Puppy with DCM that won't eat...Help

[Barneys_owner]

I have a Min-Pin/Shih Tzu mix.  He will be 2 yrs old in July 2012.  About a month and a half ago I noticed that he wasn't eating in his normal way.  I waited a few days, to watch, and then called the vet.  They did some bloodwork and an x-ray, as when examining him, they didn't like the sound of his breathing.  The X-ray showed a rounded heart.  The bloodwork came back that everything was normal.  The final diagnosed was Dilated Cardiomyopathy - enlarged heart.  He is currently on diuretics; however, I am still having a heck of a time getting him to eat anything.  He turns his nose up at everything.  IHe's eaten, though very little, when I feed him by hand, but he is getting harder and harder to feed even this way.  I've tried chicken and rice; ground beef and veggies; stewing beef; pork....I'm now trying baby food...to see if I can get any nutrients into him.  I figure if its good enough for babies, then there must be enough nutrients for him too.  Can you please give me some suggestions as to what to feed him?

[chainsawmaggie601]

I had a cocker that made it to 15 with an enlarged heart, and he was on lasix twice a day for years. Keep with the baby food, especially chicken and rice, or lamb and rice. Hopefully, once he gets used to the meds, he will develop an appetite. Then you can switch to a higher quality dog food. Be sure to read your labels!! They're smart little critters, and he just might need that special attention of being hand fed right now. Good luck

[Barneys_owner]

Thanks, I'll certainly give them a try.  I'll keep you posted.

[Ghilly]

This is a very tough situation you are in.  Nothing is more frustrating that having a dog or puppy that MUST eat, but won't.  I feel for you.

Something that MAY help would be to get some NutriCal either from your vet or from a well-stocked pet store.  NutriCal is a very high calorie supplement that you use for dogs and cats that are either not eating their full rations or not eating at all for some reason.  It is nutritionally complete and calorically dense so that it necessary, the animal CAN survive on NutriCal alone for a short period of time until you can get his appetite to return.  I have found that if you buy it in a store it's about half the cost that veterinary offices charge for it so look for it in a pet shop before you buy it from your vet.

Ask your vet also about purchasing some Hill's A/D from them.  This food is very often used post-surgically because it's extremely digestible and they all seem to like it.  It has a pudding-like consistency so you can fill a syringe with it to force-feed them if need be.  The NutriCal can be added to the A/D before you put it in the syringe and the two things together should make up a good food for him right now.  Of course, it would be much better if you could simply get him to eat it on his own, but if you can't, at least you'll have a way of getting food into him.  The easiest way to give him just the NutriCal is to squeeze a length of it onto your finger and then smear it onto the roof of his mouth like peanut butter.  He won't be able to do anything BUT swallow it.

Please keep us updated on how he's doing.

Ghilly