Food suggestions for last few days?

[Jinxie]

Apologies for coming here with this, but I think I've come to the conclusion that this is my Rottweiler's final week. I'm 99% sure it is the right thing to do at this point, but still is an awful thing to realize. She is 13.5 years old, so a long life for any Rottie, and been diabetic for the last 3. She has beat the odds by quite a bit. With that said, I want to make her last few days as enjoyable as possible. So that means good food, but also I know she feels crappy when her BG is all over the place.

Lately she has been the pickiest she has ever been, probably just from not feeling well (kidney, liver issues can apparently do that). We all know how important it is that the diabetic dogs eat something (anything some days), so we're way outside the usual diabetic or kidney friendly diet at this point. Her BG is off the chart today, and she had a rare accident from drinking so much. I did let her have a chew treat today, so that may be the culprit more than anything. She enjoyed the heck out of it though.

But to anyone who may have been at this point before, any food suggestions for "sending off" your diabetic pup? Tastier than standard fare, but not too bad on the BG?

I'm just trying to keep her BG from flying into the stratosphere, not really worried about it being "sweet spot" low. Happy to cook, I already have been cooking her chicken for the last few months, and then added ground beef, hard boiled eggs, and pork now that she is tired of chicken it seems. Also tried canned green tripe which she does seem to love. Those don't seem to have screwed with her BG too bad, so maybe I've already found what I'm looking for. But just was wondering if anyone had other suggestions.

Sorry for the morbid topic, just want to make sure I give her whatever I can that she'll like these last few days.

[jesse girl]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

no its not morbid its the reality of life

i have not been through this experience but jesse enjoys her raw beef heart

she loves hard boil eggs and canned mackerel . she also likes yeast flakes and if sprinkled on anything even cardboard she would probably eat it

i let her clean the bowl of ice cream that i finished and other meals but she is not getting much from it but the delicious taste. it doesnt need to be a filling type meal to accomplish a bit of satisfaction

i think another aspect besides food is maybe entertaining those special places that were fun to be . sometimes a nice quite place outdoors to spend time together . those kind of things can be really nice

[Jinxie]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

no its not morbid its the reality of life

i have not been through this experience but jesse enjoys her raw beef heart

she loves hard boil eggs and canned mackerel . she also likes yeast flakes and if sprinkled on anything even cardboard she would probably eat it

i let her clean the bowl of ice cream that i finished and other meals but she is not getting much from it but the delicious taste. it doesnt need to be a filling type meal to accomplish a bit of satisfaction

i think another aspect besides food is maybe entertaining those special places that were fun to be . sometimes a nice quite place outdoors to spend time together . those kind of things can be really nice

Thanks. Your post reminds me to buy some fish, mackerel or I had also read sardines. And I'll consider some stuff for smaller treats to throw in there. Just give her a taste of a lot of stuff....to include what I'm eating. I've always been a hardcore, "no table food" kind of person, but screw it. I have a raw marrow bone I've thought about giving her, but know marrow can be a bit rich for the stomach. I'd prefer her last couple days not to be featuring diarrhea because I went overboard with the "good" food.

I've seen the writing on the wall for a while due to her age and mounting health issues, so I've been slowly loosening the diet and "no treats" restriction we implemented for her BG in the beginning. Her BG has never been all that well regulated, she will be high, then have a good run, then be high again for a few days even if I increase the dose. Again, with multiple ailments, it was tough to pin things down.

[jesse girl]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

we do the best we can. jesse has been my pre wash for my dishes for a while now . it really doesnt affect her sugar because its not much but she gets a variety of tastes and smells and she saves water and scrubbing haha

jesse is an older gal now and i know time is fleeting but we just enjoy the time thats left no matter how long that is

[Monsters Momma]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

It's so hard when you come to that realization for any of our furry critters. I'm sorry.

I was going to suggest chicken before I got to the bottom of your post. I really don't have many suggestions for you because Vinny is a lab...he loves food! He isn't a lab with a soft mouth like most, so I can tell he really like bits of cheese, frozen green beans, and chicken jerky treats. For the last several years, that is about as crazy as we've gotten. I know he would eat whatever I gave him though.

Try to enjoy your time with her. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Mel and Vinny

[Jinxie]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

It's so hard when you come to that realization for any of our furry critters. I'm sorry.

I was going to suggest chicken before I got to the bottom of your post. I really don't have many suggestions for you because Vinny is a lab...he loves food! He isn't a lab with a soft mouth like most, so I can tell he really like bits of cheese, frozen green beans, and chicken jerky treats. For the last several years, that is about as crazy as we've gotten. I know he would eat whatever I gave him though.

Try to enjoy your time with her. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Mel and Vinny

Thanks. She still hasn't turned down treats, but the fact she turned down warm chicken and broth the other day confirmed what we knew has been coming for a while. She came back and cleaned out the bowl eventually, but if she didn't feel well enough to eat, then something is really bothering her. She hasn't wanted that cardboard Royal Canin Rx food for a while, but I can't blame here there.

I can deal with the food pickiness too, but her mobility has been declining quite a bit recently. Diabetes doesn't help the neuropathy that old Rotties are prone to getting.

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

I know its hard. I did the same thing a few months ago thinking about his last meals…

he loved the Merrick canned Cowboy cookout beef and the Grammies pot pie in the beginning 5 years ago. its low glycemic dog food.

dogs seem to gobble this food up without raising their blood sugar. of course I fed him the recommended amount for his weight.

he ate it licked his lips. I put him out in his back yard which he loved for the last time. he didn't know me or answer when I called his name from the Alzheimer's.

it was important for me to feel good on his passing with a full tummy eating what he liked

thinking of you. enjoy this time with your Jinxie

mo

[Daisydog10]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

I cooked Louie a New York strip. Then he had his favorite- ice cream. Louie wasn't diabetic, though. He didn't eat much and then the next 2 days he didn't eat at all.

[Jinxie]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

Thanks for the suggestions. Think I might grab a steak today or tomorrow. Bought some treats yesterday too.

[amydunn19]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

I have a dog bakery, ironically Maggie could never eat many of the treats we do for other dogs, but her last day she got peanut butter cupcakes. I kept her blood sugar pretty stable during those last days as I didn't want her to be miserable.

It is a terribly sad time and even after a year, my heart still hurts for her.

[Jinxie]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

I have a dog bakery, ironically Maggie could never eat many of the treats we do for other dogs, but her last day she got peanut butter cupcakes. I kept her blood sugar pretty stable during those last days as I didn't want her to be miserable.

It is a terribly sad time and even after a year, my heart still hurts for her.

Yes, the next 24 hours are going to be awful, but I know it is the right thing to do at the end of the day. She has lived a long life for a Rottie, especially one who hasn't exactly had perfect health the last few years.

Got some steaks and some hot dogs for dinner tonight.

[Monsters Momma]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

Just wanted you to know, you and Jinxie have been in my thoughts and prayers. Praying your heart is comforted and you are given peace,
Mel

[farrwf]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

Just wanted you to know, you and Jinxie have been in my thoughts and prayers. Praying your heart is comforted and you are given peace,
Mel

You've been in my thoughts and prayers also.

[Judi]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

I hope Jinxie had whatever he wanted. I did the same thing for my Jenny during her last weekend. xoxo

[Jinxie]

Re: Food suggestions for last few days?

Thanks for the well wishes. She went very peacefully in our house after enjoying many treats including nearly two steaks in the last two days. Another highlight was some waffles for the first time since getting diagnosed. She used to get some whenever I made them. I think staying in the house was good, especially for a blind dog since she was around familiar smells in the room she'd usually hang out in.

After three years of our daily schedule revolving around trying to stay on schedule for food/insulin, the first couple days after certainly are strange. First day back to work tomorrow, and a good chunk of my morning routine has been for her, so that will stink too.

But I do know it was the right thing to do. With her back legs starting to give out, I didn't want her to wake up one day and not be able to get up. Or stumble while on a walk and injure herself. Plus her various ailments seemed to be catching up with her based on her suddenly hit or miss desire for even the tastiest food.