# Penny has to go back to the vet



## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

This thing with her has me stymied. She acts just fine, more like a 5 year old than 11. 

Her poo has firmed up a little...formed but still soft. I have to bribe her to eat tho. Whenever I put her kibble in her bowl she will go check it out and then..meh, not so much and walk away. She is eating about 1/2 - 3/4 what she ate before, gone back to mostly in the middle of the night.

If I put cottage cheese on it, she will eat most of a 3/4 cup scoop right away. She likes the toppings.

Do you think this indicates something is wrong? Or maybe after more than a decade, kibble isn't very exciting anymore? Or she in my eagerness to get her to eat, I have 'spoiled' her and she's holding out for the cottage cheese?

All her blood work was normal, urine fine, no parasites in the stool. I don't mind if she wants to be picky but she is a bit skinny now...down to 65 pounds and 25 inches tall. And I don't mind that unless it's the result of something else going on. I keep telling myself that she's fine because she acts fine...but is this a reliable indicator?

Is this normal with senior dogs? Our other golden was on homemade beef, rice and vegetables food that I made myself so we didn't go thru this with her. She lived to 14 1/2.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Must be the wrong thread. Not sure how that happend.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Maybe she's now lactose intolerant to the cottage cheese? Many dogs are lactose intolerant.

We did a specialized digestive enzyme test when Toby's stool did not firm up, through Texas A&M- a TLI/PLI test. Here is a good informational article about cobalamin testing: Cobalamin: Diagnostic use and therapeutic considerations - Texas A&M Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. His first test came back as cobalamin deficient so we started twice monthly injections. His retest showed we needed to increase the dose slightly but also he was deficient in folic acid so now he gets a daily folic acid test. As soon as his levels normalized, his stools firmed up more. We also went to a prescription food which is helping him as well.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

As long as everything checks out at the vet, it's possible she's just come to expect the cottage cheese.
Can you add something else instead in case she, like Anne said, is lactose intolerant? A lot of dogs are. Will she eat canned dog food mixed in it?


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I will get some canned food. Vet also said she didn't have any tooth problems that would make chewing painful.

Anne, was Toby's appetite affected by his intolerance? Penny is still all about her supplements (joint "cookies") at 4 and her biscuits (peanut butter on a saltine) at 5. It just seems to be the kibble.


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## Bentleysmom (Aug 11, 2012)

When Ky was sick she wasn't interested in eating and she lost too much weight. I started putting the small jar of baby food in with her kibble and she started eating again.

Now that she's better I went back to just adding green beans or carrots to her kibble but now she's spoiled so before I put the boiled veggies on her kibble I run it through the blender. She gobbles it down.


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## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

Bonnie and Clyde have also become a challenge to keep on kibble. I put some wet food on the bottom for the smell. I usually end up hand feeding to get them to finish. I will be anxiously watching this thread.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I added an egg to her dinner tonight and she ate it right up and asked for more. Gave her another scoop, plain, and she ate 1/2 of that.

When she first went off her appetite, Penny's Dad thought maybe she didn't like her Fromm Senior anymore. He bought her a small bag of Fromm tuna/salmon. She finished that yesterday and we're back to the Fromm senior that we had left from before.

So maybe, she DOES like the Fromm senior but was sick and off her feed. Maybe she doesn't like the tuna flavor and is better now but just didn't like it.

We're going to work on her learning English so she can just explain what's going on! lol

Guess I'll hold off on the vet for a while and see how it goes.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Toby never lost his appetite.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I'm trying not to read too much into her loosing hers. She's always been a grazer rather than a chow hound. But it is noticeable when breakfast is still the following morning. Hopefully we just dealing with some over-lapping problems that seem bigger and more complex than they are.



Dallas Gold said:


> Toby never lost his appetite.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

When Tesia went off her kibble, I wondered if part of it was the association of THAT food to feeling lousy. She went off her kibble when she was one her massive antibiotic (which I know what making her feel nauseous and sick). Even when she was finished the antibiotic, she never ate that kibble again. I know that if I get sick after eating a specific food, I won't eat it again. Maybe Penny is associating that particular kibble to her tummy troubles which led to the soft poo?

I did switch flavours for Tesia which worked until she went off kibble all together. Then I switched to Fromm Gold wet food, which was a big hit for a while. 

Hope this helps in some way..


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Don't quite know what to say Elisabeth, but relieved a bit to read Penny is a grazer to begin with. When my chow hounds went off their food it always spelled bad news 

Maybe a grazer will become spoiled with toppers on their food, I don't know. Toppers or not mine have always ate what is put in front of them with vigor.

Maybe she would like you to make some satin balls, the recipe had been posted on here plenty of times and can be found with a search. I know we like then lean for so many reasons, but a senior having a couple extra pounds in reserve is not always a bad thing.

Best wishes for Penny.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Sweet girl, that story reminds me of when I got sick after eating fish sticks when I was a kid. Didn't eat fish for another 30 years! lol

I'll look for the statin balls. I remember hearing about them and figuring there weren't actual SATIN balls. lol

She picked at her senior kibble (the old one ) this morning. Fairly normal for her. If she's back to normal, I expect it will be gone by supper time. When she was a pup, we would add some kibble to her bowl whenever it was empty. She never had a weight problem doing that. It was when we switched to Canadaie that she put on weight. That's when I learned that some foods have more calories than others. 

I liked her weight at 68-70 pounds. Over that and she had trouble getting up. :-(

I haven't been as active lately and she's my shadow, so she may not be working up an appetite. I will be getting back into the swing of things on Saturday.

I just wish I understood her language!


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I'm not happy with Penny's lack of progress/recovery. This afternoon a very messy poo that needed a hinney bath. 

I boiled some chicken and made some rice for tomorrow. I'm thinking I'll give her 4 small meals. 

Will definitely be calling the vet. I'm trying to stay positive.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

Perhaps some canned pumpkin would help the stools firm up. Someone suggested it to us and it worked.

I love her sugar face. Fingers crossed for you and Penny


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

That sounds sort of like my hazel. Is she lethargic too? If so I'd do xrays and probably a spleen screen just to see if there is anything developing. But I just lost my baby, so I am jaded. I could not have done anything for Hazel but I wish I had acted sooner. Maybe I would have known a little longer that our time was coming to an end. Warm and healthy thoughts.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Thank you, again. Penny made short order of her chicken and rice. And there is plenty of tail wagging. But, we all know that doesn't necessarily reflect how they feel on the inside.

Calling vet next, to let her know and see what is next. I'll make an appointment for Monday, a wait-and-see if the rice helps. And thanks for the pumpkin reminder! I forgot to tell Penny's Dad to get some. We used ours up a few weeks ago. It helped but the help didn't last. :-( I've also heard there's a dog 'bug' going around here in Michigan. Of course, hoping it's something like that.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

Stopping in to check on Penny. Please give her a gentle tummy rub from us


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## KathyL (Jul 6, 2011)

I was just reading through your thread and glad you are taking her back to the vet. I guess I wouldn't be so worried about the fussy appetite but if she lost some weight and is not eating like she used to she won't get that weight back. Could the weight loss just have been water weight so to speak from her loose stool (just guessing). It's so hard to know what might be wrong and it seems (at least from my experience) dogs don't always have similar symptoms. Good luck, keep us posted and enjoy the 4th.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Vet app't tomorrow morning at 8:30. Gotta love a vet who has office hours on a holiday morning!

Her notes said if no improvement, then a full blood panel and a diarrhea panel is next.

If that doesn't bring any answers, ultra sound after that.

In the mean time, tummy rubs are in abundance as well as a good, old-fashioned butt rub!


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Good luck and I hope you get some answers with an easy fix.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Poor tummy. I'm glad your vet can see her tomorrow.

I can't remember - has she been on Metronidazole? (Flagyl?) Probably has - it's a fix, but not a solution to a longterm problem you want to solve. Hope you get some answers soon.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I think yes on the metro. A pill twice a day.

What's that song from Mary Poppins: a spoonful of peanut butter on a cracker helps the medicine go down... Now she still wants peanut butter on crackers. And I'm a soft touch.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

> Now she still wants peanut butter on crackers. And I'm a soft touch.


Bless you, mom

Signed,
Penny


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Ask about a cobalamin injection to jump start her appetite. We also use tylan powder for Toby in lieu of flagyl.

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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

She is really getting into this chicken and rice thing! Gave her a bit for lunch and KAPLUEY...gone in 60 seconds! Then we went outside and weeded in the shade. She was happy, chased a bunny and walked over to the neighbor's with me. 

Our Golden Angel Polly ate homemade food for 8 years after she was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. I started making it and she got better and better. (Obviously not terminal liver cancer) She lived until she was 14 1/2. I will make Penny's food too if that's what it takes!


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

What a good mom! Since it is summer, I'll mention the yogurt cups I make. PB, yogurt, pumpkin, and sometimes other good stuff. Freeze in small cups and have a mid afternoon icey!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I really hope Penny is just fine. The weight loss worries me. Finn went through a period in which his weight was down, and I was beside myself. He did rebound though. The older goldies are so much more fragile. I cannot wait to hear good news tomorrow about Penny.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Penny*

I'm praying for Penny and you!


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Another round of metro; this time for 2 weeks. Blood panel was perfect. Also we can do a diarrhea panel if we want. They will check for bacteria and grow cultures to identify the bacteria and recommend appropriate antibiotic. How usefull do any of you think that would be at this point? Wait and see if the metro works? Wait and see if the chicken and rice works?

On the bright side, Penny is being more frisky again. Hasn't lost any more weight. After the vet, we gave her some rice some chicken mixed in with a scoop of her kibble and she scarfed it right down...licked the bowl clean.

No poo yet today. So far there is nothing pointing us in a 'bad' direction...you all know what I mean. :crossfing


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I would do the diarrhea panel because the sooner you find the right antibiotic the faster she recovers and she feels better sooner! Hope she's back to normal soon!


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Thanks, Anne. That's what I was thinking too. If she needs a specific antibi and we're dinking around with the wrong medicine, then it's just rougher on her. And us.

We clipped her feathers today...still has 'trousers' . Should make clean up easier. So far, no poo today. I hope that means it in there firming up! 

Love that my GR friends are as into poo as I am. lol


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I know you have probably done this already, but simple old fashioned single ingredient pepcid works so well for doggie loose poop.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

A little bit better this morning in the stool department but still pretty sloppy. But almost back to normal in the 'drives us nuts" category. Couldn't be happier about that...it's a short trip to drive me nuts anyway. lol

Got the stool sample to the vet's for the panel. Hopefully they'll find something.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Aww, I hope she feels much much better soon!!

And okay, I did get a chcuckle out of reading your posts discussing her poo, and then her trousers and I looked down and saw the signature picture ... it seemed to be calling out 'hey, did I hear you discussing my poo???? oh dear' LOL


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

Wishing you solid poo  Who'd ever have thought we'd have to study it so closely?


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Rooting for a firm Penny poo for you, the things that make us happy eh?


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

GoldenCamper said:


> Rooting for a firm Penny poo for you, the things that make us happy eh?


LOL!! Exactly


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Nothing solid yet but her spirit has returned. I'm so happy to see that. Back to our regular "PLAY WITH ME NOW, MOM" after supper routine.

I decided to play hardball with the food. She loved her Fromm Senior until the poo got soft and even after. This going off her feed thing was relatively new. I was so worried about her weight loss. Well she finished the boiled chicken and rice that I was adding to her kibble. 

This morning I gave her plain kibble. It sat in her bowl until tonight. I sat down with the bowl and started hand feeding her. She was all over THAT. I even pretended like the bowl was MINE. Then I'd push it to her and let her eat a bit.

In the end she finished both her breakfast and her supper. I think she was really sick for a while there, then decided to milk it for all it was worth! Little stinker.

Yes, PenPen, we're talking about you!


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Labs on the diarrhea panel came back: nothing remarkable except for one common canine bacteria. It didn't sound familiar. Treatment is the same as what we have been doing.

Her stool is only slightly improved. But her attitude is right back to goofy, playful Golden. That cheers me A LOT!

So, treat and wait. Oh, and hand feeding has now become the norm. She's turned it into a game in the evening. I suppose it's better than throwing her toys at me after supper. :bowl:


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