Geriatric Dog problem

[gae seal]

My 16 year old Tibetan Terrier is no longer able to process protein according to one vet. At the moment we give her whatever she wants since nothing stays in her very long. Overcooked noodles with crushed dog vitamins seasoned with garlic and parmesan cheese is her favorite meal. She also likes bread of any kind and has a sweet tooth (only a few left) that craves any kind of breakfast cereal. I also give her cottage cheese, an occasional yogurt and a little milk.

My biggest problem is cleaning up the diarrhea accidents in the morning and throughout the day. It's too cold to leave her outside and she'd just bark continuosly anyway. I'm tired of getting up all night long to let her out when she gets restless.

Any foods I should avoid and any foods that will ameliorate her condition and not make it worse? One vet says she may have cancer of the stomach lining and not long to live but on this new eat - whatever diet, she's putting lost weight back on, rolls, frisks, plays with the cats and can out walk me with her show gait.

Kaopectate hasn't slowed her digestion down either. HELP!

[BabyRider]

Well, as one of the resident dog-knowledgeable folks here, I gotta say, it's no wonder your dog has digestive problems, with all that variety of people food!
You need a low-protein kibble, possibly soaked in water if your dog has few teeth. All the variety may make you feel better, but it's not doing your dog any good. If you take her to the vet's, what do they suggest? And why does one vet say she "may" have cancer? Can't they do the necessary tests to find out?
A bland diet is what she needs. And without more history I can't suggest much more.

[robinseggs]

Exactly how old is this dog??????

[valerie]

I'm with BR on this one. It's great that whatever you've done in the past
has gotten your girl to 16, but you need to settle things down for your
old girl. I'd start by no more milk. That is one of the classic causes of
diarrhea in just about any animal.

I'm guessing because of her age that everyone is reluctant to put her
through the stress of a lot of tests, and that's fine. There are other things
you can do to make it better for both her AND you.

I didn't catch your location but if you are able, I would do as BR says and
get a good, quality kibble formulated for seniors. My 13 year old eats
Bil-Jac Chicken and Oatmeal Senior. You should be able to find others...
look for the word "Senior" on the label. Set-up regular feeding times, it
sounds like you're free-feeding and that could be a part of the problem.
A little bit of canned food will add some moisture and make the meal
more appealing to her.

Another good remedy for the poops is canned pumpkin, a teaspooful
or two added to her meals. (You didn't say her size or weight but this
should be fine). This is REGULAR CANNED PUMPKIN, NOT PUMPKIN
FOR PIE FILLING. (That has spices)

Don't give her any more than the package (kibble) says. Their little systems
can't handle it any more and it goes right through.

My old girl has one MAYBE two good solid poops a day.

Good luck with your girl, if you need anything else please post and
BR or I will try to lend a hand!

[robinseggs]

Originally Posted by robinseggs

Exactly how old is this dog??????

Ooops!! Sorry I missed it!! 16 yrs! Wow that is an old dog. She is very lucky--as you must have taken very good care of her!! Our dogs are family members...good luck keeping her comfortable and getting it worked out. Valeries suggestions sound interesting...Keep us posted!!