Small Victories
Sep. 23rd, 2008 10:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowFor the last several days, Ben hasn't been eating much - no more than a few bites of his dog food, plus treats. I'd been trying different flavors of food, adding water to make it easier to chew, whatever else I could think of.
I had noticed the pattern: he'd come to the dish, take a bite or two, then start snuffling and snorting. He'd back away from the dish and refuse to eat any more. Sometimes he'd come back, hours later, for another bite or two, but he wouldn't even come close to finishing.
This morning it hit me. To eat from the food dish, he had to lower his head quite a bit. (He's about 12" at the shoulder.) This, I realized, could be causing more blood to drain into his nasal passages, which would account for the snuffling.
I put the food dish up on a box.
When I came home tonight, the dish was empty. I dumped in another can, and he gobbled it up, cleaning the dish in a matter of minutes.
Maybe....
(I should probably boost up the water dish too, if I can find another sturdy box of the right height.)
I had noticed the pattern: he'd come to the dish, take a bite or two, then start snuffling and snorting. He'd back away from the dish and refuse to eat any more. Sometimes he'd come back, hours later, for another bite or two, but he wouldn't even come close to finishing.
This morning it hit me. To eat from the food dish, he had to lower his head quite a bit. (He's about 12" at the shoulder.) This, I realized, could be causing more blood to drain into his nasal passages, which would account for the snuffling.
I put the food dish up on a box.
When I came home tonight, the dish was empty. I dumped in another can, and he gobbled it up, cleaning the dish in a matter of minutes.
Maybe....
(I should probably boost up the water dish too, if I can find another sturdy box of the right height.)
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Date: 2008-09-24 04:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-24 04:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-24 12:42 pm (UTC)Have you thought of getting a raised bowl stand? My sister got one for her dog when he was having problems, and it seemed to work very well. (She's already had me give it to the animal shelter, or I'd offer to send that one to you.)
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Date: 2008-09-24 03:37 pm (UTC)Love, C.
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Date: 2008-09-25 01:15 am (UTC)I've had the food and water bowls for my elderly cat raised for a while, because of arthritic joints. She can crouch down (and will, to check out the other cats' food), but she does go to the raised bowls by preference.
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Date: 2008-09-27 05:11 pm (UTC)