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Basenji eating, little, pooping little,and loosing weight

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • my boo is a red and white basenji i've noticed in the last 2 weeks he has been loosing weight and pooping very little as well as eating very little

  • i have tried seating near his food bowl and pretending i am eating it, puting the food down for 15 minutes only. It just seems he is drinking more than he is eating. also has 2 lighter patches on his coat. I am taking him to the vet after the holdiay. man this is a little stressful . nightt all

  • How old is he? How long have you had him?
    Any changes in his environment? Changes in diet or food supply?
    Does he have access to anything he shouldn't? Pesticides, etc…
    How is his behavior otherwise? Does he still play? Or is he lethargic?

  • Have you strip tested him for Fanconi?

  • I'm starting to think Sally needs testing. I potest the question, on how to test Sally. She squats LOW…... so I'm going to leave her in the kitchen and hold her off from peeing for awhile today, and get her excited to test her urine! hahahahaa..sorry but I can't think of anything else. hehehehe... I also think I'm going to check with the vet about testing her there as well. She won't eat very much, drinks a lot, and is shedding way too much, and I noticed her back legs shaking yesturday...not too bad but enought to notice. Good luck with your B..Keep us posted.

  • You can take her for a walk and test her while on the leash. And for now with what you are describing, I would get her to the Vet and not wait till you have test strips… It may be as simple as an UTI... but how long has she not been eating and drinking lots?

  • @massagemom3:

    I'm starting to think Sally needs testing. I potest the question, on how to test Sally. She squats LOW…... so I'm going to leave her in the kitchen and hold her off from peeing for awhile today, and get her excited to test her urine! hahahahaa..sorry but I can't think of anything else. hehehehe... I also think I'm going to check with the vet about testing her there as well. She won't eat very much, drinks a lot, and is shedding way too much, and I noticed her back legs shaking yesturday...not too bad but enought to notice. Good luck with your B..Keep us posted.

    Is Sally a mix? I seem to remember she might be? And how old is she? Again I would take her to the Vet, they can test immediately for sugar in the urine and/or blood… and also check her for UTI with a urine culture....

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    You aren’t walking him far enough. He will go if you extend your walk. Also keep a treat in your pocket to reward him after he goes.
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    The FDA can only do what the laws allow and if the govt is controlled by lobbyist, well.... But this isn't the place for politics so I'll leave it at that. I am very sorry about your horse. :( With meat.. it's particularly red meat that research is linking to cancer... early research shows amount is a big factor (recommendations from 4 oz a day to max 18 oz a week), but who knows. Processed meat is the worse, and I saw some headline (didn't bother to read since I like my beef shortly after it stops mooing) that well done steaks more carcinogenic. For the world, reducing red meat is good for the environment and health. I was reading a study last week on red meat and joint inflammation. Studies the last 15 years actually only have general connection, but that most do is a pretty good indicator. I had a doctor tell me to stop all red meat and milk when I was a teen and experiencing joint pain. It helped, but back then, no internet and not much access to current research. Here we are 45+ years later, and still no strong proof and some show that reducing carbs with increased LEAN red meat actually decreased inflammation. However, we then get this Science Catch-up. Red Meat And Gut Inflammation: Harvard Study ... https://thehealthsciencesacademy.org/science-catch-up/science-catch-up-28/ Jan 18, 2017 - Red meat and gut inflammation: Harvard study. According this new Harvard study involving 46,500 participants, eating high amounts of red meat daily might be a risk factor for gut inflammation and the development of diverticulitis. << So no one has absolute proof, but my money is on reducing red meat is more likely to be healthier than not. I just don't rule out all meat (ie fish and fowl) as getting enough protein is pretty hard and we don't have enough hard research for ME to go vegetarian. But I'm open to it and glad you are having success.
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    I too am sorry for not seeing this thread sooner and hopefully the poster will return. My Basenji had some teeth removed and the vet prescribed Carprofen as the follow up antibiotic. My Basenji turned out to be allergic to Carprofen which caused her liver to fail. I went through the same scenario you are describing. She gradually quit eating over the course of several days and then her water consumption started to go down. The eating had me worried since she had an excellent appetite upon return from the vet and the final purging of the anesthesia from her system. Nevertheless, her condition started to degrade. I followed her outside and watched her urinate. Her urine was a very bright yellow. I suspected then a liver issue. Once back inside she was shivering - off to the vet we went. LIver panel blood work up showed very high on specific indicators for failing liver. Vet prescribed Denamarin (containing SAM-e and silybin). SAM-e helps protect liver cells from cell death and aids in cell repair and regeneration. The Vet also started fluid injections. Fluid injections were everyday for two weeks. My Basenji showed a remarkable response to the fluid injections becoming much more her normal self even after the first day. She hated the injections and I could hear her cry when receiving them at the vet (believe me that will tear you up). But she was doing better and she (me) were going to have to tuff this out. Also a different antibiotic was prescribed to prevent liver infection during recovery. The Denamarin comes in dosages based on weight (medium for us). It is the size of a large human like solid oblong vitamin pill. Instructions want you to give it on an empty stomach and preferably not to cut it or place in something similar to a pill pocket however you can if necessary. My Basenji would not take that size (can't blame her). Cutting and disguising it did not work either. I was frantic and got the SAM-e in powder form. I couldn't slip her that either. All though some folks had success with peanut butter and liverwurst. I finally after three days had to have the vet pill her along with her fluid treatments. A week later another blood sample and her liver panel indicators were coming down. The pilling would last for a month and it took two people to get the pill down her. The important part is - she fully recovered from the liver failure. She is 13 1/2 yrs old. My experience after having 5 Basenjis is that the breed is sensitive to medications (anesthesia also). Many of the medications work just fine in most other breeds and mixes. The vet, if not that experienced with the Basenji, must be cautioned. Mine was not. Before accepting any medication have the vet go over any contraindications with you and to double check their resources for potential side effects when dealing with Basenjis. They may switch to something else if a medication has a bad track history with Basenjis. Know what to watch for should your Basenji start to react in a non-positive manner. The poster did not indicate if there were medications in play when the dog started showing degenerating conditions. I sincerely hopes this helps in some way and helps other Basenji owners
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