[billhennessy]

My 14 year old Collie mix had a stroke 2 weeks ago. He quit eating and drinking. I took him to the vet where he received shots and medication. He just recently began drinking water again but will not eat. (except grass) I called the vet again and they suggested putting garlic powder on his food but that did not work. I tried baby food and yesterday he turned his nose away from steak fat. How can I get Jackson to eat?

[Just Dahlia]

Have you tried warm Chicken? Has he lost his sense of smell?:confused:

[billhennessy]

Have you tried warm Chicken? Has he lost his sense of smell?:confused:

I tried chicked broth and yes I believe he has lost his sense of smell.

[Just Dahlia]

My dogs eat grass when their tummys are upset and then they throw up, maybe the medication doesn't agree with him.:(


Check with your vet again.

[shazamataz]

Very sorry to hear about your Collie.
Steer away from the baby food as a lot of them have onion powder in them which is toxic to dogs.

Try what Dahlia said and warm the food up or try some different textured food.
I have found that dog sausage when microwaved goes very mushy and soft, you could try that, just get a but on your finger and put it either on his nose or just under it, this will make him lick it off. If his sense of smell is gone you might have to find ways of getting him to taste the food without relying on smell.

[billhennessy]

The Collie ate his first bit of food this morning. He ate some lunchmeat and cheese from my daughter's hand. Thanks for the baby food warning. He really turned his hose up. Maybe now I may want to switch him from his old dry food to wet food.

[shazamataz]

Good to hear you got her to eat something.

You may find more success with wet food (and I hope you do)
My dogs rarely eat dry food, they pick at it through the day but they do not really like it.

Do you know if her teeth are OK? Some older dogs may not be able to crunch as well as they used to.

You can also try soaking the dry food in water.
I use a ratio of 1 cup of dry food to 1/2 cup of boiling water and then leave it to soak for half an hour.

They still get all the nutrients out of the dry food and they are used to the taste, it just makes it easier to eat for them.

Good luck.

[billhennessy]

Jackson has eaten the Purina Dog Chow Little Bites for the past 12 years but since he has taken to the stroke, I was told his habits would probably change. He no longer runs after the area joggers as he has in the past (part of his border collie / Australian mix). Just glad to see within the past two weeks, his head is no longer tilted and he can walk without falling over himself.

[shazamataz]

I have never had a dog have a stroke before, it must be hard to see them go through it.
Hopefully he will continue to gain his mobility and his appetite will increase.

[lshadylady]

I had a little dog with an eating disorder. The vet had me do everything these guys have said to do, plus she suggested I cook her meals for her. So I did. I got so desperate I fed her from a spoon. She loved all that attention! But never ate normally.I know what you are going through. They get to be in your heart just like one of your own kids.

[billhennessy]

Oh heck you, they are like children. I have never had a dog so long. In fact Santa brought the puppy for my daughter when she was 3. Its really hard to go through elder care on a big ol' dog.

[IheartPugs]

The Collie ate his first bit of food this morning. He ate some lunchmeat and cheese from my daughter's hand. Thanks for the baby food warning. He really turned his hose up. Maybe now I may want to switch him from his old dry food to wet food.

That's what we did with my big dog, Max. He wouldn't eat a few months after we got him, so we changed his food brand and then added some wet stuff to the dry. It worked. Both my dogs are about 13, my family guess' although we don't know for sure (we adopted my other one, a pug, from a guy who didn't want her anymore. Max was abused and left tied to a tree, and a vet found him).

[billhennessy]

Last night my dog finally ate. He had a mixture of beef and fish and remembered to eat in the kitchen from my left-over plate. He drank his water from his dish as well. I believe he has recovered from his stroke but will probably be a much more subdued canine. Thanks for all your help.

[IheartPugs]

:D That's great news! I can't stand it when a dog is hurt, or sick. Im happy it worked out for you, although I'd still watch him carefully for a while, just in case.

[shazamataz]

Very glad to hear that.
He may never return to normal but at least he can be happy now and he is out of danger.

[lshadylady]

Glad to know about the baby food!

[shazamataz]

Glad to know about the baby food!

Yes, it's not all baby food but you have to read the labels carefully before giving any to your dog :)
While one jar more than probably wouldn't be enough to hurt if it was being given every day it could have an adverse effect.