Total loss of appetite

[The Food Group]

Hi! I am posting for insight or suggestions but we are taking our 1 year old golden doodle, Lorenzo, to the LSU vet school today. Of course it is a long story so I'll try to hit the highlights. 

Enzo has been eating Science Diet since a pup as recommended by the vet (now I know better and will do better but essentially he is not interested in any food!) We got a brand new bag of adult kibble which he's been eating for a few mths (prior to that he was on puppy kibble same flavor)  before taking a trip out of state on March 1st. 

We took Enzo to my parents and we had a few walks outside and he may have encountered some sort of puddle or bacteria there. He is not a huge eater when other dogs are around/ he wants to play. He was not interested in eating and this continued when we got home. We ended up returning this bag of food. (possibility -bad bag of food) 

Took Enzo to vet 03/07 after he vomited up chicken and rice and was having diarrhea. They gave us the nasty canned ID food and metronidazole after doing a blood test and stool test as well as feeling for any obstructions. Those came back clear and they gave him a diagnosis of gastroenteritis. He did awesome on the wet food for one day and then refused to eat it. Throughout all of this time (minus the days that we didn't let him play as per the vets orders) he has played with our roommates pup and neighbor pups. We've been going on walks to try to rev up his appetite as well. 

Since then we have tried Blue Buffalo grain free as well as Solid Gold grain free salmon after he ate some of our roommates pups salmon flavored food. We've also tried Merrick canned food as a topper and as a meal. He has eaten about one day of each food before becoming totally uninterested. I fed him sweet potato and chicken over the weekend which he loved but refused to eat it last night. He did not eat anything yesterday except a Trader Joe's jerky stick. He will refuse other treats, peanut butter, chicken... We thought it may just be a picky eating thing even though he has never been picky and we have never fed him from the table or anything until now that we are desperate and acknowledge we may be making it worse but he is losing weight now and is lethargic. (he has gained weight at every vet appointment so far and the vet reported he should be leveling out now that he is about full grown) 

We have been trying to give probiotics daily- we got some probiotic frozen yogurt cups he loved while we waited for the proviable to come in - if he notices it on his food he wont eat it. He does not even come to the kitchen when he is hungry anymore, we have to make him. We have tried changing feeding locations as well. We have tried adding broth, warming it, adding toppers, adding PB.... 

It's just so frustrating to not know if he is all of a sudden an extremely picky eater or there is something wrong. We continue to put out his food but we get the most success when we hand feed him or feed him on a plate. After reading through Doodle Kisses I feel like I have gained so much knowledge but it has also led me to not want to take him back to our vet which we've loved because they'll just give us more cans of ID food. Again, we will take him to the LSU vet school this afternoon and keep you posted but if anyone has any insight, please share !   

[Laura and Angus]

I'm so sorry to hear that Enzo has lymphoma. You certainly did everything you possibly could for your pup and I can't imagine anyone would have been able to foresee this diagnosis in such a young pup. I can't imagine how difficult this decision must be to figure out a way ahead, but I hope that your family is able to spend lots of fun snuggly play time with Enzo for however long that might be. Thinking of you guys!

[charlotte bednarsh]

I am so deeply saddened by the lymphoma diagnosis, particularly in such a young dog.  My beloved doodle, Paz, was 5 when he was diagnosed with T cell lymphoma, which is a very aggressive form of lymphoma.  In spite of the chemo and radiation therapy, he lost his battle within 6 months of the diagnosis and my heart was absolutely broken.   I questioned everything I did to see if there was anything I could have done differently; I learned there is extensive research being done to assess the risk factors which may contribute to the onset of cancer, as well as joint disorders in very young dogs.  Paz's oncologist said although the research is still in its early stages, some results are indicating that very early spay/neuter may contribute to the early onset of cancer in dogs, as well as other disorders, and he suggested that if I were to get another puppy, I delay spay/neutering until the puppy was at least a year old....Paz had been neutered at 7 weeks by the breeder.    I now have a wonderful male Labradoodle, Atticus, whose breeder performs ovary sparing spays and vasectomies on her puppies, so their hormones remain functioning and I completed Atticus' neuter at 14months.  My heart is with you and your beloved Enzo....he knows you love him and he is blessed to have you as his mom.  Whatever your decision, go with your heart and instincts....

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Another member here (Cindy & Olive) lost her ALD to lymphoma at only a year old, too, and he had also been desexed by the breeder at 6 or 7 weeks old. We have a discussion here about ESN & the possible link to cancer:
https://doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topics/...