Lyme Disease / Ticks / Feeding sick dog

[Moe]

My puppy, 6 months old has been a tick magnet since we got her. She gets Advantix II every month and still gets ticks. I think she is getting them from my yard. We have tons of chipmunks and rabbits. When they come out of hibernation I'm going to try to trap and relocate them. She is never out for more than a few minutes at a time because I'm so paranoid about the ticks and I never let her lay down outside.

Charlie has never been a big eater and is what the vet describes as lean. She had been gaining weight at a normal rate until recently. Over the past 6 weeks she only gained 2 pounds. About 2 weeks ago she stopped showing interest in her food. She would run over to it, sniff it and just move away. Since she is thin I started adding some chicken or dehydrated cow liver which seemed to work. Last week she was pretty lethargic and was only eating a few bites of her food. I took her to the vet and he did some blood work. He found out that she has a pretty serious case of Lyme disease even though she had received the Lyme vaccine. The vet said the vaccine is not foolproof. The test he gave her was on a scale of 100 with 30+ being active Lyme in the system. Charlie scored 80. She started taking Doxycycline on Saturday. She will be on it for 30 days.

The problem is that she is really not eating. She is on Orijen puppy food. I have been putting a tiny bit of cheese or chicken on the food but she will pick it out and leave the kibble. I end up throwing the food out at the end of the day. She is peeing and pooping fine. I don't want to turn her into a picky eater or food snob but I am worried that she is not getting enough food. She used to love eating some of her food out of a feeder ball or kong wobbler but now she just rolls them around and leaves the food all over the floor. Will dogs (not sure how to put this) starve if there is food there that they just don't feel like eating?

Are there any foods or supplement that you can give a dog that will repel ticks? I asked the vet about using a tick collar or powder but he said it would be too much with the Advantix.

[Esther and Joey]

when joey isn't feeling well and as a result doesn't eat, and i worry, i feed her stella and chewy's or primal or honest kitchen. she goes bonkers for it because the ingredients are all natural real foods.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Your last question is the easiest to answer. There is no food that is safe for dogs that will repel ticks, or least no solid studies showing that there are. You can find all kinds of "alternative" websites with claims about various oils and potions, as well as all kinds of products being sold for this purpose, but there is no scientific evidence backing up these claims, and many of these products can have serious side effects, even though they are "natural".

The best general rule of thumb for feeding sick dogs is "When your dog tells you she doesn't want to eat, believe her."

Illness can make a dog lose his/her appetite, just like it does in humans. Tempting a dog to eat when he/she doesn't want to can be very dangerous in some cases, if there is a GI issue brewing.

It's very common for antibiotics to cause nausea. That may be part of the problem. Nobody feels like eating when they're nauseated.  Probiotics can help with this. (Don't buy Fortiflora from the vet. There are much better, safer, cheaper probiotics available). You may want to try giving her some plain, fat free unflavored yogurt. But otherwise, I would make the food available to her without adding anything. She will not starve.Watch her weight, and if the inappetance continues, you may want to talk to the vet about it. But I wouldn't worry about her starving herself. As long as she's drinking enough water to stay hydrated, and is peeing and pooping normally, she's getting enough.

Also, your dog may need less food at 6 months than she did previously even if she didn't have Lyme disease. Skeletal growth starts to slow down in puppies around 6 months of age, so some of her reluctance to eat may have been due to that as well.

[Moe]

Karen thanks so much for the info it makes me feel so much better. I won't stress about her not eating right now. She has to go back to the vet next weeks so I'm sure they will weigh her. When your dog is not eating it is upsetting, especially for a first time dog owner. I have been adjusting her food using the chart on the back of the bag. I keep adjusting it as she gets older and gains weight. I've also scaled back on the exercise because she seems so tired. We've been going for 3-4 really short walks a day instead of our regular long ones.

One more questions - Are pig ears OK for dogs to eat. She really loves them. I've been giving her a pig ear or bully stick once or twice a week.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I did answer this in the "Food Snob" discussion. Here's the reply:

"You have to make sure that the bully sticks and pig ears are sourced in North America; many of them come from foreign countries and may contain formaldhyde and other substances you don't want your pup ingesting.

The sticks and ears may not have labelling on them as to the source (just the company that distributes them being an American company is NOT enough). It's not that they are "unhealthy" in themselves. Some dogs don't do well with them, though. If your dog does, that's fine, as long as you are able to verify that they are sourced in North America."

Please keep us posted on how Charlie's doing. :)

[Moe]

Thanks Karen - I buy all treats and dog stuff at a small store that only sells made in the US products. They are fantastic.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree with Karen. The Doxycycline may be causing her some nausea. But she will eat enough to get through the month. I'd let her free feed for now. She may be able to tolerate small amounts at a time. I also think some dogs will hold out for pigs ears, which are much more fun than regular food and very filling.

[Moe]

I hadn't even thought that the meds might make her nauseous. I was just thinking she was feeling ill from the Lyme.

We went on a meandering walk today near a river. I put her on a long line and just let her sniff to her heart's content. She's been sleeping ever since.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Karen and F, what do you think about an anti nausea med while she's on the antibiotic to help with that sick tummy?  Worth a call to the Vet?  If it was one of my guys I would definitely ask.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If she were vomiting, I might, but I wouldn't give another med just for nausea unless there was some health risk involved with her being nauseated and/or off her feed. The fewer meds the better as far as I'm concerned, and I know some of them carry their own risks. When JD was on Cerenia for the IBD, they never gave him more than 2 days worth, and he was dehydrated, had lost weight, and developed a vitamin deficiency.

As long as she's staying hydrated and not vomiting, I'd just watch her.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree with Karen. The more meds the more to worry about in terms of interaction, decreased absorption of the antibiotic etc. If she'll eat with a topper make it something very fine or liquid so she needs to eat the kibble too to get it. A small amount of yogurt or cottage cheese or some tasty broth for instance. The funny thing about nausea is sometimes if you don't feel like eating nevertheless you feel better after you do.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I am sorry your baby doesn't feel well. Hope he gets to feeling better soon.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Have you thought of spraying your yard for fleas and ticks?