Hi,
Just need some advice on food type for my recently rescued Shih Tzu Female (Poppy).
She is almost Blind, totally deaf, has bad arthritis, she has poor teeth that are not causing pain.
She has a really good quality of life but cannot eat chews or dried/partially dried foods.
She refuses to eat most sachet foods, although Winalot Senior seems to be ok.
Are there any really good soft foods out there which are also suitable.
I have used the food finding search but it comes back with only 3 results, all dry food which are of no use!
Any help would be appreciated…
Hi,
I rescued a Brittany Spaniel that had his teeth ground down in Spain. We don’t know why, but he was a but unsure when eating.
We found that with kibble, pouring boiling water in and letting it Soak for a while and cool made it go mushy and edible for him.
We also made him chicken and rice and blended it.
Over time his teeth and confidence got better.
We also brushed his teeth daily to help with his confidence and trust with us looking at his teeth.
Hope this helps
Hello Graham - welcome to the forum. Have you had a veterinary opinion on the teeth? There may be some that are irritating and preventing her from enjoying the food. Due to the bacteria, periodontal disease can cause problems in other areas of the body including the kidneys and liver. I would definitely get that checked out and have a dental treatment if necessary. As for food, I am wondering if one of the cold pressed products would be suitable. When moistened with warm water they become soft quite quickly and you can make it to the desired consistency. We have a thread on cold pressed foods here. Alternatively, home cooked, blended food might be an option but you would need to get suitable recipes including the appropriate additives (notably calcium and omega oils).
Poppy has been to the vets on numerous occasions, The vet advised that she has no sight in one eye and only around 10% in the other. She can hear very little but responds to some sounds.
She has arthritis which is being treated daily with Meloxicam.
The vets said they would normally recommend she had 7 teeth removed but due to her being 15 years old and not being in any pain they would not want to put her through the trauma or take chances with the anaesthetic.
She can now go up and down stairs with ease and occasionally runs around our large and enclosed garden.
On the food side of things, she now regularly eats Chicken, Prawns, Carrots, Swede, Boiled rice, Winalot and Morissons own brand Sachets. so the food side is now sorted and her quality of life far exceeds what is was before I rescued her, She has settled in very quickly and welcomes us with a great deal of affection whenever we have been out.
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Thank you for the update. It sounds as if you are doing a good job.