this was not diagnosed at that time.  It took several months for her to be diagnosed with Blasto. I went out and bought Canidae canned dog food and she ate this with me holding the bowl in my lap.  Sometimes she would step away and tremble, so I was not sure what was going on.  To make a long story short, the Canidae kept her going, and although she lost weight in the beginning, we were able to maintain without a huge loss, until we had to put her to sleep.  If you can get your dog to eat a quality canned dog food, instead of "junk" food, I highly recommend it - it is worth the price, and they get the nutrients, vitamins, minerals that they need.  Good luck - hugs/good thoughts/prayers....

[Wilson3]

I wonder how Riggs is doing... the post is from july 2009 has anyone heard or seen anything posted
wilson3