Advice / help on mysterious health problems.

[Dagodingo]

@debradownsouth Her right weight was around 22lbs, which was perfect with a tucked up stomach and a waist. She had a lot of muscle on her until she became more ill. But as it got harder for her to eat and get her meds down her, we compensated with all kinds of cooked foods and didn’t restrict it much. She often would refuse food for days but if you cooked her steak, then for so longs as it smelled good she would eat. She liked beef steaks, filet mignon, scrambled eggs, chicken, pork loin etc, but only if you cooked it fresh. I guess the smell drove her to eat. In fact, I remember one morning while cooking her scrambled eggs and filet mignon, I then made a bologna sandwich for myself and told my wife there was something seriously wrong with the picture lol. Before she became ill she would eat anything food we put in front of her, just as my other boy does now.

[DebraDownSouth]

@dagodingo

My question Redial, who said 18 pounds was the right weight.

When a dog is sick, you feed them whatever they'll eat as long as it doesn't hurt them. You did all you could. I wish all dogs had such devoted families.

[Zande]

@dagodingo said in Advice / help on mysterious health problems.:

Her right weight was around 22lbs

@debradownsouth said in Advice / help on mysterious health problems.:

My question Redial, who said 18 pounds was the right weight.

The standard calls for 18 pounds for bitches, 23 pounds for dogs, but the operative word in dagodingo's post is 'RIGHT' - If 22 lbs is the 'right' weight for a larger built Basenji, or one whose appetite needs to be tickled - in sickness or old age - that is perfectly OK.

Basenjis should never be allowed to become 'overweight, that can react badly on their organs in general. A 22 lb bitch might not win in the show ring, but that is totally unimportant, weighed against quality of life !

[DebraDownSouth]

Exactly, it depends on the dog. Though, as I said, Sayblee got her major and championship at a svelt (for her) 22 pounds. Her ideal weight as she aged and muscled up more was closer to 24 pounds but we had a hard time getting her to eat.