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Old July 3rd, 2008, 10:40 AM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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Enrofloxacin (Baytril) and loss of appetite in my dog

We've had some very rough times with Tipper, our 11-year old Scottish terrier. She started taking Enrofloxacin (Baytril) 136mg once daily on Saturday (June 28) for a liver infection (portal hepatitis). Her appetite is now non-existent. I've called her internal medicine vet (who prescribed the medication) and was given guidelines for feeding. She will be on the medication for at least 30 days. Tipper was seen for by her internist on Tuesday for a post surgical checkup/staple removal and other than the appetite is doing well. Tipper is overweight, so she does have some fat reserves, so I'm not dealing with an underweight dog not eating. Tipper had a liver biopsy/culture done following bladder surgery. The Baytril is the only antibiotic the bacteria responded to, so she must remain on the medication.

Yesterday all she ate was a 1/4 cup of dry kibble and one scrambled egg. She refused breakfast today, so I called the vet's office. The clinic recommended boiled chicken or ground beef with a starch (rice, potato or pasta) and a little cottage cheese and low fat gravy. I am to continue to give probiotic treats as well. Can anyone give advice regarding getting her to eat? I'm going to try chicken with some rice or pasta in a little while. She weighs around 30 pounds.

Background: In late Feb. my family vet referred Tipper to an internal medicine vet for an abdominal ultrasound to check a lymph node. While the lymph node was OK, the internist discovered a horrible UTI which had moved into the kidneys and a bladder polyp (Tipper was asymptomatic for the UTI). We treated the UTI with Clavamox for 3+ months and had the bladder polyp surgically removed in mid-June. The bladder culture showed the UTI had cleared up, but a liver biopsy/culture revealed the liver infection. The bladder polyp revealed a small amount of slow growing malignant cells that were all contained to the polyp and successfully removed with clean margins. Please don't think I am neglecting my dog--I love her and have had her to a wide variety of specialists. Her being sick is tearing me up. She had her spleen removed last September and I don't know if this is causing her to get these infections. I know she is sick and I'm doing everything I can to help her. I'm just asking for advice on how to get her to eat. She's always had a great appetite...so I'm very scared that she won't eat for me.
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 12:31 PM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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She ate a little bit! I got Tipper to eat about a tablespoon of chopped chicken, a tablespoon of brown rice and about 18 pieces of her kibble soaked in hot water to make it soft. She actually followed me to the kitchen and whined while I was making the rice. She might have taken more chicken, but I don't want to overload and upset her tummy. I'd rather give her several small meals throughout the day.

I am glad you folks are here to "listen". Sometimes it helps the human to know there is a place where others care so much about their pets.
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 01:33 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Our dogs always get tired of the rice after a while...but they seem to relish the pasta. Gravy, broth...anything really savory will help spice it up, too. How about some non-fat plain yogurt (no artificial flavors or sweeteners) with active cultures? Our dogs love the stuff mixed in with their meals, and it's a mild probiotic as well.

that it's not the Baytril so much as Tipper just not feeling good that is affecting her appetite. I've known other dogs with hepatitis (not sure what type, though) that have lost their appetites and had to be coaxed to eat. Once the hepatitis improved, the appetite came back. If that's what's going on with your little girl, it may get easier to get her to eat as time goes on.

Sounds like you've both been through the ringer!

Good luck, ScottieDog! Please keep us posted with Tipper's progress!
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 02:20 PM
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Poor Tipper and poor you ......you both have sure been through alot.

I'm glad to hear that she is eating a little and I think you are right to just feed her small amounts at a time as it will be easier on her digestive system.

Since she is about 10 lb. overweight I think the amount she is eating is okay and just also make sure she is drinking lots of water.

Good luck and keep us posted.
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 02:38 PM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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Thank you. It has been very hard. I've got some small soup pasta that I want to fix for her so that I don't burn her out on rice. I did look at yogurt at the grocery today but wasn't sure if she could have it. I can get plain yogurt with no fruity-flavor or fake sweetners, so I'll try that with her. I did get low fat cottage cheese and a jar of low fat chicken gravy. I worry about too much sodium in some of these prepared people foods though.

She is so little and has been through so much. I feel we are blessed to have access to specialists who are really helping us with all these health issues. I hope that we will only need the one month of antibiotics to clear the hepatitis, but won't know until her recheck at the end of the month. I hope you are right and as the infection clears her appetite will get back to normal. Thank you.
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 02:50 PM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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Rainbow,

I remember reading something that small meals were better for older and sick dogs and it was better for their digestion and liver. She is drinking well so that is good. Right now she is sleeping quite a bit, but I am getting her out in the early morning and late evenings for some mini-walks. She was restricted during her surgical recovery, so we are slowly building back up to her normal walks. She loves her walks! Since she is sleeping a lot and not as active, I don't think she needs to eat quite as much. But it was scary when she was refusing multiple meals and eating next to nothing.

Her weight has always been an issue. She was around 36 pounds when we adopted her and she felt like a sponge. She has some muscle tone now and is more firm.
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 03:05 PM
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You are certainly doing everything right for your little girl. She is blessed in having you for such a caring dedicated parent.


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Originally Posted by ScottieDog View Post
I can get plain yogurt with no fruity-flavor or fake sweetners, so I'll try that with her. I did get low fat cottage cheese and a jar of low fat chicken gravy. I worry about too much sodium in some of these prepared people foods though.
Get the plain organic yogurt that only lists milk ingredients and active bacterial cultures as ingredients. You are right to be concerned about the sodium content. You can buy low sodium gravy but I would still dilute it further. The best is to make your own so you can omit the salt and add other spices that are okay for pets.
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 08:07 PM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm a Southern girl who can't make gravy. I know that it involves flour, milk and some version of pork fat/grease. Don't figure that would be too good for my little girl.

She is doing better. I fed her a small amount of chicken, rice and moist kibble. She took it all. A little while ago, she went over to Mac's food dish (dry kibble) and emptied his leftovers. It was a small amount, but she took it on her own. I think this is a good sign.

Rainbow and hazelrunpack, thank you both.
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 09:52 PM
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That's great that she's eating a bit!!!

Ya, homemade gravy might be tricky because you'd need a low fat recipe. I think that there's such a thing as low-sodium broth--or you can make your own no-added-sodium stock from the chicken. I'll boil a breast with the bone in until the meat is tender enough to peel off the bone. That's the main part of the meal. But then I'll boil the bones a bit longer in the same water and let it reduce just a little bit (the more you let it boil off, the stronger the flavor...maybe reduce the volume of water by about 1/3 to 1/2) and discard the bones. The broth can be poured over the rice (or pasta) and chicken to add a little more oomph to the flavor. The extra broth can be stored in the fridge and used up for up to two days.

If she can tolerate low-fat cottage cheese, she should be able to handle low-fat plain yogurt.
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 11:06 PM
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Shaykeija Shaykeija is offline
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How about cheating at the gravy and buying baby food. Beef, chicken or turkey and mixing that with a little water? That stuff in the little jars.
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Old July 3rd, 2008, 11:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hazelrunpack View Post

Ya, homemade gravy might be tricky because you'd need a low fat recipe. I think that there's such a thing as low-sodium broth--or you can make your own no-added-sodium stock from the chicken. I'll boil a breast with the bone in until the meat is tender enough to peel off the bone. That's the main part of the meal. But then I'll boil the bones a bit longer in the same water and let it reduce just a little bit (the more you let it boil off, the stronger the flavor...maybe reduce the volume of water by about 1/3 to 1/2) and discard the bones. The broth can be poured over the rice (or pasta) and chicken to add a little more oomph to the flavor. The extra broth can be stored in the fridge and used up for up to two days.
I shouldn't have referred to it as "gravy" in my last post as I do the same as Hazel does if I need something to entice an appetite.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaykeija View Post
How about cheating at the gravy and buying baby food. Beef, chicken or turkey and mixing that with a little water? That stuff in the little jars.
That is a good idea as long as the baby food you buy does not include onion, onion powder, etc. as an ingredient.
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  #12  
Old July 4th, 2008, 10:24 AM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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She likes the beef baby food. I have some of that and never thought about thinning it with water. The type of gravy you all are mentioning seems similar to my Mom's Thanksgiving turkey gravy--reduced stock thickened with corn starch. I can do chicken and skip the corn starch step.

It is so hard to find the store-bought broths without any onion seasoning. I have a store that prepares rotisserie chicken with no seasoning, only a small amount of brown sugar on the skin. I got one of these when Tipper had surgery and pulled all the skin/fat off it and then froze the leftovers in tiny zip bags. She loves this, but I'm going to do the boiled chicken this weekend so I have good broth. I may try freezing the extra broth in an ice cube tray. Since she is a smallish dog, she won't eat everything before it would spoil.

She didn't eat as much for breakfast, but still enough that I know she is getting some nutrition. She picked out the chicken and soft kibble, left most of the rice. I'm going to try the pasta today.

Thanks for all the ideas.
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