Tatum's Luxating Patella Surgery is Tomorrow (Wednesday)...PLEASE SAY PRAYERS!!!

[Lou]

My my my....little Miss Tatum is certainly being a big handful for such a little doggy.

Brooke, don't worry about spoiling her right now. Now just worry about getting ANY food and her pills in her. SInce you are going to worry over her no matter what postpone that issue until she feels better and has less pain.

I have had to give meds to my dogs so many times it isn't funny and they get tired of the same process after a few days so I switch. Some of the things I have used:
peanut buttered bread pieces (meds stick really well)
ranch dressing (covers just about any bitter-tasting med)
soft cheeses.

When they refuse to eat I pull out the emergency baby food. Chicken and vegetables is a favorite.

I'm so sorry about your brother. Maybe it would help his depression if you asked him to help you with Tatum. Since you are stuck in the house he could go to the store for you? Maybe he could shop around for a reasonably-priced TV?

Good luck sweetie. I hope things get better fast!

[Mom to Hot Rod]

Originally Posted by stedmansmommy

Well guys, this update isn't going to be as good as the previous ones have been Tatum is REFUSING to eat her dog food and she hasn't been drinking hardly any water at all, so I have been having to give her water and pedialyte through a syringe. And I don't know how many of you have read what has been going on with my brother, but today is his Birthday and my mom was going to cook him his favorite dinner tonight....well now she is sick (throwing up) and can't do it. Then to make things worse, his soon-to-be ex-wife has been calling him and giving him sob stories and making him even MORE upset. I called him this morning to wish him a Happy Birthday and he sounded soooooooo depressed. My sister told him that he could come over to her house later on tonight but he said that he is just going to go home and watch a movie or something. I feel SO BAD for him. I swear I feel like I am going to have a nervous breakdown. I can't even go and see him on his Birthday because I can't leave Tatum....he is super depressed, my mom is sick and Tatum won't eat or drink and she threw up this morning because she is so hungry, and to top it all off, our T.V. in the living has decided that it wants to just die (it keeps going black every few seconds) so now I won't even have a T.V. in here! I swear I am just about to lose it I feel like I am just a ball of nerves and I literally have butterflies in my stomach. Tatum is whining in her house and I don't know why I HATE THIS.

What in the world do I do to get her to eat??? I cannot stand this, her not eating. It is driving me crazy and I am so worried about her. I don't want her to keep throwing up the yellow bubbly stuff but I cannot keep giving her chicken all the time. She HAS to eat her dog food...but I don't know how to get her to! If I mix anything in there with her dry food, I know she will just pick out or lick off whatever I put in there and leave the kibbles behind. And I don't know why she has decided to stop drinking water on her own. It is soo time consuming giving her syringes full of water and pedialyte ALL DAY LONG. And she gets SICK of it.

Also...I usually put her Cosequin in Cottage Cheese and she licks the bowl clean...well now she won't even eat the Cottage Cheese and she loves it! So I am having to take little pieces of shaved chicken breast lunch meat and sprinkle the Cosequin in it and give it to her that way....but there is SO much powder in those Cosequin capsules and it takes forever and I don't want to have to give her that much lunch meat all the time. UGH!!! I am soooo stressed! They make Cosequin in chews right? I may just have to get those and give up on the sprinkle capsules. I just can't do this everyday....she cannot have lunch meat all the time. But then she may not even want to eat the chew....omg....I am going to lose it.

I don't know...maybe it's worth a try. At this point I am willing to try anything Are the chews as good as the sprinkle capsules? Are they basically the same thing?

Sigh.....

Brooke, I can't believe Tatum and Hot Rod are having almost exactly the same issues. He wouldn't eat at first either. I had just gotten a food that they both liked and ate without any coaxing! and then his surgery. I had to break down and make chicken for him. Well, he wouldn't eat his chicken with the dog food either! Then Tuesday, I had left Maggie's bowl down when I fed him his chicken, well, guess which bowl the stinker ate? The dog food and chicken! then he gobbled his chicken up after that. lol. Since then, he's started eating his dog food more. It will come. I think they may have some residual "taste" of the medicine or something. As for water, I was really afraid that Hot Rod would dehydrate. He was not drinking very much at all initially. Then low and behold, he drank like a fish! Then I was worried about bloat (not sure if it was really that bad) but he started drinking water for me.

When I'd called the dr. he said that sometimes they don't eat right away and that is okay. And I think that since they had iv fluids in them, they probably feel bloated. When I had surgery, it took me a couple of days to get back on the right track, I didn't want any food either.

Hot Rod refused treats of any kind, sometimes he even refused the plain boiled chicken! It will come. I figured, better to feed him whatever he will eat to make sure he eats. Hubby just shook his head a me cause I was on the floor with him feeding him the chicken to get him started.

And as for visiting your brother...go girl! I had to get out of the house this past weekend. I just went shopping, where else? Petsmart, go figure. But you should get out cause you will overload. Tatum needs you to replenish and you need you to replenish. Go and have a birthday glass of wine with your brother. He'll be just as glad to get his mind off of what is going on with him!

Oh, also, we stopped Hot Rod's pain meds cause the dr thought it might be upsetting his stomach when I told him he had refused the chicken. After 3 days, the dr. thought it should be okay. Hot Rod never seemed uncomfortable without them.

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

It makes sense, I know what you mean. But shoot, even if the stinker gets a little finicky as a result of bowing to her demands now, it might be easier (for you too ) just to give in to her while she's healing, knowing later you can play hardball w/ her when she's all healed up (easier said than done w/ THAT cute face, sheesh). Since she is 6-days post, I agree w/ Amanda then, in that it's probably the other meds.

Hang in there, Brooke, and try to take some time away for yourself, if you can. You need spoilin' too, sometimes!

Ann, you are such a sweetheart...I just love ya! I agree, and that is exactly what I was thinking to myself while I was making her Tater's...lol. We can get more strict with her eating once she is back to herself and is done healing....right now I am worried about her and the little stinker needs to just EAT I made her mashed potatoes...just letting them cool. I took her out to potty though (she didn't go) but before that I put the water bowl up to her and she drank a ton - YEAH!!!

I HAVE to go to the grocery store...cause if she loves these potatoes then I am in real trouble, cause I just ran out lol. I have to get more of these and also something to cook for hubby and I....cause we have been living off of fast food for the past 2 or 3 days I am so sick of it! And I know hubby is. Either he or I can go...but today marks the FIFTH day since I have even been out of the house! I have literally not been out of this house since we've brought her home....I just hate to leave her cause I know she wants me But today may just be "THE DAY" lol...I will go stir crazy sitting in here all the time!

[AmyChristine]

Oh I am so sorry that Tatum is having a harder time.I really hope she starts feeling better soon. I really had a rough time getting Maddie to eat kibble she was on ceaser puppy when i brought her home and the switch has been rough. Our solution was to Cook sweet potato and boil chicken and then put some in a food processor along with a little parmesean cheese and kibble (put the kibble in first so that it gets crunched up). This way is was all mixed together, no picking out the good stuff Slowly I would use more kibble less of the other. I used just a little chicken stock (without the fat) to make it mix right. Now maddie eats kibble just fine.

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by Lou

My my my....little Miss Tatum is certainly being a big handful for such a little doggy.

Brooke, don't worry about spoiling her right now. Now just worry about getting ANY food and her pills in her. SInce you are going to worry over her no matter what postpone that issue until she feels better and has less pain.

I have had to give meds to my dogs so many times it isn't funny and they get tired of the same process after a few days so I switch. Some of the things I have used:
peanut buttered bread pieces (meds stick really well)
ranch dressing (covers just about any bitter-tasting med)
soft cheeses.

When they refuse to eat I pull out the emergency baby food. Chicken and vegetables is a favorite.

I'm so sorry about your brother. Maybe it would help his depression if you asked him to help you with Tatum. Since you are stuck in the house he could go to the store for you? Maybe he could shop around for a reasonably-priced TV?

Good luck sweetie. I hope things get better fast!

Thank you so much girl! That peanut buttered bread sounds like a GREAT idea for the Cosequin...it would stick well to that - going to give that a try for sure! I do give some of her medicine in cheese sometimes (her allergy meds), but I need something that I can sort of "ball up" so that all of the Cosequin powder doesn't fall out...and I think that bread rolled up in a little ball with peanut butter in the middle would be great for this. Also going to get some baby food as well, cause her surgeon did mention this also

My mom talked to my brother and he told her that one of his friends is having a BBQ and said that he HAS to come over tonight and eat So he will be going over there later tonight. I am so glad...I just didn't want him to be by himself on his Birthday He has a TON of friends (I swear that boy knows EVERYONE lol...) but lately he has just wanted to be by himself...although tonight I think he does need to be with someone since it is his Birthday. Thank God he will be

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by Mom to Hot Rod

Brooke, I can't believe Tatum and Hot Rod are having almost exactly the same issues. He wouldn't eat at first either. I had just gotten a food that they both liked and ate without any coaxing! and then his surgery. I had to break down and make chicken for him. Well, he wouldn't eat his chicken with the dog food either! Then Tuesday, I had left Maggie's bowl down when I fed him his chicken, well, guess which bowl the stinker ate? The dog food and chicken! then he gobbled his chicken up after that. lol. Since then, he's started eating his dog food more. It will come. I think they may have some residual "taste" of the medicine or something. As for water, I was really afraid that Hot Rod would dehydrate. He was not drinking very much at all initially. Then low and behold, he drank like a fish! Then I was worried about bloat (not sure if it was really that bad) but he started drinking water for me.

When I'd called the dr. he said that sometimes they don't eat right away and that is okay. And I think that since they had iv fluids in them, they probably feel bloated. When I had surgery, it took me a couple of days to get back on the right track, I didn't want any food either.

Hot Rod refused treats of any kind, sometimes he even refused the plain boiled chicken! It will come. I figured, better to feed him whatever he will eat to make sure he eats. Hubby just shook his head a me cause I was on the floor with him feeding him the chicken to get him started.

And as for visiting your brother...go girl! I had to get out of the house this past weekend. I just went shopping, where else? Petsmart, go figure. But you should get out cause you will overload. Tatum needs you to replenish and you need you to replenish. Go and have a birthday glass of wine with your brother. He'll be just as glad to get his mind off of what is going on with him!

Oh, also, we stopped Hot Rod's pain meds cause the dr thought it might be upsetting his stomach when I told him he had refused the chicken. After 3 days, the dr. thought it should be okay. Hot Rod never seemed uncomfortable without them.

My goodness, they ARE very similar after their surgeries! And I had to laugh when I read that your hubby was shaking his head at you because you were sitting on the floor feeding Hot Rod the chicken, cause I was doing the EXACT same thing with Tatum! LOL. Literally, I would get down on the floor in front of her little house and hand feed it to her...the little stinker pot!

I think I REALLY do need to get out of the house today I sooo need to to go to the grocery store, so I just may try and attempt it later lol. Although I am not going ANYWHERE until after American Idol is over! Hahaha. I tested it out the other day and walked out of the house while hubby was here to see what Tatum would do...and she started freaking out as soon as I walked out I HATE it....but I mean I cannot sit in this house for a month and 1/2! I will end up losing my marbles lol. I will try to make it as quick as possible at the store, but I really do need to go...or hubby could go for me, but I think it would do me good to get out of here, even if it is just for a little while.

[stedmansmommy]

Well guys....here is the Potato Verdict.........SHE ATE THEM!!

Thank you SO MUCH Ann for suggesting this - you're awesome girl! I just couldn't keep feeding her chicken, chicken, chicken all day every day...ugh. I got out my food processor and ground up her kibble really fine (almost powder like) and mixed it in with the mashed potatoes and she gobbled almost all of it up Of course she shared a little bit with her brother too I also added in a little Salmon Oil because it really does help with her skin issues and she hasn't been getting any lately...so I will try to sneak that into something that she eats daily.

Thank you all again for all of your wonderful suggestions....you guys rock!

[Lou]

Originally Posted by stedmansmommy

My mom talked to my brother and he told her that one of his friends is having a BBQ and said that he HAS to come over tonight and eat So he will be going over there later tonight. I am so glad...I just didn't want him to be by himself on his Birthday He has a TON of friends (I swear that boy knows EVERYONE lol...) but lately he has just wanted to be by himself...although tonight I think he does need to be with someone since it is his Birthday. Thank God he will be

What is it about us sisters! You made me remember how both my brothers acted when they were divorced and how their little sister was their rock! LOL By the way both of them discovered their wives were cheating on them too! It was a few years apart but what a coincidence huh?

I'm so happy Tatum is eating! Get the baby food anyway though cause you never know when she will decide to refuse her potatoes!
Hope your grocery shopping expedition helps clear your cabin fever!

[stedmansmommy]

Well the little stinker decided to surprise us tonight and eat her kibble ALOT of kibble Of course, she did this right after hubby came home with a bag of raw...go figure lol. That's ok though because I will use the raw for hiding her medicine in-in the morning (Cosequin and pain meds) I took a video of her chowing down on her kibble lol....of course I had to hand feed the little princess, but she ate it nonetheless She has also been drinking alot of water...so that's great I will check the video tomorrow and post it if it isn't too dark. I was feeding her while she was inside her house, so I don't know if there was enough light in the house to make the video show up bright enough. I also have pictures that I will post tomorrow. Right now though, we are all calling it in a night in this house! We are BEAT!

Hugs to you all and Tate Tate sends kisses

[yoon714]

I'm so happy Tatum is eating now!!!!!!!!!!! yay go Tatum!!!!!!! Eat up and get better! We love you Tatum! Tatum's mommy you have been a very good Mommy and will always be -D

[YorkieShadow]

Originally Posted by stedmansmommy

Well the little stinker decided to surprise us tonight and eat her kibble ALOT of kibble Of course, she did this right after hubby came home with a bag of raw...go figure lol. That's ok though because I will use the raw for hiding her medicine in-in the morning (Cosequin and pain meds) I took a video of her chowing down on her kibble lol....of course I had to hand feed the little princess, but she ate it nonetheless She has also been drinking alot of water...so that's great I will check the video tomorrow and post it if it isn't too dark. I was feeding her while she was inside her house, so I don't know if there was enough light in the house to make the video show up bright enough. I also have pictures that I will post tomorrow. Right now though, we are all calling it in a night in this house! We are BEAT!

Hugs to you all and Tate Tate sends kisses

I'm so glad to hear that she ate some kibbles that's great. I know when Mickey had both his surgery the vet sent us home with small cans of a/d food its a prescription food but its really good to mix with a little water and syringe into their mouth when they refuse to eat. we also gave Minnie this. so if she ends up not wanting to eat again you might ask your vet about this food. I hope your little one heals quickly and I pray that both her legs are 100% better. please try not to stress about every thing they can pick up on that. I know easier said then done. hugs Hun.

[Mom to Hot Rod]

Yay! that is great to hear. Hot Rod actally has been eating more of dog food than chicken. Granted I hand feed him this morning mostly but he ate a bunch of his food! lol.

[Lou]

That is great news about little girl Tate! Keep it up sweetie pup.

[Wabbit]

awww poor precious little Tatum!!! Sending best wishes for the whole family!!!! And praying the next six weeks fly by safely for Tatum!!!!!

[amandawash]

I need some positive Tatum news. She and Hot Rod are what's getting us through this....