My senior dog has cardiomyopathy and won't eat. What can I do?

Poor Dexter. Unfortunately this can be part of the disease. I would take him into the vet to see if you can get an appetite stimulant prescribed to see if that helps. If it does not, then it would likely be time to consider letting him go. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry to hear that Cocoa isn't feeling well! Dogs with chronic health issues like this often lose their appetite, and it can be hard to get them to eat. If she eats dry food, you can try soaking it in some low-sodium beef or chicken broth for a few minutes to soften it and add flavor. If she eats wet food, you can try warming it briefly in the microwave to make it more enticing, or try different types of canned food to see if you can find one that interests her. Plain boiled chicken and rice, or rice mixed with chicken or beef-flavored baby food can also be a good choice in the short-term for dogs who aren't as hungry as usual. Finally, if needed, you could ask your veterinarian about prescribing an appetite stimulant such as mirtazapine - this can be very effective for some pets with chronic health issues, to help improve their appetite.

I'm sorry that Princess is so sick! I would try to tempt her to eat by offering her small amounts of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice. You can also soak her dry food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth. Should she refuse to eat any of these choices, I would take Princess back into the vet who can give her a medication that may stimulate her appetite.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lady. I'm sorry to hear that she is having these problems. I need a bit more information regarding any other symptoms she is having in addition to the decreased appetite and what testing has been done so far to make a more detailed recommendation. But I can outline my thought process for you. The first thing I would want to rule out is any source of pain on her physical exam. Pain from dental disease, arthritis or back pain can all affect the appetite. Then I would do blood work and a urinalysis. The blood work should include a complete blood count, chemistry panel and a test for pancreatitis known as a cPL. Next, I would do chest x-rays and an abdominal ultrasound. I may consider a trial course of pain medication or an anti-nausea medication. I hope this information is a starting point for you and I am available for a consultation of you want to discuss Lady in further detail.

The only thing I would recommend doing is seeing your veterinarian. If Baby has an enlarged right heart and an enlarged liver it's possible that she is in right sided congestive heart failure and that this is causing her decrease in appetite. They may also be unrelated. A decreased appetite should be taken seriously in an older dog. The vet might recommend checking blood work or x-rays to determine what the cause may be, and from there they may be able to recommend treatment as well.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hank. Here are a couple of my thoughts for you to discuss with his veterinarian. You can try Cerenia which is an anti-nausea medication. Entyce is a new appetite stimulant that may be tried in replace of the mirtazapine. It is only approved for use in dogs, but has been used off label in cats. You can consider switching to a potassium sparing diuretic such as spironolactone which may allow him to come off of the potassium supplement. I would avoid the ginger at this point and try other options as there is no way to know if it will interfere with his cardiac drugs. I typically try one thing at a time so that I know what is helping. I hope this information helps!

Hi. Is your pet on medications for heart failure? If so, and still coughing, your veterinarian may need to reassess xrays and possibly increase doses of medication. Prognosis for heart failure is guarded to poor. I'm sorry she isn't feeling well