Need suggestions for food

[Louie and me]

My neighbor's dog Roxy is a 17 year old Jack Russell. She is quite deaf and has poor eyesight but she is still quite mobile and enjoys going for short walks and having a good sniff. The problem is, she is not eating or eating very little and what she eats today, she will reject tomorrow. My neighbor realizes Roxy is likely close to her end but is desperate to find something, anything that she will eat regardless at this point of whether or not it is good for her.
Does anyone have any suggestions for tempting her appetite?

[ChrisH]

Just a couple of ideas. If Roxy is usually fed just dry food, mix in some wet, or indeed feed wet food alone, small amounts at first, can always add more if eaten. Top/mix in some sardines, chicken, or any of her favourite food. Or/and feed fresh cooked chicken/turkey, or again, a favourite food, with rice.

[Louie and me]

Thanks for these suggestions. Here are the things tried so far: Several different kinds of wet food, dry food, chicken, cooked liver, raw meat. Roxy will sometimes eat a little but then reject the same food the next day. They were going to try a hot dog today. Don't know how that went.

[Jessika]

At 17, anything goes at this point. I would suggest just trying different kinds of canned food, or baby food mixed with kibble, etc. Try warming wet food *slightly* as that makes it more aromatic to them and sometimes helps entice them to eat.

[Freedom]

Has anyone checked her mouth? Perhaps she has tartar, plaque, or sore gums, maybe even a bad tooth that abcessed, and eating hurts?

Canned salmon, canned clams, are both good. Things which have an aroma. A bit of yogurt, cottage cheese or ricotta cheese as a topping (not too much, especially the cottage cheese can cause diahhrea). Chopped olive also is a good topper.

[Louie and me]

Thanks again for the suggestions, I will pass them on. I think we all agree that at this stage anything goes.
I too wondered about teeth problems. I know she has been to the vet at least three times in the last month but that doesn't mean her teeth were checked and she spat out a piece of pizza crust (her all time favourite treat).
Having lived through this with my RB Louie, my heart aches for them.

[snakemama]

Natural Balance makes a dog food roll that looks like a sausage. They are REALLY tasty to most dogs. Toward the end of Star's life that was one of the only things she still ate with relish.

At that age, the problem is often that the dog has trouble smelling the food - sometimes microwaving it for 8-10 seconds and then stirring it up can make a big difference. That tasty-smelling steam seems to get through to them!

[Louie and me]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll pass it on. They've had some successes odd as they are. Granola with yogurt; lasagna noodles and sliced turkey. Not exactly dog food but at least she will eat a couple of tablespoons of them and that's an accomplishment. Her tail is up again too for the first time in weeks.

[snakemama]

I'm glad to hear she's at least a little perkier. End-of-life is such a bittersweet, special time with our pets. :/

[CesarMillan56]

This thread is so helpful to finding the variety of dog food.

Thank you