Doggie Geriatrics Question

[mamabird]

Hopefully - if you do take her to the vet - it will be something as simple as impacted picky glands. They express those, get on an antibiotic to clear up infection, and you're done. I say picky glands may be a possibility because if a dog has picky issues (no pun intended), they lick a lot - this causes irritation in the throat - and they vomit clear/yellow stuff. Bloodteste - a BUN/creatinine test will tell you if you are dealing with renal issues or not. Personally, I would want to know what I'm dealing with so I could make plans/decisions if it is truely something bad. I had to put my old dog down because of renal failure, so that's why I mention it. We chose not to treat, but did put him down when he was no longer thriving. Had him almost 11 years, and it was hard, but it was time.

If it is food issues - withhold food for several hours, start back on a bland diet - boiled burger, rice, chicken baby food - then slowly add dog food back into the diet.

I hope she gets to feeling better!

Life is no fun when someone in the house is feeling bad -- two legs or four!

The post is reading "picky" glands, I guess the word 'a-n-a-l' is a no-no - even though that is what they are called. Sorry if anyone is offended. I can't think of any thing else to call them. Sorry!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I was reading over the advice and kept hearing about this "picky" gland. Having worked in a vet office for over a year, I NEVER heard of a "picky" gland.

It wasn't until mammabird pointed out that the site was automatically replaces a.nal with picky.

I was quite confused there for a second on the advice being given. Just thought it was funny.

As for advice regarding the pup, mine is the same as the others. A diet change and a trip to the vet is in order.

When you take her to the vet, be sure to hold her, or keep her in her crate. An older girl like that could easily pick up something left from a sick and contagious dog in the waiting room . You wouldn't believe how many times people allow dogs to touch noses, sniff, and lick eachother in the vet waiting room. You wouldn't go to the hospital waiting room and let your child hug and kiss the other kids there would ya? Anyway, keep the ol' gal up off the floor(and furniture) and away from the other pooches. I would hate for you to take her in, trying to solve something, and for her to pick something up at her age.

-Kim

 

[tiki244]

picky gland, iits just part of normal anatomy.

 

[Lunachick]

Thank you everyone for your kind advice. This little dog is due for her rabies vac too. (license requirement for the town

) And I was going to mention the food issue with them when I brought her in for her reg. shot. But now I'm thinking the rabies thing, at her age I really don't want to. She goes out the back yard to pee and stuff and we are all 6' cedar fence otherwise I walk her on a leash. She is not out and about with any wild creatures at this point.

There are those cancer scares with the rabies vac. Especially with cats.

I think I'm gonna lay low with her and take it a day at a time. BTW I do cook her ground beef with a little rice when she acts up, I actually cook up a bunch and freeze it for when it's needed.

The town people used to walk door to door and of course when they knock on your door and there is a YAPPING dog they are going to leave you a little note. So they got me every 3 years for the vac and license. I understand they safety issue here, but she's getting old and I have to think of her comfort first now.

I am going to look into different foods for her and see how it goes, today she is her self again, chasing squirrels with her feet in a blur.... hopefully this will last longer than a week.

Thank you all so much for the advice and sharing your experiences, this could help someone else down the road...Thanks again.

 

[chickieboy]

my cats sometime threw up.we alway through it was hairball and give then hair ball treat every morning and every night we feed special kitty adult care urinary tract healthit has ground yellow corn ,corngluten meal ,chicken by product and a whole lot more . my cats are 3 year old

 

[Wifezilla]

That ground corn and corn gluten meal with eventually cause health problems for your cat...if it hasn't already started.

"Today’s domestic cat evolved from one or more small wild cat species in Africa and southern Europe. The environment in which these progenitor cats developed was vegetation sparse and small-animal-prey rich, causing this top-predator mammal to become dependant on meat, and meat’s primary energy nutrients, protein and fat, for sustenance. Over time, some of the pathways for carbohydrate metabolism that were developing to a high degree in herbivorous and omnivorous species in more carbohydrate-rich environments were discarded by the primitive cat. In fact, eventually this species so drastically rearranged its processes for dietary energy extraction that its metabolic systems began to use protein for energy at a constant, almost invariable rate, without the switches for up- and down- regulation of that protein “burn” (gluconeogenesis from amino acids) that is active in omnivores and herbivores. That is, the cat will use dietary protein for routine energy production at a high level EVEN in situations where dietary protein is very limited. Because of these evolutionary “choices” made long ago, the cat rapidly begins to consume its structural proteins for energy during starvation or protein deprivation of any other kind (e.g., protein-restricted diets). In short, the cat is a “carbohydrate cripple” with a huge protein dependency!

Given the forgoing, it is not at all surprising that we now find many of our feline patients fat, sluggish, and eventually, diabetic. For all of our good intentions in bringing the cat into our homes as a pampered pet, we have done the species a tremendous disservice in providing its members a diet far more appropriate for a cow in a feed lot than an obligatory carnivore. Because of the food technology of dry food production, dry cat foods are loaded with carbohydrate from cereal. This carbohydrate is absolutely required in the extrusion process; dry pet foods are essentially breakfast cereal for pets with a little added meat meal for palatability. Further, because this cereal undergoes processing at high heat and pressure during extrusion, it becomes pre-digested and enters the pet’s bloodstream essentially as “sugar.” Nothing in the cat’s evolutionary development could possibly have prepared it for a steady diet of this sugar laden “junk food.”

Not all cereals are created equal, of course. Some have much higher glycemic indices than others, meaning they cause a greater rise in blood glucose when consumed and digested. Perhaps the most offensive of all cereals used in pet foods is corn, (from which corn syrup is derived, giving a good idea of how much sugar corn actually contains). Because it is plentiful and cheap in this country, corn is one of the favorite dry pet food cereals used by the industry. Sadly, even the most expensive, so-called premium dry pet foods contain high amounts of this ingredient."

 

[Iceblink]

Keep your vet appointment. Vomiting of clear fluids, diarrhea and lack of appetite are signs of intestinal blockage. It can go for a while in some dogs and other dogs are down right away.

Ulcers also present those signs. And I think someone else suggested pancreatitis? Ouch!

The diet suggestions are good, if you do decide to make a home cooked diet (which would be relatively inexpensive for such a little girl) make sure you include calcium sources and a percentage of organ meat as well as the muscle meat. Try to get organic organ meat as all the antibiotics, hormones and chemicals that animals are fed end up in their liver and kidneys and feeding them to such a small dog would cause more harm than good. Eggs can also be substituted for organ meat sometimes.

 

[mainchick]

My older chihuahua has a growly tummy every once in a while too. she is eating a dog food that is grain free. she eats natural balnce "LID" limited ingredient diet that is venison and sweet potato. She gets a tablespoonful of nonfat, organic, plain yogurt everyday too. It is good for digestion and and for breath/mouth help. The stomach issues are pretty common in old age. Talk to your vet. they would probably recommend rice and chicken. (or something similar) At the shelter we feed chicken baby food for the little guys that need something easy to digest.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
My mother used to live in a county that required licensing for all dogs. You got a discount if the dog was spayed/neutered. They required that every 3 years you provide proof of shots, etc. My mom had an old spayed beagle, named Heidi. The county clerk was an absolute idiot, and she was the one responsible for managing the license program. Mom went in to renew Heidi's license and had proof of her current rabies shot. The clerk told her that since her proof of spaying was older than 3 years old she wouldn't license the dog. The dog was 16 years old and had been spayed at about 6 months of age. The dog had been licenced for 16 years, and they had been given the original proof of spaying when the dog was a puppy. The clerk wanted the dog "re-spayed." My mom went to the vet to get proof Heidi was still sterile. The vet was so mad that he wrote a letter to the clerk telling her that she was an idiot, and that once a dog was spayed it was sterile for life.

Personally, I think vaccinations are important, but we give them too often. My dog Leo is an epileptic. I know that the shots can cause trouble for him. He will get titer tests every year and only be vaccinated if his immunity has waned.

 

[mainchick]

that clerk was a dummy!