is it ok to force feed my dog?

Question

my dog (bichon frise) has microvascular dysplasia, something with the liver

he is only allowed to eat Hill's L/d

if he doesnt eat L/d, he will die as it is his medicine/food

sadly, he doesn't like the food's taste and has not eaten for the whole day..

lost of appetite is normal for his condition and I tried giving L/d to a healthy dog and he didn't even like it aswell

if i feed my dog chicken or other human food, he eats it but vomits it after a few hours

i have tried giving him the canned L/d and heated it in the microwave for him but still no luck

i have tried another brand which is royal canine and still no luck

i even fried and boiled chicken bones so he can smell it around the house to increase his appetite

i placed some chicken meat along with the dog food, he eats the dog food and the chicken, but vomits the chicken and the dog food aswell

is it ok to force feed my dog L/d for the rest of his life?

royal canine has a line of dog food for dogs with liver problems..low protein diet..basically, i was not surprised that he didnt eat is as royal canine and L/d smells the same

i fed him human food once WITH L/d hoping that he will atleast eat some and not vomit everything

i called my vet, he cannot do anything else..microvascular dysplasia cannot be treated with anything else except to give him L/d and 2.5mls of lactulose twice a day

yeah..i never feed him chicken bones, just the meat..chicken bones are not good even for big dogs

i have been to two vets and both of them have said that Hill's L/d is the only option plus lactulose and milk thistle..i can try royal canine, they are almost similar but Hill's L/d has more vitamins and nutrients

I WILL DEFINITELY TRY PURINA :)

according to the specialist, (we have 2 vets and a small animal specialist) he doesnt have an intraheptic or xtraheptic shunt

this came from the specialists report:

Andre came in for an abdominal ultrasound examination today after a long fast. No evidence of an intrahepatic or extrahepatic shunt was found. The liver size seemed marginally small. :(

he was not picky before, he would gobble down his food, it was dried eukanuba then and sometimes canned pedigree.. so he didnt have problems with dried food or canned food before

oh my..i cant believe it...my bf just came and smeared some barbecue sauce on my dog's nose and acted like he placed barbecue sauce on the L/d and my dog ate every last bit..hope he doesnt vomit this time

thank you BINDI for the recipe..my vet also suggested the same thing..he will give me the exact ingredients etc to prepare this home made diet for my dog tomorrow..i will try and substitute it with the L/d or see if he likes this home made stuff better :)

thank God he is still drinking and ate some L/d just now :)

Answer 1

Has your vet ruled out the possibility of a liver shunt? If your dog has a liver shunt these can often be treated surgically.

There are other prescription foods for this type of condition. Although I really don't care for the brands Purina also makes one.

Bouts of vomiting ar normal for this condition.

Another thing you can do to help your dog out is to feed him yogurt. This will give him good bacteria in his digestive tract and help get rid of some of the "toxins" as well. Plain non flavored yogurt should be used.

Definately talk to your vet about other options for your dog. Here is an article on the condition as well. http://www.acvs.org/AnimalOwners/HealthConditions/SmallAnimalTopics/HMD/

If the prescription Purina doesn't work look for foods with the following percentages:

Diets for dogs with HMD should contain about 15-20% protein (roughly 2 g/kg per day of protein), 15-30% fat, and 30-50% highly digestible carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. They should also be high in zinc and Vitamin E and low in manganese.


**********DEFINATELY check out this site. Personally I'd go this route with my own dogs if they had this health problem. I'd feel MUCH better about the quality of their food this way. If you are willing to do this diet I think you and your dog will be much happier. Your dog will like his food, and you won't be so stressed because he'll be eating and enjoying it as well.

This is a must read for you: http://www.b-naturals.com/Apr2004.php

Answer 2

If the dog, usually a Puppy refuses to eat, you have two choices despite what the not so smart Comments. You can either let the dog Starve or Die from Dehydration of force feed until they are ready to eat. Really this is a No Brainer. Anyone that insists you should not force feed a dog, has NEVER spoken to a VET. FYI, they do the same to HUMANS.. Usually via tube.

Answer 3

A cocker spaniel at the rescue I work at also has a liver problem that meant he needed to be put on L/d. He was a picky eater even before that so at first he refused to eat anything rather than eat the L/d.We tried picking it with the wet L/d at first and water as well. After a couple of days of trying to eat doors, he gave in. Gradually he began eating it with more aplomb. It took about two weeks for him to get that far along. I think the best thing would be to just wait a few more days (as long as he's still drinking! :) )
Also, mixing the dry food with water makes it smell better. The first time the cocker ate the L/d it had soaked in water overnight.
While I understand your reasoning behind making the house smell good for him, it probably just makes the food seem less appetizing in comparison. I know if I'm eating something that smells good, my dogs leave their treats to beg for some.
I wish you the best of luck!

Answer 4

When we need to change our pet's diet, for whatever reason; many times it becomes a battle of wills as to who is going to give in first - the dog (cat) or the owner. We fear that our pet will starve to death before eating the new food. That is hardly the case. Yes, it's sad that we can't give them what they want to eat, but it's sad when a child with diabetes has to take shots and be on a strict diet. But for their health and well-being we make the adjustment. I have a cat with severe food allergies. Her food is very expensive too. At one point she refused to eat anything but canned food. I needed her on dry because I couldn't feed her four times a day, (coming home from work at lunchtime not an option) and if I fed her more than a quarter can of food at a time (small cans) she'd regurgitate. I spent one weekend butting heads with her. I changed her food out every four hours. Even though it's dry it will still go stale. You can't leave dry food out indefinitely - you have to change it. On Monday morning, after she had gone through the whole weekend from Friday night without eating, I was ready to throw in the towel. Just as I was going to open a can for her, she started eating the dry. She's been on it ever since. You have to be secure in the knowledge that your pet's self preservation will win out and eventually they will start eating. No treats to try and make it taste better. With his disease, that's very bad. He will vomit everything else because his liver can't filter properly.

Answer 5

It is not humane to force feed any animal or human. You really need to take this dog back to your vet. If he has no appetite at all the disease might have progressed to the point that he cannot digest his food. It is a difficult time for you but you have to be realistic with this type of disease and if he is not responding to the treatment the vet prescribed for you and he cannot digest food in an way or form you have to start thinking about the quality of life your furry friend now has.

In a last ditch effort to save his dog a friend of mine fed the dog, a large shepherd cross breed of fourteen years and unable to walk, tins of tuna and salmon and fresh fish. This dog not only started to walk a little again and then a little more, he lived for another four years and was up and about after about three to four weeks on the fishy diet.

If he's that bad what have you got to lose. God Bless, I hope something can be done.

Try this website:

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dliver.html#Dietary%20recommendations%20for%20liver%20disease

Answer 6

It may take some time and your dog will eat when hungry.

One thing you can try is to cook some rice, crush some of his dog food or not or put the canned food with the rice, rice is good for the dog and don't do a lot of the rice. He may eat around the food or get enough of the enticement to actually eat the food he needs.

Answer 7

The L/d is not a medication. It is food with lower amounts of proteins and enzymes. The proteins and enzymes make the liver work harder. This food is prescribed so that the liver is not overworked as it would on a regular food diet. Do not force feed him if he is vomiting.

Answer 8

Well I'm not sure if it will work or not but it is worth the try I know that you said he pukes when he eats human food but maybe try to mix it with a little bit of chicken broth.

Answer 9

Vets sell Hills, so they are very prone to "prescribe" it. Just feed your dog a low protein, low fat, higher carb diet. It's easier for him to digest. That is the only special thing about the Ld.

Answer 10

Follow your vet's instructions, and for sure don't try to force feed your dog. He'll eat when he gets hungry, even if he really doesn't like that food....