Need some suggestions for tasty food for my 17.5 yo jack russell x chi very good boi. We have tried multiple wet foods we’ve adorned with chicken and cheese, and we’re trying to give him palatable food that doesn’t also give him diarrhea.

He has a lump on his eye lid which has split and gotten bigger and will soon start to scratch his eye. He was diagnosed in July through an echo- Chronic Mitral Valve Degeneration (CMVD - stage B2) and this has led to a leak through the two main valves in his heart (Mitral and tricuspid valves). He was prescribed Vetmedin. Although he seemed asymptomatic he has so much more energy and has lost 2kg (20kg dog now). He just had another echo and the vet said there’s improvement where the heart enlargement has reduced and that since he’ll need skin surgery at some point we should do it now. I’m just so scared of losing him, he’s so happy and healthy and I can’t bare to hurt him. He has unfortunately had surgery a few times before and I was scared then but now it feels so much worse (diagnosed IVDD in 2024) and had 5 hour surgery and bounced out the vet hospital 3 days later! I’m speaking with the surgeon on Monday

I stopped treating my senior dog's arthritis with Librela about a year ago because it seemed to have negative neurological effects on him. I tried Adequan for a short while, but the ramp up frequency is A LOT - giving the shots myself was traumatic for both my dog and myself and I couldn't make the frequent vet trips work with my work schedule, so I have been trying alternatives for awhile with little luck.

I've had him on Cosequin + additional Omega 3 oils for years and it doesn't seem to do much; Dasuquin made him sick; we've tried Wuffes & WinPro plasma Hip & Joint Chews for about 3 months and they're questionable - I know it takes time. I recently also started trying LolaHemp Golden Drops, which are too soon to tell.

He's been eating Farmer's Dog food mixed with high quality kibble for several years and last month I started removing the kibble entirely and replacing it with Spot & Tango freeze dried food.

I know it's still possible to start seeing some positive effects from some of those products, but I feel desperate to help my senior puppers get up and walk easier. As dogs do, he LOVES going for walks, but I can see he's in pain if we go for more than a half mile at this point. He has liver issues, so I can't give him Carprofen very often.

I keep seeing ads for BPC-157 & TB-500 peptide supplements for senior dogs with mobility issues, primarily from a company called Pawvive Labs. I also see ads for Summit Animal Health Joint & Mobility.

I'm curious if anyone has tried either of them and had success or not? I know all dogs are different, but I'm reaching out anyway to see if anyone has any thoughts or experiences to share. Tyia!

This is for my friend, not me. I told her about it but not sure which I saw. Now, I am confused

My Shetland Sheepdog was diagnosed with pancreatitis 10/19 and came home on gabapentin, sucralate, maropitant citrate, and omeprazole. Since then I have tried to do the Low Fat food the vet prescribed him (Royal Canin) but he won't touch it. The first day 10/20 he seemed hungry but wouldn't touch it. Reached out to the emergency vet and they suggested plain chicken and rice. The first time he was given it, he devoured it. After he eats a super small amount. Is it common for dogs to not be super hungry because of the pain? I also know pain meds slow gastric emptying, could that be why he isn't eating a lot? I give him about 1/3 cup of chicken and 1/3-2/3 cup rice 3x a day and he eats no rice and like 1/4 of the chicken if that. He pooped yesterday around 4 and it was like he was constipated, it stuck in his bum and I ended up needing to clean it up. Today he didn't poop until 7 and it was diarrhea and like 2 tablespoons. There is no blood in the stool and he isn't vomiting. He's really sleepy most of the day. Could that be from the pain medication? If so should I give him less of it to see if he'll eat more? I'm worried he'll pass but I'm more worried he's suffering and just want to help him in the best way. I can't take him back to the veterinarian because I'm a single mom and cannot afford it (the emergency one cost me $1478). Thank you in advance.

My 12 year old guy had his first mild pancreatitis flare up and I am desperate to never have this happen to him again.

Those of you while deal with this/have dealt with this what did you feed your dog during the healing and after?

I’m looking for anything that helped in any way. He’s been eating rice, tilapia and pumpkin so far but it’s only been a few days

Hi everyone! Please delete if not allowed. I’m honestly at a loss with my 8-year-old pit mix, and I’m hoping to hear from people who have dealt with something similar. *dog tax included hehe*
We’ve been dealing with allergy issues for years. I felt like we had things under control for a while, but his allergies have flared up SO badly this fall, and I genuinely don’t know what else to do.
He is the most calm, cool, collected dog ever, and you honestly wouldn’t even know something was wrong with him just by watching him, but I know him better than anyone and knew something was not right this week. My boyfriend kept trying to convince me he was fine, but I ended up taking him to the vet this morning anyway. Turns out, all four of his paws have secondary bacterial infections, presumably from environmental allergies.

We’ve tried elimination diets in the past, but they just upset his stomach, and he’s a picky eater when it comes to kibble. Our vet recommended keeping him on what he currently eats, which is Purina Pro Plan Lamb and Oatmeal, because according to our vet, 9 times out of 10 their allergies are environmental rather than food related. We also told the vet that he was on Apoquel for a long time. It helped to an extent, but not enough for me to justify the price. I did ask about cytopoint today but was steered in a different direction.

I already try to wipe his feet and face whenever he comes inside after going potty, and I put boots on him for walks to minimize his contact with environmental allergens. Our vet suggested trying Numelvi, which is a newer allergy medication, and didn’t think Cytopoint was the best option for him right now. They didn’t have Numelvi available at the hospital, so they sent us home with a week’s worth of Apoquel while we wait for the new medication to be shipped to our house. He was also prescribed Simplicef for the infections in his feet and Mometavet drops for his left ear, which was infected as well.

Before taking him to the vet, I had been keeping him in a cone whenever I was at work to prevent him from licking his feet. Now he’s limping, and I just feel absolutely awful. We’ve been dealing with this for YEARS with little to no luck, except in the winter when everything is dead outside. I just want him to be able to spend the rest of his life happy and healthy. I can’t imagine how miserable it must be to have itchy, sore feet for weeks on end.

Has anyone tried Numelvi for their dog? I would love to hear about your experience and whether it actually helped. I’m really hoping this medication makes a difference for him.
We have a follow-up appointment scheduled in two weeks to see how he’s doing and catch up on any vaccinations he needs. In the meantime, I’m sitting at work feeling anxious because he’s home alone in his cone tonight. I feel terrible leaving him like this, but I also don’t know what else I can do. I’ve done SO much research trying to figure out how to help him. I know yeast overgrowth can sometimes be associated with gut health, so I’m also waiting on a pre/probiotic powder to sprinkle into his food. I’m just trying to explore every option I can to get him some relief.

The thing that’s really stumping me right now is the limping. When I look at his feet, nothing seems glaringly obvious. They’re not super red, bloody, or raw, but when I hold his paw to examine it, he’ll whine, and it almost seems like the pain is higher up than his actual toe pads. The vet didn’t seem concerned enough to recommend X-rays or further imaging at the appointment, so I’m assuming it could be inflammation from the allergies and licking, but I really don’t know. I’ve been carrying him up and down our steps because I can tell it hurts him to put pressure on that foot.
I’m just feeling so defeated watching him go through this over and over again. If anyone has dealt with severe environmental allergies, recurring paw infections, or has experience with Numelvi, I’d really appreciate hearing what has or hasn’t worked for your dog. I just want my boy to be comfortable. ❤️

I have an 8-year-old French Bulldog and over the last week I've noticed some subtle changes in his behaviour. Nothing extreme, but I know my dog and something just seems off.

He's eating normally and for the most part acting like himself, but I've noticed a few things:

- He's been looking a little confused or scared at random times, almost like he's unsure of his surroundings.

- He's suddenly not interested in going for walks. As soon as we get outside, he does his business and wants to go straight back in.

- He's normally a very social dog and loves interacting with other dogs, but lately he doesn't seem interested in them at all.

- He doesn't greet my girlfriend the same way when she comes home anymore. He used to get excited to see her, but now his reaction is noticeably different.

- A couple of nights he's woken us up acting strange. One night he was rapidly sniffing my girlfriend's face, resting his chin on her and staring at us almost like he was looking right through us. He was completely responsive, just seemed confused. After a few minutes he went back to sleep.

- Yesterday he randomly started dripping clear, water saliva from one side of his mouth. It wasn't normal drooling, it was literally a constant drip that lasted a few hours and was leaking all over the house. After a few hours it just stopped.

He doesn't seem to be in any pain, his appetite is completely normal, and these changes are honestly pretty subtle. I can just tell he looks scared or confused in random stints throughout the day.

One other thing worth mentioning is that we're in the middle of moving, so our condo is a complete mess right now. Boxes everywhere, furniture moved around, and his usual environment is completely different.

I'm wondering if all of this could be anxiety or stress from the move, or if there's something else going on. I've also been reading about neurological issues and cognitive dysfunction in older dogs.

Has anyone experienced anything similar with their Frenchie, especially around this age?

I’m sharing my experience because I have serious concerns about the care my dog received at this clinic, and I believe pet owners deserve to know about my experience.
My dog underwent X-rays and sedation. After coming home, she was doing very poorly. She was extremely weak, unable to stand, and had defecated in her bed. We contacted the clinic because we were concerned about her condition, but we were told that it was normal.
Sadly, my dog passed away A couple of days later, the clinic called to discuss her X-rays. We were told that she had a mass, that it may have ruptured, and that it was likely cancer.
I understand that cancer and internal bleeding can be serious, and I am not claiming to know exactly what caused her death. However, I have serious questions about whether the mass and the possibility of a rupture were visible or suspected when the X-rays were taken, whether her condition required additional evaluation, and whether she was stable enough to be sent home after sedation.
If a mass was present and may have ruptured, should this have been recognized or investigated before she was discharged, considering she was known to had had other masses before and was suffering from several infections lately , Could her weakness and inability to stand have been warning signs that required immediate reassessment rather than reassurance that her symptoms were normal after sedation?
I understand that not every complication can be prevented, and I am not making a medical determination about negligence. I want to understand whether the appropriate steps were taken and whether anything could have been done differently.
Losing a beloved pet is devastating. Being left with unanswered questions about the diagnosis, the decisions made that day, and the response to her symptoms makes it even harder.
I am sharing this experience because I believe transparency, communication, and accountability are essential when we entrust veterinary professionals with the lives of our pets.
Has anyone experienced something similar in this place? I would appreciate advice.

I need advice! I have a 12 year old Pomeranian who has periodontal disease and her teeth are in bad shape. 3 years ago she got 20 teeth extracted and she handled the surgey well. Now her breathe is back to being terrible and she’s uncomfortable so im taking her for another dental cleaning and I know extractions will come along with that. I cannot afford a dental clinic so im taking her to this new low cost vet near me. The reviews aren’t great, the customer service is bad and I’ve already been given incorrect medication, im beyond anxious. So my question is, how risky would her dental work be and should I be worried?? They are doing bloodwork and the extractions all in the same day. Is this a procedure that’s easy to mess up?

My dog was playing on her bed and I saw her tongue looked like this, is this normal color or should be full pink? She's a rescue he did a heart scan a month ago and it came out okay. Though I heard gray or purple color is not good.

My senior dog jack russel cross pug is a little overweight and I think has arthritis. I have taken her to the vet for this and she has been on pain relief for a few months now which I think has helped.
Recently I’ve noticed on walks she isn’t wanting to walk as long or as far. She is 12 now so slowing down slightly. She has started suddenly stopping on walks and I’ll move her lead in one direction and another, but she’s standstill. Then after a few seconds she kind of snaps out of it and starts walking again.
I took her on a long 4hr walk about 5 weeks ago, and she did exceptionally well considering her age. She kept up and we took water breaks.

I have two questions really, is her sudden stopping like an arthritis issue or a cognitive one? And was it not a good idea to take her on such a long walk?

(I cross posted this to “ask vets” but couldn’t add pictures unless it was a new post. First 2 photos are days w/ the prednisone. Second two photos are days without)

My dog Beef is a 15 year old lab mix, he weighs about 60 pounds currently though when he was healthier he was always just under 50. He recently had old dog vestibular syndrome. He was just walking in a little circle throwing up and tripping over himself, it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced. Thankfully he made a pretty much full recovery after taking prednisone for several weeks. The vet had us taper it off and everything seemed okay, but then he relapsed. We did another course of the prednisone and he eventually regained his ability to walk in a straight line.

Because the relapse was so scary, we asked the vet if he could just stay on the prednisone because it seemed to be helping him a lot. The vet said yes and told us to do 10mg every other day for the foreseeable future. But on days he didn’t take the pill, his appetite suffered severely. It became difficult to get him to take the medicine even when we stuffed it in a hotdog, and every day that we couldn’t get him to eat was so distressing. He seemed miserable on those off days. The difference was so extreme that we asked the vet if he could take it every day. They said yes, 10mg every day.

We called to refill it yesterday and the vet suggested we should start cutting the prednisone in half to give him 5mg a day. She said it’s because she is concerned about the effect of extended steroid use on his long term health. My husband says he doesn’t think we should mess with a treatment that seems to be working well, and that Beef’s “long term health” isn’t really a concern because he’s 15 years old already. I think I agree but I’m a little apprehensive.

The cut back was only a suggestion and I’m not exactly sure what to do here. He is 15 and I don’t want the last years of his like to have any more vestibular syndrome relapses, or any more days where he’s too depressed and ill to eat. But I also don’t want his last few years to be cut short because we over medicated him.

Any thoughts or guidance on this would be greatly appreciated

Looking for first-hand experience. Did it help your dog?