Dealing with dachshund hunger!

[chickadee]

Hi. I'm Chickadee, new to this forum. I have an almost 14-year-old dachshund who was diagnosed with Cushings this spring. At present we're not treating with medicine. His thirst isn't that bad, but my gosh, is he hungry! And an extra-hungry dachshund is, well, a force to be reckoned with.

I'm looking for snack & food ideas--we're giving him string beans, spoonfuls of yogurt, freeze-dried chicken, all in the hopes of easing his discomfort & helping him feel full while not loading him up with too many calories. Any other things ideas for filling a doxie's tummy?

Thank you!

[Sage]

Moo shu pork?

[frijole]

I understand you made a decision not to treat the cushings but you need to understand the disease and how it works. There is not food you can give your dog that will cure the appetite. The only way you can get back a normal appetite is to treat the cushings. 85% of cush dogs have a pituitary tumor (tiny little thing ) that sends messages that the dog is hungry even though they have eaten a full meal (or two or three ;)) The tumor is telling your dog's body to produce cortisol even though it doesn't need it.

Also there is no holistic cure for cushings - trust me, we all would have tried it.

There are two primary meds: lysodren and trilostane. They work but the vet and dog owner have to be experienced and committed to following proper dosing instructions.

I was afraid at first too but I treated my Haley for 4 1/2 yrs and she led a very happy normal life ... passed away at 16 1/2 yrs of old age.

Hope this was helpful. Kim

[chickadee]

Thanks, Kim. I know that no food will really curb the hunger, but I'm looking for ideas (eg. high fiber or high protein) that may offset the acuteness.

[frijole]

Thanks, Kim. I know that no food will really curb the hunger, but I'm looking for ideas (eg. high fiber or high protein) that may offset the acuteness.

I should have mentioned that cush dogs have a very low tolerance for fat so feed a diet that is low in fat yet higher in protein.

[lulusmom]

Hi and welcome to the forum,

Can you tell us what other symptoms your dog has besides the voracious appetite? Did your vet tell you what type of cushing's your dog has...adrenal or pituitary? 14 years old is pretty senior and at that age, some folks opt to provide palliative care and hope they can make them comfortable for whatever time they have left. Opting to treat is a tough decision and age aside, it's not always possible due to limited funds, especially in this economy. Some folks are also scared to death of the drugs used to treat. This fear is unfounded and not supported by the many success stories here. I'd like to give you just a bit more information just in case it might tip the scales on your decision.

Diagnosing a dog is outrageously expensive and once on treatment and stabilized, the cost drops substantially. Shopping prices for meds always yields a savings over meds purchased from the vet. Having a smaller dog, you can save money on the acth stimulation test needed to monitor treatment. If this is something that you might be interested in hearing about, please let me know and we can share that information.

Can you tell us why you have chosen not to treat your dog? Whatever you've decided makes no difference in the support you will receive here. You are part of the family now and we're here to help in any way we can.

Glynda

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Chickadee and welcome to you and your Dashie boy! :)

As Kim said, you aren't going to be able to reduce the urge to eat, nor the "acuteness" of the appetite, in an untreated cush pup - it is simply the nature of the Beast. You could feed him a quality high fiber, high protein, high carb, high fat diet and let him eat all he wants all through the day - and he will still act as if he is starving each time that bowl gets empty. BUT, what you are using is great (tho I would drop the freeze-dried chicken and swap for fresh, home-cooked) - green beans, carrots, apples, yogurt (plain, low-fat variety - not flavored, no-fat), any fresh veggie or fruit that he will eat is fine to use but do watch the fats.

I know the heart-break that appetite can cause us moms and dads. When Squirt's cush signs kicked in big time, it was the appetite that was so hard to watch. The look in her eye still haunts me. That look told me she felt like she was literally starving to death and she was looking to me to feed her to keep her alive even tho she had just finished her meal. That look told me she thought she was dying from starvation. It was pitiful and gut-wrenching to see. :( We can certainly sympathize with what you are going through and I truly do wish there was something more I could tell you that would help.

As Glynda said, whatever you decide and for whatever reason you make your decision, you and your baby boy are family here now and we will support you in any way we can. We will ask a million questions but that is simply so we can get as much of the big picture as possible to give you the best feedback as possible. So if it seems we are being nosy, we really aren't - not yet anyway. :D We'll wait til we get to know you a bit better before we start that. ;)

Keep your chin up!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[chickadee]

Thanks everyone!

The boy is almost 14. He was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor recently. We decided to wait on treatment for now because of his age and the fact that he's asymptomatic except for the hunger and occasional excessive thirst, neither of which is out of control. He's peppy, energetic, happy, not overweight.

Also, he has some preexisitng disc and arthritis issues and our vet thought that the Cushing's-induced cortisol might actually be easing his pain in those arenas.

The freeze-dried chicken is just for treats--for his meals I feed him cooked ground chicken w/bone, cooked with some vegetable, usually spinach or sweet potato, with some snackies of string beans or yogurt or whatever .

[Wendy Tillotson]

Hi

I have wire doxies and have bred and shown them, so know something about the breed. One of mine also has Cushings - she is 13.

Quite a balancing act with the arthritis and whether to treat or not....and not a decision I would want to make knowing how bad the disease can get.

My dog was also voraciously hungry - and nothing helped. She would rip your hand off to get a dog biscuit.

You can try baby carrots - just another thing to give him - but I dont think you will really head off the hunger if you dont treat.

We NEVER saw Katie drinking water - but she constantly pee'd in the house and in her crate at night. Once she was under control, all of that stopped. So if you are having peeing issues, may want to rethink that. LOL

[chickadee]

Thanks again, everyone. I'm sure I'll check in when/if his symptoms change.