Is it IPSID?

[Patty]

Mike - the food is called Robbie's Holistic Cuisine and the website is www.landofholisticpets.co.uk Personally i always feed raw as I believe it's closer to natural but although this food is pre-cooked the principles sound very credible. The producer is a respected nutritionist, George Burns.

When you contact Frank please don't mention that I suggested you do so as he seems to have fallen out with me although Barbara was a very good friend of mine!

[mramsay]

Thanks Patty. No I won't say who sent me!

[Benkura]

Hi Mike

I have used Robbies food in the past and TBH none of my dogs touched it. It sounded good etc so I bought lots. Maybe you will have better luck with it then me. My boy Chance is the fussiest eater alive and I give him whatever he will eat. I have 2 packs of the Natural Instinct in my freezer but have not tried them yet. I also bought one called Natures Menu from Crufts. It was OK but Chance didn't go mad for it. Chance's favourite is Lamb breast, I pot-roast it and just cut it up small for him - he can't get enough of it.

It is really difficult trying to finds something that a fussy dog will eat. A friend of mine has suggested something called Vit-B (I think). I don;t know anything about it but it's a supplement which is supposed to increase appetite. I will try to find out more and see if it might be suitable for your girl.

Does she like Chicken Wings? Mine all enjoy these.

Regards

Vicki Miller
Benkura Basenjis

[Benkura]

http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/vitamins-dog.html

I googled B Vitamins for dogs and the above link gives quite good info. There is also a product called PROVIT-B, I think this is what my friend recommended to me.

Anything is worth a try.

[mramsay]

Thanks, Vicki.

I'd love to know how you do get on with Natural Instinct. Do you feed the chicken wings raw, as a Daney friend of ours does? In fact she feeds whole raw chickens to them (after they've been killed of course!!!)

[Benkura]

Hi Mike.

Yes the chicken wings are raw. I was very wary at first but the dogs love them. We used to buy frozen from our dog food supplier but Tesco do value fresh ones which are better.

I'm defrosting the Natural Instinct just now so will prob be for tea tomorrow night. Will let you know how we get on.

Vicki

[mramsay]

Thank you!:)

[Patty]

Vicki - try Garlic and Fenugreek powder from Animal Health for fussy eaters. I've heard it works but never having had a fussy Basenji haven't tried it myself!

Incidentally - never buy lots when trying a new food - you can bet your life that they'll go off it if you've brought large quantities!!!! My nearest dog rescue used to have plenty of food donations from us when we had Koyu!!!!!

[Benkura]

Thanks Helena. I already give the dogs Garlic & Fenugreek from Dorwest Herbs. Chance also gets Keepers Mix from them which seems to help a little, but do you know what is really working at the mo for Chance?????…............

Puppy.

Chance always guards his food and hates it if he thinks someone else is going to steel it. Puppy goes up to his crate, he grumps at her and then scoffs his food. He's looking nice now - shame I had to work so hard for Crufts!

Mike - maybe your answer to your girl's poor eating is GET A NEW PUPPY HAHA.

Also, I put down some of the Natural Instincts food this morning and so far he hasn't touched it. However, he does tend to eat more in the afternoon so will report back later.

[mramsay]

Umm.. Yes, thanks for the puppy suggestion but I think I'll stick to giving her food she likes!

She ate her biggest meal for a while last night (muesli + raw beef mince). So while we might be succeeding for now in keeping her eating, what we really want to see is some weight going on & so far we're not. Not an encouraging sign really. But we'll keep on while she's keeping on…

[Benkura]

Glad to hear she's eating something good. It really is difficult with a fussy dog. Chance's favourite is Lamb breast but I can't just feed him that forever. He likes Strawberries and Satsumas but isn't so keen on veg. Porridge is usually good as is rice pudding and Weetabix.

What I do find is that I get carried away. When Chance does eat a good meal I try to feed him more and more but shouldn't as this means he then won't eat much for another few days. I now live by the rule When he's hungry he'll eat and try not to push him.

I hope your girl continues to eat well and put on some weight.

[Patty]

Vicki - a little food guarding works wonders!! Has puppy got her name yet?

Mike, do you weigh Rosie? Often it takes a while, especially for a bitch to regain weight. My Tifi has got quite thin (my fault - because I put her on a diet to lose weight as she was very podgy!) and is taking a long time to put it back on although she eats very well indeed.

I can't remember if you told us how long this has been going on? As usual I start to write before I've checked the previous posts.

[Patty]

I've just checked and I see its since July so obviously that's far too long although Tifi has been 3 months without seeming to put on weight.

I'll re-read all other posts again and see if I can think of something else. I wouldn't think it's fussiness any way - could be in a puppy but not an older dog. It sounds as though she knows what she can digest and what not, I find Basenjis do. We had one who, in old age would only eat shrimps -feeding became a very expensive business as you can imagine!

[mramsay]

Patty, Rosie (& Bing) had a bug last year which gave them diarrhoea as a result of which they both lost weight. Rosie pretty much recovered and put back on most of her weight after a course of antbiotics. Bing didn't but because of his other problems (hypoparathyroidism) he eventually had to be put to sleep.

Rosie's current weight loss began not long after we lost Bing, prompting us to wonder whether his loss was affecting her.

She is now thinner than she ever was last year: our vet has a suspicion she might have a tumour though her white blood cell count was normal.

So we persist, ever vigilant for signs she might have had enough but she continues to eat though switching her likes with the wind!

[Benkura]

Hi Mike. I've been doing some checking up on products mainly for my fussy eater but thought you may be interested too. The Animal Health Co have 3 products; Vit 2000, Revite and Sorb Vit B. All are for maintaining a healthy dog etc but may be of help to your Rosie.

http://www.animal-health.co.uk/eMerchantPro/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=13

[Patty]

Thanks Mike for the synopsis - I did go back and re read all the posts about Bing and Rosie. Idon't have a very retentive memory and this is why I find the forum so good in that you can review posts.

I can endorse Animal Health products that Vicki mentions. I use many of their products with a lot of success. Particularly Hormonise which helps to regulate hormones in the weeks before seasons. They have many horsey products too.

Hokamix too is good for fussy eaters but I wouldn't say that Rosie is actually fussy - it more sounds to me that she is regulating what she can digest. This may well suggest a liver problem.

Please don't give up on her - while she eats it suggests that she certainly hasn't given up.

My old bitch (Jewel) who is well on the way to 16 was seriously ill and even my vet thought that it was the end but she was eating well so I would not give up on her. I used homeopathy as well as conventional medicine and she has recovered. I also think you can read in their eyes when they themselves are ready to go.

Vicki, I don't think Chance is being fussy either - merely eating what he can digest well. Basenjis are particularly good at deciding what they can and can't eat.

[mramsay]

I don't do giving up! Will take a look at Animal Health products; thanks!

[Patty]

Good. You're jsut like a Basenji - they don't do 'giving up' either.

[mramsay]

Is that also why I've always done my own thing?!

"As I stopped to take in my familiar view across to the rounded green hills on the other
side of the valley, I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, a small black, brown and
white streak carving out an arc through the rippling green shag-pile carpet which
stretched out and fell away in front of me. Did Basenjis ever run in
straight lines, I wondered?"

They are very different, aren't they?

[mramsay]

At last, some real progress!

Rosie is putting on weight and improving day by day.

While no clear diagnosis has been forthcoming she is responding to the drugs often prescribed for IPSID and similar conditions and so we are hoping the progress continues, though she may have to be on them for an extended period if not permanently.

Here's a link to one reference I found online which appears most relevant to her:

http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:Zro42h38DOYJ:www.2ndchance.info/inflambowel.htm+basenji+%22metronidazole%22&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

Mike