Is it common for older dogs to go off food?

[Josie]

So it seems we’re still having a battle with Dennis and his IBD :-(

He’s still on the Hills Z/D which isn’t going to change anytime soon due to his sensitive stomach but he doesn’t take any pleasure in eating it which breaks my heart.

I can tell that he’s really hungry but the minute I put his bowl down he just sniffs and walks away. Then throughout the day he has a constant battle with himself about eating or not.

We’re also having to give him steroids every other day to try and manage his condition which does make him eat more on those days. He’s so up and down and the moment, we can’t seem to get a good balance but I don’t know what else we can do.

When this all started he would go off food and we would give him something different which he would eat for a few days and then go off again. This was before we knew he had IBD and actually giving him lots of different food was not doing him any good.

So we’re being super strict and not giving in but I feel so sad when I see him so disinterested in food :-(

Is it just an older dog thing to be less interested in food?
He isn’t less interested in human food though!!

 

[Ttaylor45]

So it seems we’re still having a battle with Dennis and his IBD :-(

He’s still on the Hills Z/D which isn’t going to change anytime soon due to his sensitive stomach but he doesn’t take any pleasure in eating it which breaks my heart.

I can tell that he’s really hungry but the minute I put his bowl down he just sniffs and walks away. Then throughout the day he has a constant battle with himself about eating or not.

We’re also having to give him steroids every other day to try and manage his condition which does make him eat more on those days. He’s so up and down and the moment, we can’t seem to get a good balance but I don’t know what else we can do.

When this all started he would go off food and we would give him something different which he would eat for a few days and then go off again. This was before we knew he had IBD and actually giving him lots of different food was not doing him any good.

So we’re being super strict and not giving in but I feel so sad when I see him so disinterested in food :-(

Is it just an older dog thing to be less interested in food?
He isn’t less interested in human food though!!

I know how you feel I had the same problem with Pepe who had kidney disease and was supposed to have a renal diet which he had for a while but I used Royal Canin renal pouches rather than the cans as they were little pieces of meat rather than a sticky mush. When he wouldn’t eat those any more I gave him his ordinary dog food but added either pronefra or Ipakitine to it to restrict the phosphorus which they shouldn’t have with each meal. After that I cooked for him just to get him to eat something for the rest of his life this was also agreed by my vet. I know your dogs problems are different but it does seem to me the vet diets are not very well liked by a lot of dogs whether it is the consistency or they are very bland tasting I don’t know. I did the above because I thought Pepe should get enjoyment out of his food as he was also nearly blind with cataracts and glaucoma even though he was only 12 and 4 months when we lost him.

 

[Josie]

@Ttaylor45 I know it’s so hard and you’re right it doesn’t look appetising at all. I’ve got the dry food and wet food to try and mix things up.

I know with IBD that his body struggles to digest protein so I’m not sure what else I could give him. Maybe I’ll have to do some trial and error home cooking!

 

[Mayblossom]

Poor Den really sad when they are not enjoying their food (apart from human food ) and we always feel guilty too. I still can’t get Lily to eat her dog food at all , she may have a couple of bites but she’ll then walk away, I’ve thrown so much food away ! The only thing she’ll actually enjoy is scrambled egg with ham, she has it every lunchtime time and has done for the last 6 months and none the worse for it, if we have lamb, shepherds pie or spaghetti Bol she’ll happily have a little of that too, definitely more of a grazer in her senior years , coming up 11 in July so guess a lot of it us down to getting older . Hope you can find Den something he’ll enjoy and that won’t upset his tummy x

 

[Josie]

It’s so sad @Mayblossom - you just want them to enjoy their life and especially a Labrador that has always eaten anything and everything and never had a problem to all of a sudden having such a sensitive tummy :-(

I’ve just messaged my sister in law who is good friends with the head dog specialist at Langford to see if theirs any human food I could give him that won’t upset his tummy.

 

[Finsky]

So it seems we’re still having a battle with Dennis and his IBD :-(

He’s still on the Hills Z/D which isn’t going to change anytime soon due to his sensitive stomach but he doesn’t take any pleasure in eating it which breaks my heart.

I can tell that he’s really hungry but the minute I put his bowl down he just sniffs and walks away. Then throughout the day he has a constant battle with himself about eating or not.

We’re also having to give him steroids every other day to try and manage his condition which does make him eat more on those days. He’s so up and down and the moment, we can’t seem to get a good balance but I don’t know what else we can do.

When this all started he would go off food and we would give him something different which he would eat for a few days and then go off again. This was before we knew he had IBD and actually giving him lots of different food was not doing him any good.

So we’re being super strict and not giving in but I feel so sad when I see him so disinterested in food :-(

Is it just an older dog thing to be less interested in food?
He isn’t less interested in human food though!!

No..it is not just older ones. Iida is 'picky eater' and not only that she has to be on restricted diet because of her pancreas can start acting up if she has too rich food. But the low fat food is often lacking with flavour and trying to get some tempting smells and flavour into her food can be challenge as she refuse to eat same grub after couple of servings And to help her to digest her food, she needs to be given some digestive enzymes too. I don't give those every single day, but those days when she is eating with more appetite that's when the supplements are sneaked in too.
And if Iida is picking her food....then Eva won't eat neither...one of them have to eat with appetite to get other one interested too. And not only that....Iida tends to eat little bit of something in the morning and then bigger meal in the afternoon (in a good day), when Eva is more of a nibbler...catches few bits here and there when ever she fancies it, but never has hearty meal at all. She behaves like a gannet..hoarding the foody bits but not necessary eating or picking quickly all the best bits leaving 'boring' stuff on the plate.
So yeah....things are not that straight forward and now I'm thinking about it..all my girls have been 'funny' eaters where as with boys there were never a issue.

 

[Josie]

they are so frustrating sometimes @Finsky

 

[merlina]

This is so sad- I'm one of those owners, too, who just wants their dog's food to be a pleasure. I've not had to manage this condition so can't help much. I suppose you've tried bone broth as an additive?- or has it got the wrong stuff in it? It's the thing that always seems to work with a dog who's under the weather. (And smells dreadful when you make it specially if you're a veggie like me- but I have had dogs being walked past our house lock the legs and sniff the air coming from the extractor fan.)

 

[Josie]

This is so sad- I'm one of those owners, too, who just wants their dog's food to be a pleasure. I've not had to manage this condition so can't help much. I suppose you've tried bone broth as an additive?- or has it got the wrong stuff in it? It's the thing that always seems to work with a dog who's under the weather. (And smells dreadful when you make it specially if you're a veggie like me- but I have had dogs being walked past our house lock the legs and sniff the air coming from the extractor fan.)

We've got to be so careful with proteins in his diet so I don't know if that would help. I've just heard back from the vet and she said to start with trying a bit of quorn (as long as no onions) and then start introducing little bits of different proteins staying away from chicken. She did mention to try a different veternairy diet but I've just spent £150 on his Z/D

 

[Ttaylor45]

We've got to be so careful with proteins in his diet so I don't know if that would help. I've just heard back from the vet and she said to start with trying a bit of quorn (as long as no onions) and then start introducing little bits of different proteins staying away from chicken. She did mention to try a different veternairy diet but I've just spent £150 on his Z/D

I didn’t realise you could give dogs quorn I use to give Pepe beef chicken lamb or fish together with sweet potato carrot cauliflower broccoli and peas for example.I didn’t tend to give rice as he had always had grain free dog food. I don’t suppose you can give any of the meat and fish I mentioned but maybe some of the veg would be ok sweet potato is supposed to be very good for them and it doesn’t take long to cook I used to boil and then mash it.

 

[merlina]

I do understand, Josie! My suggestion about the broth was because it is quite low protein- I'm just thinking about the liquid here, obviously don't add any meat, you can even strain it- and a couple of tablespoons onto a bland diet might make it more interesting.

 

[Rinkydinkydo]

We've got to be so careful with proteins in his diet so I don't know if that would help. I've just heard back from the vet and she said to start with trying a bit of quorn (as long as no onions) and then start introducing little bits of different proteins staying away from chicken. She did mention to try a different veternairy diet but I've just spent £150 on his Z/D

You've surprised me,I always thought Quorn was a no go for dogs