# Help with Pneumonia and "anorexia" please!



## Baby (Dec 11, 2010)

Hi, we are new to the forum. Our beloved Chihuahua developed pneumonia 2 weeks ago. We have taken her to several vets and she was in the ICU of a 24/7 hospital for 4 days. She is on 3 antibiotics. She has improved but is still sick. The biggest issue we have is she won't eat -- in part because her nose is still stopped up. She was never a big eater when healthy. Vet said she must eat a can of food a day to fight the illness. She is even on appetite stimulation medicine and pepcid. We've tried ground chicken (wouldn't eat it), smoked chicken (which she ate one night but hasn't since). Last 2 days she will eat a handfull of salmon skin treats. We've tried canned cat food, chicken apple sausage and rotisserie chicken with no success. I dont cook much meat so am not sure how to prepare liver. The canned food from vet that we syringe down her mouth is chicken and pork liver. She wont eat the canned food she used to eat before getting sick which was Wellness Salmon. Vet said foods with strong smell may work best since her nose is stopped up. Ideas please?!


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

Hmm thats a tough one! maybe you can give her raw meat or something in the interim.
Maybe some of the raw feeders here could help, then again I don't know if they prefer that over the smell of cooked meat :lol:

Good luck!


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## Chimom4 (Sep 26, 2010)

Baby, I'm sorry I don't have any good advice as it seems you've tried what I would suggest, but you are definitely in the right place, I'm sure others here will have some wisdom for you. I'm sorry your baby isn't feeling well and I hope she gets better soon!
Welcome to the forum.


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## Baby (Dec 11, 2010)

Thank you, I was just thinking tonight that perhaps raw meat might work. I'm somewhat uneasy around meat as I dont cook it much and have heard meat must be thoroughly cooked for safety. I think Chis are often finnicky so perhaps another Chi owner will know what works best.


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

When Zoey used to go through bouts of not eating I would give her boiled chicken breast and rice with a bit of chicken broth over the rice (sodium free) and bits of cheese, she seemed to always eat that if nothing else. I am sorry she is so sick. How is she doing today?
I don't feed raw so I don't have any suggestions there but maybe someone who does will step in. (((HUGS))) to you and your sick chi baby


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## Muzby (Jan 28, 2009)

parmesean cheese is stinky, as well as canned sardines... you could try mixing those with some cooked or raw chicken. to be honest, try and stay away from carbs (her body has to work HARD to digest grains/carbs and that may negatively affect the way she fights the illness), but if that's all she'll eat, give her as much rice/etc as she wants!


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## HobbyFarm (Dec 18, 2010)

*New Here, but will try to help...*



Baby said:


> Hi, we are new to the forum. Our beloved Chihuahua developed pneumonia 2 weeks ago. We have taken her to several vets and she was in the ICU of a 24/7 hospital for 4 days. She is on 3 antibiotics. She has improved but is still sick. The biggest issue we have is she won't eat -- in part because her nose is still stopped up. She was never a big eater when healthy. Vet said she must eat a can of food a day to fight the illness. She is even on appetite stimulation medicine and pepcid. We've tried ground chicken (wouldn't eat it), smoked chicken (which she ate one night but hasn't since). Last 2 days she will eat a handfull of salmon skin treats. We've tried canned cat food, chicken apple sausage and rotisserie chicken with no success. I dont cook much meat so am not sure how to prepare liver. The canned food from vet that we syringe down her mouth is chicken and pork liver. She wont eat the canned food she used to eat before getting sick which was Wellness Salmon. Vet said foods with strong smell may work best since her nose is stopped up. Ideas please?!



Hello,
I just joined, and will introduce myself later in the Newbie corner.Thought this was more important.

I'm so sorry your baby is sick, I know it's scarey & it hurts. I just lost my tiny one to a dog attack, and found her dead, so I know how bad it hurts when our babies aren't doing well. What type of pneumonia does she have to be on 3 antibiotics? The only one I know of that takes that many is Chlamydia pneumonae. It has nothing to do with the STD chlamydia, by the way. Humans and animals get it, and it's spreading all over the US via animals and humans. Can take a year or more to get rid of it.

Anyway...

I own a hobby farm and I've bred Chi's for ten years. I breed rare dairy goats, the rare chickens called Isa Browns, and keep bees. I'm not a vet, but I've had to be one for my goats for 3 years now, as many goat breeders do. Most vets are clueless when it comes to goats, (bottom of the food chain in US) and there are no goat vets for many of us goat owners in rural areas. 

I understand very well that a goat and Chi are completely different, but I've had to doctor friends Chi puppies with parvo, pneumonia, bronchitis, eye out of socket, and you name it. I have a big computer hutch I use as an animal medicine cabinet, and a fridge full of injectable meds. That's how much I treat animals around here at the farm, and the neighborhood. So I do have a little experience. 

First, your baby is on a lot of chemicals, 5 drugs are a lot for a tiny dog. I would take her off of the chemical appetite enhancer, and put her on Enervite High Calorie Supplement paste. It's a high calorie supplement that increases appetite AND gives the needed nutrition for weight gain . I've used it for years with great success, especially with the dogs that had parvo.

Some dogs eat it from the tube, if not, I pry the mouth open and squirt a tiny amount on the back of tongue (it's thick), and hold the head up until it's swallowed.
You can try cooking calves liver for 3 minutes on each side (keep it soft) in olive oil, drain on paper towels, and chop in tiny pieces or puree it, and mix with a small amount of rice. Rice helps settles their stomach and they love liver.

I'd also give the dog Bounce Back Multi-Species Electrolyte supplement. (2 level tsp. to 1/2 cup warm water.Offer at a rate of 1/2 tsp. to each 2 pounds, 3-4 times daily.
It comes as a powder in a 4.oz packet and contains Dextrose for energy, and is good for stress as well. I use it for my Chi's whenever they get sick or stressed (as when puppies leave mom), and goats get it when sick, after birthing, weather changes, or while on meds.


Lastly, after your baby has completed her antibiotics, give her a probiotic (Probios Dispersible Powder) to replace the normal flora that the antibiotics killed off, to keep the dog from getting a secondary infection.

I pray this helps..
Good luck, and you can do it!

Peace & Blessings!
Cheriè B.

P.S
All of these treatments are available online if you can't find them locally. If you need links, just holler!


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## pmum (Oct 17, 2010)

Hi, I hope your poor fur baby gets well SOON!!
If will not eat well, can try baby food. (stage one)
and is easy to get down them. I would go with one
that has more meat in it and can use Pedialite (for babies,kids)
if she isn't good one water right now also. Helps with dehydration.
Blessings.


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## pmum (Oct 17, 2010)

P.S- They also have something out that is used for sick days,etc..
Its in a tube, and has all the proteins they need while sick/won't eat.
I can't think of the name right now. Perhaps someone on here knows
what I'm talking about and can give the name....???...
Blessings.


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## Muzby (Jan 28, 2009)

Sorry, wanted to add that if you run a hot shower and make a sauna in your bathroom that can help loosen her nose up so she can smell better. I had to do this when I have pneumonia.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Have you tried heating the canned food up for a minute in the microwave? Cook some chicken. Try running the shower on high and sitting in the bathroom with your chi to help open the nose up and/or running a humidifier.
Hope your baby gets to feeling better soon.


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## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

I just went through that a couple months ago with my Ernie when he had anemia. I was told the same thing, get him to eat a can a day. He has never ever eaten that amount of food but, at that point his little life depended on it. The vet gave me the Science Diet a/d formula. I followed the instructions as closely as I knew how. First I was to make a slurry of it. They gave me a syringe and said to pull the food up into the syringe and then squirt it into his little mouth. I was to do this like 6 times a day. I had to do the same thing with his water. I don't like SD but that was no time to quibble over brands.  I wish you all the best and pray your little one recovers quickly.

editing to add: This is how the vet explained it to me. When they have anemia they have absolutely no appetite, so no matter how tasty a food may seem, it's not going to tempt them. This is why they have to be force fed. I have never had to do that before and I didn't think I could, but I just kept in mind that his life depended on my taking care of him. Didn't seem so hard then.


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## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

What about Nutra-Cal or Nutra- Cal PUPPY formula ina tube as a supplement ?? When Rico was a baby I gave this to him (not that he needs any coaxing any more !!).


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## Baby (Dec 11, 2010)

Thank you everyone! I need emotional encouragement. I stopped working (self-employed) 2 weeks ago to try to save Baby's life from this pneumonia. We are caring for her full-time. The vets (she has seen several) said she was too sick for them to obtain a culture of her pneumonia (she would have to be sedated to get tracheal or lung culture). So we dont know which antibiotic will kill the bacteria so that is why vet put her one 3 antibiotics. I think the bacterial part of her pneumonia is gone as her low grade fever has been gone for a week. She is coughing less but she wont eat and wont play and this is a dog that played every night. We do steam therapy 2-4 times a day in bathroom to the point the walls are dripping wet. I always warm up her food. We've tried chicken, baby food, cat food, treats etc. A few times she has eaten some but some days no. I take her to the hospital 3 times a day for antibiotic injections and subcu fluids. On Tuesday she will probably stop one of the injectable antibiotics which is the really strong one and go to a liquid antibiotic that is not as strong. I syringe a ton of a/d mixed with water down her. Vet wants her to get a whole can plus 75 ml of water every day. That comes out to 2-3 syringes per hour so I can't keep that up for much longer.


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## catz4m8z (Aug 28, 2008)

I hope your little one feels better soon. Unfortunately if their noses are blocked then nothing much is going to seem appealing. I raw feed mine for one meal a day though and can state without fear of arguement that the smelliest food you can feed a dog is raw tripe! Esp green tripe, which has alot of goodness in and is like doggy nirvana! (pure tripe makes me gag so much I have to mix it with beef or turkey so I dont throw up!!LOL).

Its always worthwhile hoping though. My best friend had a respiratory infection affect all her cats and the eldest was so ill. Wouldnt move, could barely breathe just through her mouth. The vet wanted to put her down as he felt she would die. In fact she didnt eat or drink anything for 2 whole weeks, needing daily visits to the vets for sub cut fluid injections. However after 2 weeks she started to eat and is now almost back to her old self!

Fingerds crossed your baby recovers too.


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## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

Baby said:


> Thank you everyone! I need emotional encouragement. I stopped working (self-employed) 2 weeks ago to try to save Baby's life from this pneumonia. We are caring for her full-time. The vets (she has seen several) said she was too sick for them to obtain a culture of her pneumonia (she would have to be sedated to get tracheal or lung culture). So we dont know which antibiotic will kill the bacteria so that is why vet put her one 3 antibiotics. I think the bacterial part of her pneumonia is gone as her low grade fever has been gone for a week. She is coughing less but she wont eat and wont play and this is a dog that played every night. We do steam therapy 2-4 times a day in bathroom to the point the walls are dripping wet. I always warm up her food. We've tried chicken, baby food, cat food, treats etc. A few times she has eaten some but some days no. I take her to the hospital 3 times a day for antibiotic injections and subcu fluids. On Tuesday she will probably stop one of the injectable antibiotics which is the really strong one and go to a liquid antibiotic that is not as strong. I syringe a ton of a/d mixed with water down her. Vet wants her to get a whole can plus 75 ml of water every day. That comes out to 2-3 syringes per hour so I can't keep that up for much longer.


I am so sorry you are having to go through this and you will be amazed at how you are able to endure. ((((((hugs)))))) Hang in there. I pray for this little one to have a speedy full recovery.

I didn't think I would be able to continually force feed my baby Ernie either, but you have and you will. Don't look at it long term. Look at it as just for this one feeding. 

I realize I was very blessed to have my friend Robin (a lot of you know her from here) come and stay for hours a day, day after day, just so I didn't get so fearful.

We still have him on medication three times a day, and he may have to be the rest of his life, but he's reconciled to having mommy's fingers shoved in his mouth (he just opens his little mouth) and he does get an extra nibble of something good, now that he's able to eat on his own again.

I do wish you all the best.


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## Baby (Dec 11, 2010)

Baby ate almost normally last night (chicken covered in NutraCal) and she is greeting us at the door with her tail wagging. But tonight she is doing a little mouth breathing again and groaning when I pick her up (maybe from all the food the vet has us syringe down her?)! Nose still stopped up and it will be 3 weeks on Thurs.! We ordered a nebulizer. My hubby and I feel like we can't keep up the rigorous medical care: taking her in to the vet 3 times every day for subcu and shots in addition to administering 17-22 syringes of food/water at home. She sees the vet tomorrow morning and then the vet is gone for a week for Christmas. I am nervous. If we start tapering down the meds and the syringes I hope she is ok.


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## BellaLina's Mom (Mar 16, 2007)

I'm so sorry that your chi baby is going through this. We're sending positive thoughts and get well wishes to Baby. Please keep us posted with updates.

When my late 15-year old chi started having seizures, I gave her Nzymes Antioxidant Treats and Ox-E Drops, which helped lessen her seizures and gave her a quality of life in her last year with us. In fact, Bella and Lina are taking Nzymes Antioxidant Treats, which they love as their daily treat. I'm not affiliated with the company Nzymes; I find that their products work for my fur babies.

*Nyzmes Ox-E-Drops *may help your chi recover from pneuomia. Here is their website that will explain this product: 
Pneumonia in Dogs or Cats - and How NZYMES can help your Pet!


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