# leptospirosis



## Evelyn (Mar 5, 2011)

hi everyone...i need some help with ways to entice my dog to love food again..
here's the story..two weeks ago my 22month old vizsla got diagnosed with leptospirosis.....in Hong Kong less than 5 % of dogs survive it . Chili has had the lepto vaccine but it covers only ten strains of it whereas there are over 100 different strains here....its deadlier here likely from the mixture of the hot and humid climate, the rats, and heavy rainfall during this time of year....anyways against all odds despite all the doctors saying he likely wont make the first 72 hours, chili survived. He is still in the hospital and now his k idney and liver have to recover and his red blood cell counts are quite low but another problem we are facing is Chili has loss all joy for eating.....while he was near death he had to be force fed and now that he is able to eat and drink on his own he loss the motivation for food....the doctors and i have tried everything fr yogurt mixed into meat to cat food just to get him interested. He will eat a little but not nearly as much as he should be eating....since his system is still recovering we need to stay away fr raw foods and fatty foods....he needs lean protein....gave him a flank steak yesterday and he nibbled only a bit. is there something i can add to the food to entice him a bit more? please help....thank you in advance 

please pray for Chili's full recovery....


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

Hi Evelyn,

So sorry to hear about Chili but glad he seems to be making a recovery!

I am not really sure what to suggest in terms of food (I would have said ice cream or peanut butter but you said you need to stay away from fatty foods). Aside from beef of chicken, I have no idea. I hope others can offer you some help. 

In the meantime, I can offer my prayers for Chili! He sounds like a fighter. I nearly lost my guy last fall to ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopneia ) but he made a full recovery and is going strong today. They're tough dogs!

All our best,
Debi, Flynn & Luna


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

Hi Evelyn,

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis - wishing Chili a full recovery, hopefully his kidneys and liver are fine and did not sustain any damage.

Have you tried a pureed baby food (chicken or beef)? We used to mixed it with kibble for our V Georgie who was never interested in any food.

Please keep us posted - I hope Chili will feel better in a couple of days!


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## LaVidaLoca (Feb 20, 2012)

Hey Evelyn,

sorry to hear of Chilli's illness... the more it makes me sad because of the fact that our pups might be related, because they're the Aussie pups from the same breeder ;D

Try to give him some Sardines or Tuna over his food!! Maybe that helps. 

I wish Chilli a quick recovery and all the best!! He's definitely a fighter!!

All the best from Singapore!!


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

I don’t know anything about leptospirosis, so I don’t know if this answer is helpful or even a good idea for Chili’s recovery, but Savannah gave me a health scare last winter and I needed to entice her to eat without giving her anything fatty. 

Our solution was unseasoned chicken jelly – un-concentrated chicken stock wasn’t interesting enough for her. Boil chicken bones (I used the leftover bones after boiling the chicken) for a few hours like you are making chicken stock. Take the bones out of the water and continue boiling the water to concentrate it. Let the water cool, then put the pot in the refrigerator. The fat will rise to the top and solidify into a white layer. Gently scrape the fat layer off and discard it. The layer under the fat should look like an amber-colored jelly. If it too liquid, then boil it again to concentrate it, refrigerate it again (as a bonus, you will probably be able to scrape more fat) and check the consistency again.

I used to put about 2 tablespoons in her food. I learned to stir it; otherwise, she would pick out the jelly and leave the kibble.

Hope this helps!


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Hi Evelyn! How's Chilli and what did you find to entice her to eat?


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## LaVidaLoca (Feb 20, 2012)

Hey, how is Chilli??? Hope he's recovering and you were able to find something to make him hungry!!


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## Evelyn (Mar 5, 2011)

Hi sorry for not keeping up with the updating but been hectic lately.....so here's the update: After about three weeks being in the hospital Chili is finally home!!! He is so happy to be home!!! He is still recovering and his kidneys and liver and other blood parameters will be tested every week to ensure his condition is improving.......the bad news though, being that his immune system is extremely low, he now has ring worm....so bathing him in special shampoo and using ointment on him.....but not allowed to use the antibiotics used for ring worm because it's not good for his liver. The good news though he is eating again....Initially he didnt want to eat the Vet prescribed canned food so I started baking it in the oven till it gets a bit crunchy and supplement it with some boiled chicken, carrots and peas. It's like a treat for him. Ultimately though, I think being at home made all the difference. Thank you all for your help and prayers!!!


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

Evelyn - thank you for the update!!!
I am so happy to hear about Chili's progress - what a fighter!

Best wishes!!!


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Evelyn, I am so pleased to hear that Chilli is home with you and is slowly recovering. I am sure that now he has started to eat you will see a steady improvement.

You could also try giving him some ecinacea - which is brilliant for boasting the immune system.


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

Evelyn, so happy to hear Chili is doing well! 

Just FYI, when my dog had some liver issues (due to an extended period of time on immuno-suppresants), the Vet prescribed Denamarin. It's a supplement of Sam-e and Milk thistle which helps with liver restoration. 

It was pricey (about $90 for a $30 supply) but I found it online for half that price. 

Not sure if your Vet has already prescribed this, but you could ask about it. It's not a medication. It's a supplement.


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Great news about Chili! And thanks for posting about cooking the canned dog food - that had never occurred to me.


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