My dog got appetite meds but still won't eat. How long to kick in?

This question really depends on what medicaiton she is getting daily. Yes it is true that some pets take time to adjust but she should still be energetic and relatively normal otherwise. She also should be receptive to taking yummy irrresistible treats. I would recommend offering her some boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese to see if you can coax her to eat a full meal. Once she eats you should be able to resume her medicaiton. Also please keep in mind that some medicaitons can cause lack of appetite as a side effect so it is important to have her re-evaluated by your local vet if she is having such a reaction. She may even need to be placed on a different medicaiton that her body will agree with. If you need to discuss her case more in detail feel free to request a consultation at your convenience. I hope this helps! Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In my experience, this process can take up to 1 week. However, while decreased appetite is common, it usually does not last that long. If this appears to last longer than 3 days, I would recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Make sure that she is drinking water at least as if not, she could become dehydrated. If not drinking water, have her evaluated sooner. Good luck and have a great day!

The real question is why isn't Max eating? Does he have parasites? An infection? Pain? Giving this medication will not fix those problems. How long is he not eating for? If it has been several days since he has eaten ANYTHING, then this medication will likely not work. In sum, if it has been more than 48 hours since he has eaten, I recommend Max see the vet to figure out what is wrong with him and try to fix that underlying problem. If you cannot take Max to the vet, you can try this medication but with caution. It can cause dry gums and sedation. Also be careful with the dosing. I think this is the one with 2mg of cyproheptadine per 5 mL? I don't know your dog's weight but if that concentration is correct, it is about 2.5 mL per 10lbs. I would start with just once and if no eating in 12 hours, you can try one more dose. If still no effect, it is unlikely to work and I would not repeat it. Best of luck to you and Max!

Your vet will likely recommend to recheck the potassium level within the next 2-4 days. By this point, the supplement should have taken effect. It is important to make sure the levels are normal. It's possible to low appetite is not related to the potassium level. If the levels are normal but his appetite is still low, then you know it's related to something else. I recommend to call your vet today and have Tony scheduled for the bloodwork. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It can take a bit for these guys to get their appetite back. Sometimes hand feeding can make things easier, and this is often easier to do by making meatballs of canned food and hand feeding them to your pup. You could also ask your vet if a secondary anti-nausea medication could be added to help. There is one called Cerenia that comes as an injectable the vet can give but also as an oral pill you can give at home.

It depends what type of pain killers she is taking, as it is every 8 hours i assume it is an opioid which is fine to give even on an empty stomach. antibiotics can also be given on an empty stomach, although not ideal as this can cause nausea. try giving her some boiled chicken, treats or a canned food called a/d from Hills.

That duration of inappetance is very concerning. Did you family vet prescribe some therapy, anti nausea medication? It sounds like your kid needs to see a specialist. For a case like this an internal medicine specialist would be the best person to see. A full abdominal ultrasound with an experienced ultrasonographer (either a radiologist or internist) is likely the first step if blood work and xrays are normal. Unfortunately some pets cases are complex and some disease processes require more advanced testing then what family vets can provide. Likely your family vet has ruled out some common things but an internist will look for the uncommon things. Unfortunately decreased appetite is a very non specific symptom because in animals when they do not feel good for any reason they can stop eating. Your family vet should be able to provide a referral for you if you are interested in this option. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!