Sunday, October 11, 2009

Forget the Nutritionist...Send in Mom

Oh, it was so nice to think the food issue was resolved, however fleeting the thought. When she was boarded at her vet's I left them enough food for the days we were gone. They returned half to me, uneaten. I wasn't really surprised, she's fussy at home plus the new surroundings...made sense she wouldn't eat well. The first night back home she wolfed down her dinner but has barely eaten since.

She's gained weight since her last doctor's visit - now 12 lbs., 6 oz. up from an even 10 lbs. in August. But she's also grown much taller and longer and her weight has not grown in proportion so she's thinner than she's ever been. She's not emaciated...we can feel her ribs but not see them which is how it should be. But her hip bones are a bit prominent and she looks as if she needs a few more pounds to be in proportion.

Last night, Brian (never an alarmist) and I pondered if she might actually be sick but decided to conduct an experiment. Hadley loves Cesar's Grilled Chicken dog meals. They're little more than junk food for dogs but I always keep a container on hand because it's how I ensure she takes all her heart worm preventative medicine each month. So, I opened the tin and gave it to her. We agreed that if she didn't eat that she was actually sick and would be taken to the vet this morning. But...she ate :) Gobbled, actually. So she's not sick, just a stubborn, fussy little princess. The regular, healthier dog food is back on the menu today and we'll see who is more stubborn. But I do want to discuss this with the vet. If she were an adult I would wait her out but as a puppy her organs are still growing and developing and I want to make sure she has adequate nutrition. Of all the problems you anticipate when you decide to get a dog, not eating was not one of them!

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