Hello again.
I have posted on theis prblem a few times and every day it gets worse. Tux was eating pedigree in the foil puch but now he is eating nothing. I have tried cooked pork roast cooked pork sausage. (it is what I had on hand) yogurt, cottage cheese with raw egg, scrambled egg (he ate the ham pieces but left the eggs on the plate. I don't usually give him ham but it was left over from breakfast) He did eat some cooked chicken last night but nothing today at all. He has done this with everything I have fed him for the last week. One day he will eat it and the next day sniffs it and drinks water and walks away (yes I serve it to him fresh) He is getting so skiny and today all he did was lie around the house. He must be sick and unable to eat.

Tonight I put dog food yogurt and powdered protien in the blender and used a tylenol dosage syringe (for kids medicine) and put inside his cheek and he has had about 4 oz of that. Now he is just mad at me. I already took him to the vet and he said it is just a behavior problem, but I think it has gone beyond that now. I will take him to the vet in the morning...but what do I ask him to do. Any ideas????? What tests should be run????? With the language barrier and my ignorance of what is available here I really need to go in with the problem pre-diagnosed.

Thank you

Debra

Oh Deb, I wish I had answers for you. Is there any other vets in the area you are in? It concerns me that the vet diagnosed a behavior problem without first ruling out medical issues.
I would request bloodwork for just about everything. I would also have his teeth and gums checked for any dental problems that may be making it painful for him to eat.
Hope this helps and I am sure you will get more suggestions.
Take care and good luck.

Hi Debra. Can you share Tux's age? (maybe you already did - I apologize if I didn't see it). Not being interested in food at all does not sound like a behavioral issue to me. (but I'm not a vet)

Hugs to you and Tux...

Beth

He had pustules on his undercarriage, right? A while back? Antibiotics for that?

Then, wasn't there something else besides the food issue? Maybe a urinary tract infection?

Is he actually losing weight or is he not gaining? Does he have a fever? Did he have that urinalysis? Negative?

Any blood work at all? Was there blood work done after the antibiotics protocol?

Is he dehydrated? Dehydration alone, regardless of the underlying problem, can cause lethargy, loss of appetite, and fatigue. (Do you know how to check?)

Has he been checked for parasites?

Tonight can you blend up some cooked white chicken in water and give him the soupy mixture at room temp or a little warm, at least getting some food and fluid into him? (If not, the fluid is the most important, I think.)

Maybe you can make a list and get someone to translate it tonight. To start:

temperature
dehydration (Does he need IV fluids?)
fecal tests for parasites
urinalysis
blood test for infection? kidney?
palpate internal organs?

The behavior diagnosis is not acceptable, IMO. Perhaps the language barrier is impeding communication? Can you dig up a translator to go with you tomorrow?

Do you have a vet hospital anywhere close at all?

I think you did good with the blender food, BTW.

JMO.

I might also suggest, ruling out medical issues, to try feeding something very smelly. I've heard that picky eaters will be drawn to something pretty stinky like garlic.

garlic is in the onion family and many dogs don't tolerate it.

go with the rice mush. add some chicken or beef broth or bouillion to make it appetizing. make sure you use white rice.

Thank y'all for the help. Tux is 9 months old and 1 month ago I took him in for a HUGE infection the vet was very helpful and gave him 6 daily antibiotic injections and an antiinflamatory. He was immediatly better. Vet mentioned he would have to have his anal "sacks" manually discharged every month. He said the infection that was on his right hind quarter was related to the anal sack (but I could have misunderstood I was just so happy he was getting better) Last week he stoped eating he would only eat pedigree and a few days ago he started refusing everytihng. He wasn't a picky eater until this problem started. I have been tring to get at least 8 oz of food into him for the last 2 days. (with a syringe with a very big opening) He drinks at least 16 oz of water and is always very thirsty. I have also noticed small puss filled sores all over him. Last time they were on his belly and now they are all over mostly close to his spine or any bony area. I showed them to the vet. He was of the opinion that if we got his weight up the sores would go away. I now think the sores are a symptom of an infection causing him to have no appatite.

At the vets office I was only able to find ones that were partially healed and now there are more and they are old and healing and new ones that have not yet popped. There is a yellow foul smelling discharge. In my opinion it is the same infection that got out of control last month. The antibiotics helped the vet said 5-10 injections and he was doing so well he gave him 6 injections. Does he need the same antibiotic but 10 doses this time or do we try a new antiboitic. I asked the vet the first time about a UI because he seems to pee every hour. (he pees less now but it could be dehydration) The vet said the antibiotic would help with a UA but I should bring him back if he still peed every hour. He seemed to get better about peeing after the antibiotic but really this is so much work to juggle all this stuff........sick dog...4 kids homeschooling them in a foreign country. I don't resent it but forgive me if it seems things have gotten out of hand I really am giving all available energy to the dog it is just some days there is not much energy left over. I would really like to get him healthy.

I will take him to the vert within the next few hours and if I don't get the right answers I will take him to another vet that I found yesterday. The other vet is closed now...How much liquid food should encourage (read force in a nice way) to "eat" I am giving him cottage cheese and raw egg blended with bottled water so it can be put into the syringe.

Thank you

Debra

I will post this without editing the other member of the family are hungry too so excuse any errors

Debra, if you post back what the vet says, and whether he is on a new antibiotic regimen, then I am sure we can help more. I'd add to the list of questions the one about how much food/water he needs. He is tiny, I think?

BTW, this is not your biggest concern right now, but I have seen dogs who needed regular anal sac expression get MUCH better very soon when they were switched to real meat and bones.

I also want to add that I feel very sympathetic about all this, in a foreign country with 4 children and a sick dog.

Breathe! :>

All you can do is your best. It's all any of us can do. Please give the little guy a pat for me.