Older Dog and Cat. Eating and drinking habits and general behaviour

jonbeeza

jonbeeza

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Our staffie cross who is thirteen years old, has become so fussy on her food. We are running out of ideas what to give her. She is not overly keen on her dry food, and only eats a little of it. She went off it for a while, but we are trying to slowly get her back on it. Noticed she has started drinking a lot of water lately, so we have to keep an eye on things there also. She has been to the vet and thoroughly checked out, and she is on long term medication, for ailments associated with older dogs.

Just putting this here, if anyone on here has an older dog, and how things are ticking along for you?

PS

Regarding the excessive drinking of water, the vet has done the relative checks as to what could be the cause of it. But all the checks came back inconclusive, and the vet is happy to keep her on long term medication, to keep her comfortable.
 
Some things we have tried...

  • Tuna
  • Chicken
  • Pasta
  • Regular dog meat
  • Dog biscuits
The above, are just some of the things we have tried, but she turns her nose up at most of it. We had good successes with Tuna, but she has now gone off that. Now running out of things to give her.
 
My own dog ate chicken for most of her life but at a point in her old age she just wouldn't touch it any more. I found giving her food with a stronger flavour helped, like chicken with smoked sausage minced in or chopped up jerky. Basically anything to make it more interesting. It also helped that she would eat what I was eating, dogs like to share your food.
 
mine got fussy, the wife started trying to add in other things but that would only work occasionally and at times made it worse, decided that he got what he was given - if he doesnt eat it its binned. He has yet to refuse 2 meals in a row so am not concerned if he doesnt eat one (usualy breakfast) and thats maybe once a week at worst. He has a dried food with a small amount of something added - chicken, veg,
 
Steep said:
My own dog ate chicken for most of her life but at a point in her old age she just wouldn't touch it any more. I found giving her food with a stronger flavour helped, like chicken with smoked sausage minced in or chopped up jerky. Basically anything to make it more interesting. It also helped that she would eat what I was eating, dogs like to share your food.
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Ours used to always want what we were eating, but is not too fussed now. The only thing she likes to coax of us, is Chocolate biscuits. I know dogs are not supposed to eat Chocolate, but there is probably no Chocolate on our biscuits, only artificial stuff, maybe.


AgentOrange76 said:
mine got fussy, the wife started trying to add in other things but that would only work occasionally and at times made it worse, decided that he got what he was given - if he doesnt eat it its binned. He has yet to refuse 2 meals in a row so am not concerned if he doesnt eat one (usualy breakfast) and thats maybe once a week at worst. He has a dried food with a small amount of something added - chicken, veg,
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We used to be able to do that with ours, but then our dog got sneaky, she then started to pick stuff out of her food, then leave the rest. But now she leaves everything, just running out of things to try.
 
Have you tried Tripe minced from most pet shops, or fresh from butchers, as it has a strong smell most dogs are attracted to it.
 
derekG said:
Have you tried Tripe minced from most pet shops, or fresh from butchers, as it has a strong smell most dogs are attracted to it.
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Yes we have tried Tripe, but she turned her nose up at it. She used to love fresh meat, but even that does not get her appetite going. She will just pick at it, at best.
 
How are her teeth? They're often over looked as a cause of loss of interest in food and other eating issues. Dry food may now be too uncomfortable to eat.
 
srichards said:
How are her teeth? They're often over looked as a cause of loss of interest in food and other eating issues. Dry food may now be too uncomfortable to eat.
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Vet gave her a thorough check over, they also checked her teeth. They took blood and urine, they came back OK. The vet seems to think it is just general ailments, that older dogs get.
 
With cats their sense of smell changes when they're older so food they used to like sometimes smells weird to them for no reason at all so they won't have it. Older dogs may have similar issues. It's maybe just a matter of finding what she will eat and trying every brand in every supermarket until you find something she likes at the moment.
 
Our cat (now believed to be around 14/15 yo) is getting a bit fussy. Gone off Whiskas Senior but seems to like Sainsbury's own equivalent, especially when mixed with a little tuna (in spring water) or a few rinsed prawns. Always got some dried stuff and water in case of starvation. We keep an eye on her general condition and she gets a regular check-up at the V E T.

Older animals do tend to eat less and drink more (just like elderly aunts...) as well as enjoying more sleep and less exercise. Just keep an eye out for signs of distress or poor condition.
 
srichards said:
With cats their sense of smell changes when they're older so food they used to like sometimes smells weird to them for no reason at all so they won't have it. Older dogs may have similar issues. It's maybe just a matter of finding what she will eat and trying every brand in every supermarket until you find something she likes at the moment.
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Nod said:
Our cat (now believed to be around 14/15 yo) is getting a bit fussy. Gone off Whiskas Senior but seems to like Sainsbury's own equivalent, especially when mixed with a little tuna (in spring water) or a few rinsed prawns. Always got some dried stuff and water in case of starvation. We keep an eye on her general condition and she gets a regular check-up at the V E T.

Older animals do tend to eat less and drink more (just like elderly aunts...) as well as enjoying more sleep and less exercise. Just keep an eye out for signs of distress or poor condition.
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I have edited the thread title, to include Cats. Don't know why I did not include cats from the start, as we do have two cats, one being an older cat. :)
 
Nod said:
Our cat (now believed to be around 14/15 yo) is getting a bit fussy. Gone off Whiskas Senior but seems to like Sainsbury's own equivalent, especially when mixed with a little tuna (in spring water) or a few rinsed prawns. Always got some dried stuff and water in case of starvation. We keep an eye on her general condition and she gets a regular check-up at the V E T.

Older animals do tend to eat less and drink more (just like elderly aunts...) as well as enjoying more sleep and less exercise. Just keep an eye out for signs of distress or poor condition.
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Our older cat who is now eleven, has become a fussy eater. He will only eat Felix as good as it looks, and turns his nose up at most other stuff, although he likes his biscuits.
 
Last year my neighbour's cat suddenly went off her regular food and would only eat Aldi's cheapest.

About 3 months later she went off that and went back to her regular food.

I suppose we'd all get fed up with the same food all the time.
 
simon ess said:
Last year my neighbour's cat suddenly went off her regular food and would only eat Aldi's cheapest.

About 3 months later she went off that and went back to her regular food.

I suppose we'd all get fed up with the same food all the time.
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I keep getting different brands of dog meat, she will eat it for a day or two, then go off it. She got to the point of not eating any dog meat, regardless of the brand. She has not had dog meat for a few weeks now, and I just tried her with a little. After sniffing at it for ages, she did eat a little of it.
 
I guess the important thing is that the vet says she's generally healthy.

No healthy dog or cat ever starved to death in front of a full bowl of food.

:)
 
Our 13 yr old cat is off to the vets tomorrow to have another tooth removed.

She's been fussy about food for a few months now after having Tesco better quality own brand for years. We bought her Felix, Purina, Sheba and a better quality Sainsbury flakes variety but after a couple of sachets refused to eat them.

We found a big box at Aldi and she wouldn't touch it and after having taken a sniff of it ourselves neither would we. That went to the re-homing centre. We have found a brand she does like called, wait for it, Hey Diddle Diddle but it's quite expensive. Anyway we took her to the vets to see if they knew the reason for the appetite loss and they said there was a rotten tooth at the back.

She had one out last year for the same reason. Cost us £500+ and so will this latest one too. We're dreading this every year and wondering if it's worth it.
 
Harriers9 said:
Our 13 yr old cat is off to the vets tomorrow to have another tooth removed.

She's been fussy about food for a few months now after having Tesco better quality own brand for years. We bought her Felix, Purina, Sheba and a better quality Sainsbury flakes variety but after a couple of sachets refused to eat them.

We found a big box at Aldi and she wouldn't touch it and after having taken a sniff of it ourselves neither would we. That went to the re-homing centre. We have found a brand she does like called, wait for it, Hey Diddle Diddle but it's quite expensive. Anyway we took her to the vets to see if they knew the reason for the appetite loss and they said there was a rotten tooth at the back.

She had one out last year for the same reason. Cost us £500+ and so will this latest one too. We're dreading this every year and wondering if it's worth it.
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I think that is the type our cats eat, they do like it apart from one flavour, they are not too keen on. The bumper packs come in four flavours, Chicken Beef Tuna and Salmon. I think it maybe the Beef flavour they are not too keen on. The texture can be a bit chunky at times, sometimes resembling leather. Sometimes I struggle mashing it up with a fork. :eek:

Not heard of that brand of food you mention, sounds fun though. lol
 
My previous cats liked quality food. Current cat only eats felix or Whiskas. Expensive stuff is sniffed and ignored usually!
 
Harriers9 said:
Our 13 yr old cat is off to the vets tomorrow to have another tooth removed.

She's been fussy about food for a few months now after having Tesco better quality own brand for years. We bought her Felix, Purina, Sheba and a better quality Sainsbury flakes variety but after a couple of sachets refused to eat them.

We found a big box at Aldi and she wouldn't touch it and after having taken a sniff of it ourselves neither would we. That went to the re-homing centre. We have found a brand she does like called, wait for it, Hey Diddle Diddle but it's quite expensive. Anyway we took her to the vets to see if they knew the reason for the appetite loss and they said there was a rotten tooth at the back.

She had one out last year for the same reason. Cost us £500+ and so will this latest one too. We're dreading this every year and wondering if it's worth it.
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Of course it is worth it, we love our pets, don't we? ;)

I am not going to even calculate how much our vets bills have come to over the years, Cats and Dog both just as costly. But what else would we do with all that money? ;)
 
Our rescued Staffie X is 15 and has a real problem with arthritis. He's been on Previcox for years. Unfortunately can't even go for a walk now as it's difficult enough for him to get over the threshold of the door. He has a geat appetite though and only rarely turns his nose up at a meal. Oddly enough I've been thinking a lot lately about how we will be able to make a decision when the dreaded time comes. We have had him for over 13 years and can't imagine him not being here.

On the odd occasion when he has turned his nose up at his usual food fresh chicken and boiled rice have done the trick.
 
Nod said:
. .........Always got some dried stuff and water in case of starvation.
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Diary of a cat...Day 986

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength
 
Al1944 said:
Our rescued Staffie X is 15 and has a real problem with arthritis. He's been on Previcox for years. Unfortunately can't even go for a walk now as it's difficult enough for him to get over the threshold of the door. He has a geat appetite though and only rarely turns his nose up at a meal. Oddly enough I've been thinking a lot lately about how we will be able to make a decision when the dreaded time comes. We have had him for over 13 years and can't imagine him not being here.

On the odd occasion when he has turned his nose up at his usual food fresh chicken and boiled rice have done the trick.
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I do also have those thoughts, but try not to dwell too much.
We used to go for long walks, but she can only do slow little walks now. She is very energetic when she gets out, but she gets tired very quickly.

PS

I have got masses of photos and videos of her playing, I took a video of her only today, playing with a squeaky toy.
Oh @Al1944 , I used the G7X, superb video quality. ;)
 
viv1969 said:
Diary of a cat...Day 986

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength
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I am the idiot that rolls around on the floor on my belly, dangling things from bits of string. The cats take swipes and miss the object, they always manage to get my hand. I tend to not play that game any more. :D
 
Our cat is 17. He prefers Iams dried food, occasionally Whiskas dried.
He also gets a half pack of wet Whiskas a day. We used to give him a full pack but he was getting a bit cuddly :) 5.5kg
He's down to 5kg now.

We've tried cheaper options - Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Gocat etc but he turns his back on them and scrapes the floor as if he is covering up his mess!

He also likes Sunday roasts...
 
kendo1 said:
Our cat is 17. He prefers Iams dried food, occasionally Whiskas dried.
He also gets a half pack of wet Whiskas a day. We used to give him a full pack but he was getting a bit cuddly :) 5.5kg
He's down to 5kg now.

We've tried cheaper options - Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Gocat etc but he turns his back on them and scrapes the floor as if he is covering up his mess!

He also likes Sunday roasts...
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Our Cats are starting to put a bit of weight on, I think the neighbours are feeding them also. Trying to get the animals, and family food intake right, can be a chore.
 
Our cat is now >18, and has been fussy for a few years. Generally she'll eat the stuff in pouches that's soft, but goes off one type quite quickly. Generally I get a couple of varieties of multipacks, take them all out & stack them in individual flavours and then re-pack the boxes in sequence moving down line so that she never gets the same flavour pouch twice. It *mostly* works.

Had blood & wee checked recently & kidneys are probably starting to go. Got a tooth cleaning expedition under anaesthetic coming up next month for £300. (n)
 
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ancient_mariner said:
Our cat is now >18, and has been fussy for a few years. Generally she'll eat the stuff in pouches that's soft, but goes off one type quite quickly. Generally I get a couple of varieties of multipacks, take them all out & stack them in individual flavours and then re-pack the boxes in sequence moving down line so that she never gets the same flavour pouch twice. It *mostly* works.

Had blood & wee checked recently & kidneys are probably starting to go. Got a tooth cleaning expedition under anaesthetic coming up next month for £300. (n)
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It must be pretty common then, for animals to go off their food. Or get fed up, of the same thing.
 
Well, managed to get our dog to eat her food. She ate some tinned dog meat, but it took bloomin ages, and lots of faffing about. :confused:

PS

I think I need to search for, Chocolate biscuit flavoured dog food. :)
 
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viv1969 said:
Diary of a cat...Day 986

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength
Click to expand...


Tried her on fresh cooked (but cooled!) fish and chicken but she doesn't like it. Much prefers rinsed prawns or tuna but gets bored of them before the tin's finished (and she doesn't get too many prawns because the salt's bad for her kidneys.)
 
ancient_mariner said:
Our cat is now >18, and has been fussy for a few years. Generally she'll eat the stuff in pouches that's soft, but goes off one type quite quickly. Generally I get a couple of varieties of multipacks, take them all out & stack them in individual flavours and then re-pack the boxes in sequence moving down line so that she never gets the same flavour pouch twice. It *mostly* works.

Had blood & wee checked recently & kidneys are probably starting to go. Got a tooth cleaning expedition under anaesthetic coming up next month for £300. (n)
Click to expand...


Yup, we do the rotation thing too. Mash it up with extra water (kidneys) and tuna/prawns on occasion. Current favourite is Sainsbury's own 7+ and has even been wolfing down the turkey flavour (might even be flavoured!) pouch that she didn't like last week.
 
Benny is only 6 but I also buy several different types of wet food pouches and mix them up, in addition to a mix of 2 different dry biscuits.
He regularly tops up his diet with a variety of local wildlife.

@jonbeeza sadly I only found that my old GSD, Chloe became overly picky with her food just a couple of weeks before she passed at 14.
 
viv1969 said:
@jonbeeza sadly I only found that my old GSD, Chloe became overly picky with her food just a couple of weeks before she passed at 14.
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Aw, that is sad to hear. :(
We would like ours to be happy in her later years, so we don't mind trying her on different foods. Even the most scrumptious of foods, no longer seem to get her salivating. Most of the time she just sniffs it, has a mouthful or two, then walks off. It can take a lot of coaxing, to get her to eat it.
 
Changes to our pets behavior.

We have noticed our dog has become more clingy, as she has gotten older. She always wants to sit and cuddle up to us, and follows us around the house. While our cats have changed also, as they have gotten older. While our cats have become more loving, they have become more independent. They now love going off, and we will not see them for hours, even all day sometimes.
 
When our king charles was 11 she stopped eating completely, wouldn't come out from under the table, took her to the vet and they diagnosed her heart was in a bad way , when animals have had enough they know it's time , took her home , she couldn't resist a bacon rasher but that's the last thing she ate , even that was a struggle ,we had her put to sleep the next day , it was very sad but I didn't want to see her drift away getting thinner and thinner and more distressed.
 
wack61 said:
When our king charles was 11 she stopped eating completely, wouldn't come out from under the table, took her to the vet and they diagnosed her heart was in a bad way , when animals have had enough they know it's time , took her home , she couldn't resist a bacon rasher but that's the last thing she ate , even that was a struggle ,we had her put to sleep the next day , it was very sad but I didn't want to see her drift away getting thinner and thinner and more distressed.
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Our dog was at the vets the other week, had a good thorough check up. Given a clean bill of health, only a couple of age related issues, these are managed by medication. The only food she lusts after, are our chocolate bics. :)
 
jonbeeza said:
Our dog was at the vets the other week, had a good thorough check up. Given a clean bill of health, only a couple of age related issues, these are managed by medication. The only food she lusts after, are our chocolate bics. :)
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Hope you don't give here any?
 
Al1944 said:
Hope you don't give here any?
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No of course not, would not dream of it. Although she may snaffle up a crumb or two, that falls on the floor. :rolleyes:


Well, she had a small bowl of dog biscuits this morning. :)
 
Just making a salmon sandwich for an early lunch, our dog is showing no interest. Normally she goes wild, when the Salmon comes out. She has had some biscuits this morning though.
 
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