[Help] My 11 year old boxer died and my 8 year old Saint Bernard has had a sudden change in behavior

[khota]

@rrk93 First off, I am very sorry for your loss. I lost my beagle

 

[ncdragon]

@rrk93 I would get the St. Bernard a medical check up first and foremost. Dogs do mourn like we do, but diarrhea is concerning. That’s not a typical emotional response (yes they can get stress colitis but it’s just concerning) once the dog is cleared then you can try and help move forward.

It’s an awful thing to go through and I’m so sorry for your loss. But I would hate for you to lose two dogs so close to each other if it’s something that could be treated.

*Edit: I did see that you have plans for this if she does not improve. That’s good. My dog was sad when my 13 year old cattle dog mix passed in July. We just tried to do all the things that my younger dog enjoyed, like hikes and walks around the neighborhood. I just tried to give him as much as attention as I could and we got through it together. Hang in there *hugs

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@rrk93 I’m sorry for your loss.

It sounds like grief. One of our Boxers would refuse food and activities for a week each time we went on vacations. The diarrhea could be due to stress or due to the variety of food you tried to feed her.
Was she able to see your boxer after he passed? How long isn’t she eating anymore and how much per day is she eating?

For getting her to eat or at least to prevent weight loss
a) try liquid food (eg RC) or bone broth
b) prepare cooked chicken or any other low-fat meat with some carbs or veggies (if she isn’t used to veggies and has diarrhea, I’d give her only meat with carbs)

diarrhea: Add more carbs like overcooked rice (alternatively potatoes, oats, sweet potato) with a spoon of pumpkin, Morosch carrot soup or Olewo carrots.

grieving: Give her extra love and try to get out of the house with her if possible. Some nice place which doesn’t remind her of her friend. I’d also make sure there aren’t too many things of him in the house anymore.

If it doesn’t get better, bring her to the vet.

Hope she’ll be fine soon.

 

[rrk93]

@imagebeastmarkbeast She was able to see him after he died, since he died at home. She was eating for a few days after he died, then she gradually just ate less. She ate a boiled chicken breast I made her yesterday morning with no rice. I hand fed it to her. I tried it again in the evening with pumpkin but she didn’t want any. I was reading last night that even events like this can cause colitis. She seems more constipated than anything. She was even scooting her butt on the ground after the little poop she had. Her poop looks slimy and brown with a little mucus. Up until yesterday, she hadn’t eaten in maybe two days. She’s just lethargic and wants to sleep all day. Thank you for all your tips. I’ll try to implement them in to her diet as much as possible.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@rrk93 Now it sounds like pancreatitis (or colitis). Don’t give her anything which contains over 10% fat. Ideally, give her only max 5% fat. Examples would be low-fat gastrointestinal diets (RC has liquid one), white low-fat fish or chicken breast without skin, both with carbs. Feed more often, but not too much at once. Take her to the vet, and bring a stool sample. Let them check her blood values, including pancreas and liver.
And I agree - I’m sure grief can cause a lot of health issues, but don’t forget about the possibility that she could have had an ongoing health issue and she developed symptoms due to the grief.

Edit: Give her probiotics with many different strains - those did wonders for my girl when she had pancreatitis (I even gave her one for humans).

 

[rrk93]

@imagebeastmarkbeast Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. I read canned pumpkin is good. I tried giving her some but she doesn’t want it. Any alternatives to feeding her canned pumpkin as I heard it’s a goof source of fiber and it helps with colitis.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@rrk93 Try to mix it well with the chicken. Overcooked carrots can be an alternative if she doesn’t have liver issues (cook at least 1h, then mash it with water and a bit of salt). Some people swear on “Olewo carrots” (1). I never used them. Make sure she isn’t dehydrated by checking the skin in the neck region (or gums and nose).
I really hope she gets better soon, poor girl.

What symptoms did your Boxer have?

(1) https://www.olewousa.com/carrots-for-dogs/

 

[carpenternurse]

@rrk93 For drinking water you can try to add a little chicken broth to the water to get him to drink it

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@rrk93 she grieving.

 

[eternalfire]

@rrk93 Dogs grieve too

 

[videochaska]

@rrk93 We had sister rotties from the same litter when I was growing up. Molly died at age 6 from bone cancer. Wrecked us, but was even worse for her sister, Penny. Penny would whimper constantly, search the house, or just stare at us like “when are you bringing Molly back?” It sucked. Luckily our other dog, (bulldog/Boston terrier mix) was there through it all, I think that really helped. But they definitely grieve! Family

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@rrk93 So incredibly sorry for your loss and difficulties. I don’t have any advice because I don’t have any experience here, but will pray for y’all

 

[internetimm847]

@rrk93 Our lab passed away in 2016 and by that point we had taken my great grandma's dog in six years earlier but they essentially grew up together. For a good three months our grandma's dog moped around, had little interest in food and people. He was mourning our lab and we just had to support him as best as possible. It's just going to take time for your Saint Bernard to bounce back but keep an eye on him. If you find he's losing a lot of weight or has no interest in activity take him to the vet to get further help.

I'm so sorry for your and your puppers loss.

 

[jandurako]

@rrk93 Not a dog thing, but I had 2 cats, brothers. One got hit by a car; a few days later his brother crawled in an old outside storage box, laid down, and died.

 

[everdream]

@rrk93 So sorry for your loss! It sounds like your pup is hurting just as much as you and it’s something that only time and love can heal. I’ve seen it several times before as I’ve always had 2 dogs at a time. I recommend lots of love and attention to help you get through it. As for eating, I recommend mixing shredded chicken in with his regular food to help motivate. He might not eat as much as before, but at least it’ll keep some food in him while he heals. If you’re interested in getting another pup to keep him company, it could be a huge help I just wouldn’t recommend making the addition too soon. You don’t want a bouncy happy puppy to drive your Saint Bernard insane while he’s sad because it might breed aggression. Once he starts acting a bit more like his old self, I’m sure a new pup will help you both the rest of the way

 

[akilah]

@rrk93 Dogs mourn and you also have littermate syndrome. It is easy for some dogs to become dependent on another dog for emotional support, stability, and decision making.

I have this exact problem right now. 4 years ago one of my Doberman suddenly died and my other one was a complete mess. The dog that passed away was 9 and my other 7 at the time. She has taken years to recover and frankly she isn't the same dog she was. Now she is a bit of an anxious mess. She hasn't bonded with any of the other dogs in the same way and none of them have the personality she needs to be the leader she wants.

Just support her. Keep a schedule. It will give her the stability she needs and be patient with her.

 

[eagleman1992]

@rrk93 Aw pup is grieving just like we do. No words, just send love.

 

[mujahid7eng]

@rrk93 I can’t imagine how confused and sad dogs must be when their BFF pups pass on. When I got my dog as a puppy my roommate had a dog and that was his best friend. I abruptly went to rehab for 2 months and I left the state I had been living in, so my dog was whisked away from his best friend to stay at my moms while I was in treatment - he was despondent, lethargic, and now responds differently around other dogs etc. it’s like he has developed doggy trust issues and heart ache. Ugh. I’m sad now.

 

[walkingwithchrist]

@rrk93 My grandma had two dogs and when the older one died of old age the younger 100% healthy dog died within a week. The vet said it died of a broken heart.

 

[lashla]

@rrk93 One of my dogs passes unexpectedly almost 2 years ago. My other dog was 3 years old and she had been his best friend since he was 3 months old. He grieved for almost a year. He'd hang out on the couch by himself and growl at our other dog, who he used to play with all the time. He would let us pet him if we came over but he didn't come to us. He wouldn't even sleep in our bed, which had been a huge treat to him before.

Over time, he slowly opened back up again but i don't think he'll ever be the happy-go-lucky dog he used to be.