Can I feed her hot dogs?

[oldspice]

I have a 14 year old mutt and she is gotten so strange with her habits and her diet in the last few months that I feel like I'm going crazy. She alternately won't eat, then over eats, yet still has gotten so thin. She has arthritis and she's occasionally incontinent. I took her to the vet and the meds he perscribed seemed to make her even worse, more lethergic and weak. I gave her a hotdog the other day out of desperation and she loved it. Now I don't know how to keep her healthy if all she will eat is hotdogs. I did try just leaving her food and thought she would eat when she was hungry, but she won't. She went a day and a half without touching her food before I broke down. I know I can't afford to let her lose any more weight. What's the best course of action?

[BagelDog]

Chop up hot dog and put it in her food. Then mix in hot water and make sure its all mixed in so everything is hot-doggy. Maybe even squeeze in hot dog juice, and try that. Try to fool her into thinking her food is just lots of hot dog. Feeding her only hot dog would cause further health issues after a while I think, becasue it wouldnt give her every thing she needed. But yeah, just cut up a hot dog and put it in her food (I would say use a little less food cause of the hot dog, but you dog sounds like she needs some extra fat on her bones :)) and stir in some hot water. As it cools it will also get a little softer, which my 13 year old dachies likes cause her teeth are getting bad.

Tell me if its work! The best of luck to you and your girl!

[Athe]

Have you thought of home prepared diets. There are plenty of good recipes out there and great books to help you.
Hot Dogs are some thing I would not feed myself or my dogs they are full of by products.
Instead try adding some boiled hamburg or chicken. blend some veggies and mix with raw hamburg and chopped muscle meat with some organ meat. Give the dog some variety and be creative, use only wholesome fresh foods, not processed foods like hot dogs. You can even take a can of sardines or salmon mix with white rice (or brown and wild), and blended veggies. I always blend my veggies with some organic yogurt, hemp seed oil (or flax) and mix with my meats. For kibble, maybe add some canned dog food to the kibble, choose a good quality dog food like Natura, Wellness, Solid Gold, Nature's Variety, Canidae, Eagle Pack (there are many more, too many to list). Rotate the dogs food every few months. This should at least make her consistant. Have you had blood work done? Thyroid checked, enzyme levels etc. I would have a complete geriatric exam done.
For the Arthritis you can give Glucosamine HCL and Glucosamine Sulfate
Boswellin, Yucca Powder, Manganese (Ascorbate), Bromelain and make sure your dog is getting plenty of omega 3 fatty acids and they are balanced with the omega 6 & 9. I found the perfect ratio in Hemp seed oil. Or you can just buy a prepared supplement with every thing in it for the Arthitis...I like Syn Flex,here is the site to review.
http://www.activexamerica.com/syn-flex/index.php

[EliNHunter]

Warm up bacon grease and pour it on her food. She'll LOVE IT! Mix some warm water in and get it a little soupy...

[Mordy]

at 14 years old, your first and foremost concern is quality of life, not a "100% ideal" diet. giving some "junk food" isn't really a concern anymore at that age, so if it makes your dog happy, why not indulge her. :)

athe's suggestion of a home prepared diet is a good idea. with the arthritis i'd try to cut out grains as far as possible and focus on easily digestible meat and some veggies, rounded out with a calcium supplement.

if you can't do home prepared, i'd move to 100% canned food or use one of the grain free "mixer" type foods like urban wolf or sojos europa. to these you just add fresh meat, mix well and serve.

[juliefurry]

My grandma's dog ate lunchmeat, liversausage (which is the same thing as lunch meat...duh), hotdogs, he ate ANYTHING and EVERYTHING bad and he lived to be 15 years old. He NEVER touched a piece of dog food in his life, I think he thought it was poison or something. I mean he would eat lunchmeat, steak, chicken, liver sausage, fish, shrimp, ice cream, popcorn, taco bell. It might not have been 100% complete and balanced but he ate it and he lived for a LONG time.

[Yellow Shepard]

I think you'll be able to.

[sparks19]

or even try cooking the hot dogs on the stove in some water and then cut up the hot dogs and pur in the water you just cooked the dogs in. it will especially taste like hot dogs then lol. We always give Teddy the juices out of the crock pot after a roast or chicken. He looooooooves that.

[poeluvr]

Have you thought of home prepared diets. There are plenty of good recipes out there and great books to help you.
Hot Dogs are some thing I would not feed myself or my dogs they are full of by products.
Instead try adding some boiled hamburg or chicken. blend some veggies and mix with raw hamburg and chopped muscle meat with some organ meat. Give the dog some variety and be creative, use only wholesome fresh foods, not processed foods like hot dogs. You can even take a can of sardines or salmon mix with white rice (or brown and wild), and blended veggies. I always blend my veggies with some organic yogurt, hemp seed oil (or flax) and mix with my meats. For kibble, maybe add some canned dog food to the kibble, choose a good quality dog food like Natura, Wellness, Solid Gold, Nature's Variety, Canidae, Eagle Pack (there are many more, too many to list). Rotate the dogs food every few months. This should at least make her consistant. Have you had blood work done? Thyroid checked, enzyme levels etc. I would have a complete geriatric exam done.
For the Arthritis you can give Glucosamine HCL and Glucosamine Sulfate
Boswellin, Yucca Powder, Manganese (Ascorbate), Bromelain and make sure your dog is getting plenty of omega 3 fatty acids and they are balanced with the omega 6 & 9. I found the perfect ratio in Hemp seed oil. Or you can just buy a prepared supplement with every thing in it for the Arthitis...I like Syn Flex,here is the site to review.
http://www.activexamerica.com/syn-flex/index.php well we can eat chocolate dogs cant. so i woulent go by its not good for me, so its not good for them either. at my puppy school my dog trainer reccomends sliced hot dogs for treats

[EliNHunter]

Chopped up hard boiled eggs, stewed chicken and rice, that's very yummy to the most picky eater who's older and needs his nutrients...

[poeluvr]

yea..oh yea..i wouldnt feed him some every meal thou,,just i dont think they're bad 4 treats

[bubbatd]

Save any left over water when cooking veggies etc....even when steamed I feel there's good stuff in the water.( pasta water too ) Don't forget cottage cheese to all of the above suggestions. continue with the usual food, cut it back and add the goodies. Let us know how it goes.

[poeluvr]

....these suggestions r making me hungry!

[bubbatd]

LOL!!!! I know what you mean !!! My tummie's growling. !

[poeluvr]

lol...like the chicken and rice...want it!

[sparks19]

yes all of those suggestions are good and anything that you think stinks lol your dog will love lol. i don't know why but they love stinky things lol

[pitbulliest]

oldspice..I"m sorry to hear your dog isn't doing too well..don't worry..things will get better..I recommend putting some yoghurt into her food..maybe she will like the taste and it has alot of great vitamins and enzymes...also, maybe boil some chicken meat and mix it with her food as well..my chihuahua is very picky when it comes to food..sometimes I'll open a can of flaked tuna (rinse it first because of the salt) and mix it with the food..he absolutely adores it...

what kind of food do you feed your dog? At times like this, and all the time for that matter..its a very good idea to buy a high quality kibble to give your dog that extra boost...however, if you would be considering changing her kibble, its a good idea to do it very slowly..and your dog is 14 so its a delicate situation.

but definately try some of the suggestions :) people have some great ideas on here.

[oldspice]

Thanks for all the great ideas! I will try most of them. In fact, at this point, I will do just about anything that she expresses interest in. She has got me wrapped around her paws. I've been doing dbl doses of multi vitamens (as vet reccommended) and glucosamine that I take. She seems more alert. The steroids and the direretic were sapping her energy and any benefit was buried under the side affects.

[Saje]

good for you! Anything to keep her happy... Good luck to you. Please keep us posted.

[Sheba]

Try giving her three hot dogs-with pieces of soft dog food stuffed into it.(Or less hotdogs )

[chilover]

I don't know what you are usually feeding her, but if it's dry food, it mihgt just be too hard for her to chew. And she likes hotdogs because they are soft? I don't know but at this age I would just give it to her and tried to mix it with some other palatable high quality canned dog food or fresh meat.
Good luck!
:)

[Pugsly]

I agree with the eggs, chicken and rice....hot dogs every day are just not good for dogs and their diet!

[gaddylovesdogs]

You could try mixing her food with smooth peanut butter and stuffing a KONG toy with it....my girls love it.

[poeluvr]

not everday pugsly, but just like givi ng your kid a chocpolate kinda brownie for desert, a hotdog for desert for being obedient. everyone has to live!:)