Tips on encouraging a dog to eat?

Wellyboots6

My gorgeous GSD Tyson got rushed in to the emergency vets on Thursday night as he went off his legs and became very distressed and confused.
Turns out he had a grapefruit sized tumor on his spleen which had ruptured.
He had the tumor and his spleen removed once they eventually got him stabilised, and now I am waiting to hear back if the tumor is malignant or not although it's not looking good.
He has been in the vet hospital since Thursday night but has been refusing to eat.
They sent him home this morning as there is not much more they can do for him and he really needs to start eating to get some energy back.

Any ideas? He hasn't eaten since Wednesday.

So far I have tried...

He wouldn't touch any food at all the vet nurses gave him other than schmackos.

I managed to hand feed him about half a chicken breast whilst he was at the vets but that took about an hour to get him to eat.

I have tried his usual food.

Chappie.

Chappie warmed up.

His best mate sent some of her food over as usually when we visit he runs in and pigs all her food before she can get to it!

Accidentally dropped some food on the floor.

Left some food out and told him to leave it. (Yes, I am resorting to reverse psychology on a dog!)

I know it will take time for him to settle after his trauma, and trying lots of different methods is not such a good idea, but it really is important that he starts to eat very soon.

Thanks in advance

Katiehound

Poached fish? white or salmon. My dogs adore anything fishy

tinned tuna in oil

Porridge with extra milk

Scrambled egg

Cooked liver mashed or cut small

Sausage

These are all things that my dogs would gobble. I know yours is a different situation but perhaps choose something that smells strongly.

Good luck

elsien

Egg, custard, rice pudding, anything that's going to slide down easily with no effort. Just something to get him started, poor soul.

chookmom

My old dog can be quite picky now but will usually go for cheese, Wainwrights Trays (from Pets at Home) or Gourmet white fish cat food.
Good luck and get well soon lovely dog.

mtbbuxton

You could try a tin of Hills a/d which is specifically used as a recovery food. I think you'd need to get it from your Vet if you need it today. Try little and often, hand fed if necessary. My whippet had her spleen removed last June (thankfully her tumours were benign) and the post op recovery can be very difficult for both dog and owner in the first few days. Daisy was hand fed after surgery as it can hurt them a lot to move about. Make sure Tyson has plenty of pain relief - Daisy was on Tramadol - and just spend time with him.
Hoping you get good news,

M x

krlyr

There's a few high calorie vitamin pastes on the market that also claim to stimulate appetite, e.g. Nutrical was one brand I've used before.
Also I've used the herb gentian with good success in a little of baby fancy rats I was handy raising, adding a small amount to their milk seemed to help their appetites a lot.

Fingers crossed for good news from the biopsy

Wellyboots6

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I will raid the cupboards and see what there is to try. It's a bit difficult with the snow at the moment as the local shop has run out of pretty much everything and I don't want to leave him to venture further afield.

krlyr

How are you cooking the chicken, btw? Mine were poorly over Christmas and roast chicken tempted them more than anything else. I fried up some of their chicken mince, but it wasn't as well received as the scraps from our dinner roast chicken, or the chicken portions I roasted in the slow cooker for them overnight.

Fosterdog

The only things I've had recommended by my vet not already mentioned is gravy, make up either home made or bisto type and see if he will drink it. If he does then throw other things in with it to encourage him. The other thing is pretty much everything already mentioned but throw it in a blender to make more of a soup consistency so again get him to drink rather than eat. You could even try using a syringe to get this into his mouth to see if he will then swallow it.

It will give him more energy and hopefully kick start his appetite.

I really hope he's feeling better soon, it's horrible seeing them like that and knowing you can't do anymore to help

zaksmum

Poor Tyson. We had this with my last dog, a tumour on the spleen...not eating then his legs went.

Hope you get better news about Tyson than we got.

You could try him with boiled chicken with rice cooked in it's broth. If he'll eat that, it'll help him.

Hope he's ok.

keep us informed, won't you?

Wellyboots6

Would it be OK to pm you in a few days zaksmum to ask some questions?

Trying to keep positive at the moment but would also like to know more about the other side if things so I can make the right decisions when the time comes.

He did eat half a chicken breast earlier, and I think he may have eaten a dentistick as I can't find it!