Hi,
I am the owner of a nine year-old Dutch (we think/were told) lop. About a month ago he underwent a major operation which involved neutering and the removal of a benign abcess from just above and behind his right-front leg. Having been given only 60% odds through by the vet due to his age, he did well to come through, but since then he's been a lot less mobile, and he's lost a lot of weight. He was about 3.7kg just after the operation, he's now down to the about 3kg and feels very thin and frail. He also has some kind of issue in his eye/nasal tract which has been giving him runny eyes which was supposed to be resolved in the operation but has persisted.
His last check up was a week ago, when he was prescribed metacam (a painkiller) and veraflox (an antibiotic). The vet said at that point that, given the weight loss, it could simply be that there's some other issue that's slowly getting the better of him. It's been a struggle to administer the medicine at times, particularly the veraflox. He's had them via wholemeal bread which he generally loves and has always worked when he's needed anything in the past, but has generally avoided the bread with the veraflox which has a kind of creamy consistency and doesn't absorb well. He still wants to eat most things but only in small quantities, but the last 18 hours or so he's eaten very little. I took him outside on the lawn and he ate grass for a good 20 minutes solid then and has been eating more I've got for him quite a bit since.
So my question is, what things could I try to feed him or try to do for him to help him gain weight, if anything? Of course by this stage it may simply be that he's reaching a natural end, but he's still eating plenty of grass when offered (eats it like he's starved), and I want to do all I possibly can for him.
Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks
I am the owner of a nine year-old Dutch (we think/were told) lop. About a month ago he underwent a major operation which involved neutering and the removal of a benign abcess from just above and behind his right-front leg. Having been given only 60% odds through by the vet due to his age, he did well to come through, but since then he's been a lot less mobile, and he's lost a lot of weight. He was about 3.7kg just after the operation, he's now down to the about 3kg and feels very thin and frail. He also has some kind of issue in his eye/nasal tract which has been giving him runny eyes which was supposed to be resolved in the operation but has persisted.
His last check up was a week ago, when he was prescribed metacam (a painkiller) and veraflox (an antibiotic). The vet said at that point that, given the weight loss, it could simply be that there's some other issue that's slowly getting the better of him. It's been a struggle to administer the medicine at times, particularly the veraflox. He's had them via wholemeal bread which he generally loves and has always worked when he's needed anything in the past, but has generally avoided the bread with the veraflox which has a kind of creamy consistency and doesn't absorb well. He still wants to eat most things but only in small quantities, but the last 18 hours or so he's eaten very little. I took him outside on the lawn and he ate grass for a good 20 minutes solid then and has been eating more I've got for him quite a bit since.
So my question is, what things could I try to feed him or try to do for him to help him gain weight, if anything? Of course by this stage it may simply be that he's reaching a natural end, but he's still eating plenty of grass when offered (eats it like he's starved), and I want to do all I possibly can for him.
Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks