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My little Friederik (3-year-old Keeshond-Pomeranian mix) has practically gone on a hunger strike for three full days now. He was totally normal on December 26; this all started on the 27th. I was able to coax him to eat a little bit of chicken-rice soup mixed with additional rice yesterday morning, but he wouldn't touch it today. I cut a hot dog up into little tiny pieces and he eventually ate it all with a lot of pushing and prodding from me. I offered him a dog treat and he picked it up in his mouth, rolled it around a little and dropped it back on the floor.
He is normally ravenous! He eats Solid Gold kibble, which is a high-quality food. He's still drinking water, fortunately, and while he's a little less active than normal, he's not really acting sick. He's not vomiting, nor does he have diarrhea.
I took him in to the vet today. His temperature was normal, and a routine exam (i.e. nothing invasive) showed no problems. His stomach wasn't hard or tight and even when pushed and prodded, he did not seem to be in any pain. She said he definitely had some stools inside him, but that they didn't seem abnormal. She also ran some blood work, which showed nothing wrong. She's not one to want to run every test in the book right off the bat, but told me to call in on Tuesday morning if he hadn't improved. (Monday, of course, is a holiday.) So, that's three more days that I'll just have to wait and see. I'm such a worrier. Any suggestions as to what the problem might be?
When was the last time he pooped? Is there any chance he could’ve gotten into something he shouldn’t have that might cause blockage? The rice is a binder, so you may want to avoid that especially right now. Have you tried cooking some boneless skinless chicken? You can then also offer him the water that it was cooked in. I’m a worrier too, and it always seems like this happens holiday weekend. Hotdogs have a lot of sodium so I would definitely stay away from those.
When was the last time he pooped? Is there any chance he could’ve gotten into something he shouldn’t have that might cause blockage? The rice is a binder, so you may want to avoid that especially right now. Have you tried cooking some boneless skinless chicken? You can then also offer him the water that it was cooked in. I’m a worrier too, and it always seems like this happens holiday weekend. Hotdogs have a lot of sodium so I would definitely stay away from those.
You know, I thought maybe he might be constipated. I don't really know for sure when the last time he pooped was. He has a doggie door and could have been out in the backyard and pooped without my knowing. Or maybe not. I pick up the poop every couple of days when the weather is good, but during the winter, when it's cold, I tend to let it accumulate until we get a few warm days and I can walk around and clean it all up at once.
I will definitely stop feeding him both the rice and the hotdogs! I have some high-fiber kibble cat food. Should I maybe encourage him to eat some of it? Is there such a thing as a stool softener for dogs?
You know, I thought maybe he might be constipated. I don't really know for sure when the last time he pooped was. He has a doggie door and could have been out in the backyard and pooped without my knowing. Or maybe not. I pick up the poop every couple of days when the weather is good, but during the winter, when it's cold, I tend to let it accumulate until we get a few warm days and I can walk around and clean it all up at once.
I will definitely stop feeding him both the rice and the hotdogs! I have some high-fiber kibble cat food. Should I maybe encourage him to eat some of it? Is there such a thing as a stool softener for dogs?
It’s best to not give cat food. You can give him a little canned pumpkin, make sure it is 100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling. I try to give a little less than recommended to limit the chance of diarrhea. Pumpkin actually helps with both constipation as well as diarrhea.
If he shows interest in eggs, they are great for dogs. I often make an extra egg when making my breakfast and split it between the dogs and they love it.
It’s best to not give cat food. You can give him a little canned pumpkin, make sure it is 100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling. I try to give a little less than recommended to limit the chance of diarrhea. Pumpkin actually helps with both constipation as well as diarrhea.
If he shows interest in eggs, they are great for dogs. I often make an extra egg when making my breakfast and split it between the dogs and they love it.
Second the pumpkin! It is great for several things including constipation, and most dogs like it as it is slightly sweet (even the pure pumpkin).
Yes, she did. I'm going to try the pumpkin. I hope he'll eat it.
Make sure to go easy on it, esp. in the beginning. One of my 10# dogs didn’t poop for 2 days and I gave him 1/2 tsp a day. The next day after starting it he is back to normal. Although not ideal, I started freezing the leftovers from the can into an ice tray. I was tired of tossing out perfectly good pumpkin because I couldn’t use it fast enough. Now I have a bag full of pumpkin ice cubes when I need them.
Pumpkin ice cubes? Interesting idea. I'll have to try it, because he wouldn't eat the pumpkin. I did take him back in to the vet. There are four vets in the practice -- my regular one (Michelle) and my second choice (Jenny) and two others that I don't know. Michelle saw him yesterday. Jenny saw him today, but they're closed now until Tuesday, because of the holiday. Anyway, Jenny suggested Metamucil. She said to give him 1/2 T. three times a day using a syringe to squirt it directly into his mouth. Here's the problem... I know you have to drink quite a bit of water with Metamucil or it can cause real problems. If I mix the Metamucil with the recommended amount of water (i.e. recommended on the package), I'd be using almost a full cup of water, and I can't possibly give him a full cup of water using a syringe. If I mix it as recommended and just give him 1 syringe full, it won't be anywhere near the amount of Metamucil she said to give him. Have any of you ever used Metamucil for your dog? If so, how much liquid did you actually get into the dog along with the Metamucil?
My husband took him for a walk, and he definitely is constipated. He pooped once, but it was very small and very hard.
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