Re: Need opinions

Ms tyrion2 · ‎05-08-2017

When one of my dogs was nearing the end of his life, he began to turn down food he normally loved. He would eat baby food and oatmeal for awhile.

Once he refused those things, I knew it was time.

Cody Girl will let you know when she is ready. My heart breaks for you.

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

I am keeping track of the suggestions here. Thank you all so much. Every dog is different, of course, but it's enlightening to see what helped some of you towards the end.

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Scorpio1971 · ‎03-10-2010

@suzyQ3 wrote:
@Scorpio1971 wrote:
@suzyQ3

Sorry to hear of Cody's diagnosis. I too went through this with my baby for about 9 months with all kinds of tests and surgery, medications and after care, and losing my baby last March 2018.

His Vet first put him on Mirtazapine for his appetite (around May-June 2017) during various testing (xrays, 2 ultrasounds, EKG, blood draws) and before his stomach cancer surgery (July 2017) and was recovering nicely and then again later on when his transitional cell carcinoma bladder cancer was getting worse (late Nov. 2017?) and was not eating again. I think it did help somewhat, but my baby was fussy anyway, and as he got worse by end of 2017 I do not think it was working.

Vet then put him on ENTYCE, in Jan 2018 and really did not see improvement with that but my baby was decling so that may be reason. @

I did not notice any side effects. But I just googled 'mirtazapine for dogs' and found this...

"Mirtazapine is generally well tolerated in dogs and cats, although trials are lacking.
Common side effects include drowsiness, sedation, low blood pressure, and increased heart rate.
If the animal experiences breathing difficulties, hives or swelling of the lips, tongue or face, then an allergic reaction to the drug may be the case and the veterinarian should be contacted immediately."

And...

"Mirtazapine is generally well tolerated but side effects are possible. The most common side effect is drowsiness.
Other possible side effects that may indicate serotonin syndrome (too much serotonin) include high or low blood pressure, high or low heart rate, vocalization, agitation, vomiting, incoordination while walking, restlessness, and tremors; please contact your veterinarian if you see signs of serotonin syndrome.
Rarely, this drug can cause abnormalities in the bone marrow.
This short-acting medication should stop working within 24 hours, although effects can be longer in pets with liver or kidney disease."

Sorry I could not be much more help but these are 2 meds we tried. Best wishes for Cody and you. ❤

@Scorpio1971, it's funny you should mention your last resort food. My husband and I were just talking about this. Cody love to get some of deli turky and chees when we make lunch. She even nudges us into the kitchen

Her current meals that we make for her consist of poached chicken breast, rice, peas & carrots, cottage cheese, and in the morning a scrambled egg tossed in. She has adored this until the last week or so. We even try to feed her with our hands. But eventually, she stops.

And we give her applesauce as a snack and some of our fresh apples and bananas.

Back to my point, I suggested to my husband that we could, if need be, just give her that deli turkey and cheese and snacks. That might help for a little bit. Normally, of course, I would not do this with a healthy dog as a regular meal, but heck, if it keeps her eating for a while.

@suzyQ3

I know all to well the struggle you are going through. ❤ I was also hand feeding my baby, just to try to get something into him, as he continued to lose more & more weight. I went through the poached chicken in no sodium bouillon, tablespoon of cottage cheese or yogurt, scrambled eggs, store rotisserie chicken without skin or fat (Vet said flavor & smell could entice him), deli roast beef & cheese, Vet said try some all beef hot dogs (no pork), he loved all fruits & veggies that are on the safe list so tried little bits of those. Every hour I tried to get something into him, usually 2-3 bites until he would turn his head completely away. ❤

Here is my ❤...was taken about a month before his stomach surgery to remove 5 inch portion of small intestine.

Wishing you & Cody the best. Just enjoy every minute of every day together. ❤

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

@Scorpio1971 wrote:
@suzyQ3 wrote:
@Scorpio1971 wrote:
@suzyQ3

Sorry to hear of Cody's diagnosis. I too went through this with my baby for about 9 months with all kinds of tests and surgery, medications and after care, and losing my baby last March 2018.

His Vet first put him on Mirtazapine for his appetite (around May-June 2017) during various testing (xrays, 2 ultrasounds, EKG, blood draws) and before his stomach cancer surgery (July 2017) and was recovering nicely and then again later on when his transitional cell carcinoma bladder cancer was getting worse (late Nov. 2017?) and was not eating again. I think it did help somewhat, but my baby was fussy anyway, and as he got worse by end of 2017 I do not think it was working.

Vet then put him on ENTYCE, in Jan 2018 and really did not see improvement with that but my baby was decling so that may be reason. @

I did not notice any side effects. But I just googled 'mirtazapine for dogs' and found this...

"Mirtazapine is generally well tolerated in dogs and cats, although trials are lacking.
Common side effects include drowsiness, sedation, low blood pressure, and increased heart rate.
If the animal experiences breathing difficulties, hives or swelling of the lips, tongue or face, then an allergic reaction to the drug may be the case and the veterinarian should be contacted immediately."

And...

"Mirtazapine is generally well tolerated but side effects are possible. The most common side effect is drowsiness.
Other possible side effects that may indicate serotonin syndrome (too much serotonin) include high or low blood pressure, high or low heart rate, vocalization, agitation, vomiting, incoordination while walking, restlessness, and tremors; please contact your veterinarian if you see signs of serotonin syndrome.
Rarely, this drug can cause abnormalities in the bone marrow.
This short-acting medication should stop working within 24 hours, although effects can be longer in pets with liver or kidney disease."

Sorry I could not be much more help but these are 2 meds we tried. Best wishes for Cody and you. ❤

@Scorpio1971, it's funny you should mention your last resort food. My husband and I were just talking about this. Cody love to get some of deli turky and chees when we make lunch. She even nudges us into the kitchen

Her current meals that we make for her consist of poached chicken breast, rice, peas & carrots, cottage cheese, and in the morning a scrambled egg tossed in. She has adored this until the last week or so. We even try to feed her with our hands. But eventually, she stops.

And we give her applesauce as a snack and some of our fresh apples and bananas.

Back to my point, I suggested to my husband that we could, if need be, just give her that deli turkey and cheese and snacks. That might help for a little bit. Normally, of course, I would not do this with a healthy dog as a regular meal, but heck, if it keeps her eating for a while.
@suzyQ3
I know all to well the struggle you are going through. ❤ I was also hand feeding my baby, just to try to get something into him, as he continued to lose more & more weight. I went through the poached chicken in no sodium bouillon, tablespoon of cottage cheese or yogurt, scrambled eggs, store rotisserie chicken without skin or fat (Vet said flavor & smell could entice him), deli roast beef & cheese, Vet said try some all beef hot dogs (no pork), he loved all fruits & veggies that are on the safe list so tried little bits of those. Every hour I tried to get something into him, usually 2-3 bites until he would turn his head completely away. ❤

Here is my ❤...was taken about a month before his stomach surgery to remove 5 inch portion of small intestine.
Wishing you & Cody the best. Just enjoy every minute of every day together. ❤

What a beautiful little pup, @Scorpio1971

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Scorpio1971 · ‎03-10-2010

@suzyQ3 wrote:
@Scorpio1971 wrote:
@suzyQ3 wrote:
@Scorpio1971 wrote:
@suzyQ3

Sorry to hear of Cody's diagnosis. I too went through this with my baby for about 9 months with all kinds of tests and surgery, medications and after care, and losing my baby last March 2018.

His Vet first put him on Mirtazapine for his appetite (around May-June 2017) during various testing (xrays, 2 ultrasounds, EKG, blood draws) and before his stomach cancer surgery (July 2017) and was recovering nicely and then again later on when his transitional cell carcinoma bladder cancer was getting worse (late Nov. 2017?) and was not eating again. I think it did help somewhat, but my baby was fussy anyway, and as he got worse by end of 2017 I do not think it was working.

Vet then put him on ENTYCE, in Jan 2018 and really did not see improvement with that but my baby was decling so that may be reason. @

I did not notice any side effects. But I just googled 'mirtazapine for dogs' and found this...

"Mirtazapine is generally well tolerated in dogs and cats, although trials are lacking.
Common side effects include drowsiness, sedation, low blood pressure, and increased heart rate.
If the animal experiences breathing difficulties, hives or swelling of the lips, tongue or face, then an allergic reaction to the drug may be the case and the veterinarian should be contacted immediately."

And...

"Mirtazapine is generally well tolerated but side effects are possible. The most common side effect is drowsiness.
Other possible side effects that may indicate serotonin syndrome (too much serotonin) include high or low blood pressure, high or low heart rate, vocalization, agitation, vomiting, incoordination while walking, restlessness, and tremors; please contact your veterinarian if you see signs of serotonin syndrome.
Rarely, this drug can cause abnormalities in the bone marrow.
This short-acting medication should stop working within 24 hours, although effects can be longer in pets with liver or kidney disease."

Sorry I could not be much more help but these are 2 meds we tried. Best wishes for Cody and you. ❤

@Scorpio1971, it's funny you should mention your last resort food. My husband and I were just talking about this. Cody love to get some of deli turky and chees when we make lunch. She even nudges us into the kitchen

Her current meals that we make for her consist of poached chicken breast, rice, peas & carrots, cottage cheese, and in the morning a scrambled egg tossed in. She has adored this until the last week or so. We even try to feed her with our hands. But eventually, she stops.

And we give her applesauce as a snack and some of our fresh apples and bananas.

Back to my point, I suggested to my husband that we could, if need be, just give her that deli turkey and cheese and snacks. That might help for a little bit. Normally, of course, I would not do this with a healthy dog as a regular meal, but heck, if it keeps her eating for a while.
@suzyQ3
I know all to well the struggle you are going through. ❤ I was also hand feeding my baby, just to try to get something into him, as he continued to lose more & more weight. I went through the poached chicken in no sodium bouillon, tablespoon of cottage cheese or yogurt, scrambled eggs, store rotisserie chicken without skin or fat (Vet said flavor & smell could entice him), deli roast beef & cheese, Vet said try some all beef hot dogs (no pork), he loved all fruits & veggies that are on the safe list so tried little bits of those. Every hour I tried to get something into him, usually 2-3 bites until he would turn his head completely away. ❤

Here is my ❤...was taken about a month before his stomach surgery to remove 5 inch portion of small intestine.
Wishing you & Cody the best. Just enjoy every minute of every day together. ❤

What a beautiful little pup, @Scorpio1971

@suzyQ3

Thank you. He was the best. Rescued him from shelter at age 7...only had him 6 1/2 years but he had the best years with me with access to entire house, a huge yard, and took him with me wherever I could take him...spoiled but not fresh...lol. Previous owners kept him crated most of day because they were not home so they had surrendered him. He is my angel now...❤👼