Dog Question--What would make both my dogs stop eating?

[LadyofRohan]

I have two rescued golden retrievers, one is about 11 years old (Pint) and the other is just over four years old (Pilsner).

Both of them have refused to eat their meals since Saturday morning.

DH said that on Saturday morning he asked them if they wanted some breakfast and Pilsner was his usual excited self but Pint was a bith lethargic. He said Pilsner started eating immediately but then realized Pint wasn't eating (he just sniffed his food, turned around and went to lie down) and looked very confused and stopped eating himself. Since they neither of them have eaten. Pint will sometimes get up and take a few bites out of the bowl but then he just spits the pieces back out.

They seem to be acting normally. Pilsner and Pint were both outside with us all day yesterday and they were chasing balls and playing, etc. Sometimes they will eat a milkbone if offered but sometimes they'll refuse it. This morning Pilsner refused his normal piece of banana that I give him....and he loves bananas!

They have been on the same food for a while now so I know it's not because we suddenly switched foods or anything.

Does anyone have any ideas? I'm taking them both in to the vet this afternoon. DH tends to think that Pilsner is just not eating because Pint has refused to eat.

 

[laura_2010]

yeah I think vets might be a good idea.. or they could be being fussy... mine tends to go up to his food bowl look in and walk away I would used to chnage it for him, then realise he was just being fussy.. I also wne it meal times after a certin time I give them to eat when they have finsed and there some left pick it up dnt leave it there as that can somtimes have afect to cause fussy-ness...
Post to let us know hun.. x

 

[Skye1]

It's strange for retrievers to go off their food!!

If they are poo'ing / weeing ok I wouldn't be too worried yet, they both might of just picked up a tummy bug.

Have they both had their kennel cough injection ? They can go off food when they are starting with KC

Hope they're better soon

 

[LadyofRohan]

Well, I found out that the oldest dog, Pint has a cancerous tumor on his spleen . The tumor is pressing up on his stomach and causing discomfort so he wasn't eating. There's nothing we can do about it due to his age and the size of the tumor. The vet gave us some high calorie soft food and some pain medication to give him and he seems to be back to his old self again. She gave us about six months

Pilsner wasn't eating because Pint wasn't eating. He knew that he was feeling bad. Now that Pint is eating again Pilsner started as well.

 

[Skye1]

Oh so sorry I just lost my Boxer last month to cancer of the spleen, it's not nice at all, has his stomach swelled ? We chose not to operate also as the sucess rate is pretty slim.

 

[LadyofRohan]

His stomach hasn't swelled too much, just enough for the vet to order x-rays after a physical examination when she found the tumor. She said that the total cost of a spleenectomy would be $2500 and there's no guarentee that it would lengthen his life at all because of his age

 

[Skye1]

Bless, did your vet speak to you about giving little meals often ?

We fed Lucy like this, she could digest scrambled eggs much easier

 

[LadyofRohan]

She gave us some soft food for him that was high calorie and she said to mix it in with a little bit of kibble for breakfast and lunch. He seems to be ok with this right now and he'll have a milkbone around lunchtime. I think the pain medication is helping because he seems to have his appetite back, which is good.

Here's a picture of him, poor old man.

 

[Skye1]

Aww look at his grey chops ... so cute


It's horrible knowing they are going to go, but at least he's going to get plenty of love and cuddles and you'll know yourself when the time is right for him

 

[spellfairy]

How is pint? His story brings tears to my eyes. He s lovely!