Best wet food for senior dog with Cushing's, ulcer, overweight?

Hi there! Sounds like Star Trek has some pretty concerning problems going on. I assume from the question that he has been diagnosed with a stomach ulcer. Royal Canin gastrointestinal diet is a good guality, bland, and easily digestible diet that he may benefit from long term. Many patients with gastrointestinal problems benefit from eating these bland diets life long. I would encourage you to visit with his veterinarian for a discussion about long term management. Often, follow up examinations and further testing (like fecal exams for parasites, endoscopy, or even biopsies) are needed to develop the best long term plan. I hope he continues to improve.

As you know, Cushing's disease causes excessive cortisol (steroid) production, which can lead to an increased appetite. With the cortisol levels under control, Lucy's appetite may have regulated, but 13 pounds is a pretty significant weight loss. Normally, you should be able to easily feel (but not see) a dog's ribs and see a waistline when looking down on them from above. We can easily become accustomed to seeing overweight dogs as "normal" and can perceive a healthy weight as being too thin. (Without examining Lucy, I can't comment as to if she is truly underweight, or if her weight is appropriate.) Since her appetite has become picky and her Cushing's disease seems to be well controlled, there is also a chance that she has developed some primary intestinal issues (such as inflammatory bowel disease) chronic pancreatitis, or intestinal parasites. At this point, I recommend taking Lucy to her vet for another exam to assess her overall body condition and consider additional diagnostic testing (CBC, chemistry and abdominal ultrasound) to try to get to the bottom of this issue. I hope that all goes well!

That is very concerning that she is not eating, vomiting, and losing weight. If blood work is normal than your vet could do x-rays and/or an abdominal ultrasound to look for abnormalities. Your vet could also do an ACTH stim test to make sure she is on the correct dose of vetoryl. Your vet could also treat with an anti-nausea medication called Cerenia and an antibiotic called Metronidazole to see if that helps with the vomiting and diarrha. Hope she feels better soon.

He should be fed mostly wet food, the dryer and chunkier the food is, the more chances it won't pass properly through the stomach which will eventually get completely blocked (at this stage euthanasia is advised).

Provide food that is high in calories, like puppy food or a food that’s designed for active, athletic, or working dogs. Higher protein and fat pet foods are best. Underweight pets should be eating foods that are around 30% protein and 20% fat if they’re eating dry kibble; 7% protein and 5% fat (or higher) if you’re feeding a wet food. Intersperse your pet’s diet with small amounts of high-calorie supplemental canned food or canned products made of 100% meat sources. These will have a high protein and fat content, like 100% pheasant or bison, for example. They won’t say “complete and balanced” but rather “for intermittent or supplemental use” because they’re not meant to replace regular feeding. Some moist foods may be easier to digest, so your pet may retain more nutrients, and more importantly these products tend to be more palatable and tempting to a pet who isn’t eating enough. Any diet changes should be done gradually over a week's time as to not cause any GI upset. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

My understanding with senior diets is that there are no general guidelines that all follow. This can lead to a wide variation in the protein and mineral content of these senior diets. In general, if a senior dog is healthy and doing well on their current adult diet, I do not recommend switching diets, nor do most veterinary nutritionists. As always, talk to Tova's vet to see if their recommendation differs, but given her sensitive stomach concerns, I would hesitate to change anything.

I have to be honest that I'm not familiar with this product, but I am hesitant about a product that calls itself "Miracle Vet." From what I can see, it contains a large number of calories, 2400 to be exact, which is more than they need daily. While I understand it's used to gain weight, I wouldn't recommend it. I would try to tempt her to eat on days where she's acting picky by mixing in some boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in with her normal food.