Dog Community

7.5 yr old dog crated during HW treatment...

Posted : 4/21/2006 10:37:01 AM

Hi all... any other suggestions on how to keep him entertained while in the crate?? We have tried the PB stuffed Kong and he just turns away from it. Even tried cheese yesterday and same thing. My other dog loved the cheese one but not Coal.   I have given him some rawhide bones but hes not really intrested in those either.

He doesnt stay in the crate all day. my dad comes over late morning and takes him for a quick walk then stays until just before i get home so hes not crated much.... just trying to give him something that will keep him entertained without getting his heart rate up during HW treatment.

Also hes not eating much.   He is on Blackwood dog food and at the vet they were giving him can food but i really dont want to start them on can food. espcially since he wont be getting much excercise the next 2 months... any ideas?

thanks for any suggestions.

cyclefiend2000

Posted : 4/21/2006 12:52:48 PM

are there any treats that he especially likes? you could stuff the kong full of those and smear a little peanut butter on the ends to hold them in (just leave one of the treats poking out of the big end).

are you feeding blackwood 2000? we have a puppy that is on 2000 and our other dog is on 3000. i wouldnt want to start our dogs on canned food either.

Jeiran Lashai

Posted : 4/23/2006 12:04:02 AM

My dog also has no interest in a PB stuffed Kong, so someone told me to use the Natural Balance (Dick van Patten) rolls that they have at the pet store. I cut them into pieces that I can really stuff into the kong. She loves them, and will take quite a bit of time nudging them out. The trick is to stuff them. They also will stay fresh in the fridge once opened for up to 3 mos. Another thing, there is research showing that canned food is actually better for dogs than dry - it is less processed. The only problem is, is you have a dog over 10 lbs it becomes very expensive. So I just mix some into her food. If you are watching their weight, apples, berries, carrots, zucchini are all good ways to bulk up their food without the added calories.

Good Luck!

Lindsay- Bernie's Mom

Posted : 4/23/2006 11:55:22 AM

Get a treat ball big enough to fit at least a portion of his kibble meal in. That way he will keep busy while doing something as normal as eating dinner, and might view the kibble as something a little higher value since it is coming out of a toy. If that doesn't make him more interested you can soak his kibble in water or low sodium broth to make it more enticing. He might just not be hungry as he is expending less energy.

Freezing marrow bones and kongs stuffed with things like yogurt, kibble and pumpkin make it last a little longer. Since your guy is crated and it sounds like you are concerned with weight gain- I'd cut back on the amount of peanut butter and substitute for one of the things I listed above.

I hope everything goes well with the HW treatment!

robinsegg26

Posted : 4/24/2006 8:18:27 AM

thank you all so much for the great suggestions.

Yeah I am little worried about weight gain. he is already at 96.8lbs and with the HW treatment if he gains much more wieght before the next series of shots he could potentially have to get more of the meds which would hurt more... he gets them in his lower back.   Although with this last set he didnt seem fazed at all. didnt appear to be in pain even though i made sure to give him his pain meds.

I feed him the blackwood 3000.   Yesterday I went and bought a few pouches of the ground chicken dog food. and just mix about a half of a pouch with his dog food. I cut back on the amount of dry he gets since hes eating a little can. My other dog was eating it up last night too when i gave it to him. Wasnt intrested in it this morning but I think its because he knew i was leaving and he had to go back outside for the day...

well thanks for all the suggestions... will have to try the veggies!
have a great day!