If ever your dog suffers from cancer, one of the most notable symptoms is their loss of appetite. It can come from stress, pain from the sickness, or side effects from the treatment he undergoes. However, just because he loses his appetite doesn’t mean he can’t stop eating the recommended amount of food he needs.
That’s why it’s best to use a healthy appetite stimulant for dogs with cancer. Through quality stimulants, it will hopefully increase their appetite and have them eat more, which helps with their treatment and recovery process. However, what appetite stimulants can you use for your dog?
Read on as I show you the best appetite stimulants you can try for dogs with cancer.
Appetite Stimulant For Dogs With Cancer
Even the most enticing dog food can be ignored by a sick dog. To entice your fur baby to eat, try these five helpful appetite stimulants:
1. Medicines From the Vet
There are actually three types of medicines your vet would recommend to help stimulate a dog’s appetite:
- Maropitant citrate, which helps with nausea. This is helpful for dogs who don’t want to eat from nausea experiences while sick.
- Mirtazapine is an antidepressant and also helps with appetite in both dogs and cats
- Corticosteroids like prednisone also help, as long as your dog doesn’t take any anti-inflammatory drugs
- Meclizine helps in some dogs, an antihistamine that reduces nausea from vertigo
- Ghrelin Receptor Agonis is a new type of medication available today made for dogs. It mimics the effects of ghrelin, a hormone making dogs or people feel hunger.
You can combine both maropitant and mirtazapine together for better effects. But before you use any of these medicines, make sure that you consult with your vet first. This prevents any problems which can worsen your dog’s state.
2. Rotisserie Chicken
For sick dogs who are also picky with what they eat, rotisserie chicken helps. Dogs LOVE rotisserie chicken, smelling even better for them than to use! Most picky eaters would eat it all up if given the chance.
That’s why I recommend that you add a bit of the white meat from rotisserie chicken to their food bowl. Just make sure that you don’t give any of the bones or skin for safety and health reasons. Furthermore, never give them anything other than white meat.
3. Acupuncture
Do take note that while acupuncture doesn’t heal sicknesses, it helps in reducing pain, nausea, and inflammation. These are all symptoms that most dogs with cancer suffer from. Through acupuncture, it can help alleviate those symptoms, increasing their appetite and will to eat.
In fact, some reports show that dogs who have had decreased appetites from various conditions benefit from acupuncture sessions. Owners notice increased appetite and fewer symptoms felt in their dogs.
You can also consider other forms of therapy similar to acupuncture. Just ask your dog’s veterinarian for any other recommendations on what kind of therapy your dog can try.
4. CBD Products
CBD (cannabidiol) is a pretty controversial solution, but reports show its effectivity. There are reports of it helping in pain reduction and increased appetite. Also, you don’t have to worry about it being unsafe for dogs, as it does NOT make them feel high.
CBD from hemp isn’t THC, which is found from marijuana and is toxic in pets. But still, it’s best to ask your dog’s veterinarian for recommendations and advice. Furthermore, you have to make sure that CBD is legal in your state!
5. More Tips on Encouraging Your Dog to Eat
Sometimes, appetite stimulants aren’t the only things your dog needs. They also need emotional support and encouragement from their owner! Here are other tips you can follow to help increase their appetite:
- Be patient if every they won’t eat. Start off feeding them slowly, especially if you’re changing their diet to something recommended by the vet.
- Avoid stressing your dog out and make sure that the home environment is as quiet and peaceful as possible. You can even sing to them or show positive reinforcement during mealtimes. Be calm as you give them the bowl and allow the time for them to explore the food rather than force it down.
- Some dogs may want to be handled as well, which is great to help them deal with any physical and emotional changes from the sickness.
Learn more about cancer in pets and the ways you can treat them with this informative video:
Wrapping It Up
Caring for a dog with cancer requires you to give the proper nutrition through food and medicine. With proper stimulants in case, they lose their appetite, you can focus more on their treatment than worry about their eating habits.
Hopefully, my article on the best appetite stimulant for dogs with cancer helped you out. Do learn more about cancer in dogs to help treat and prevent such sicknesses now.