Wendy, our dog Zip is almost 14 1/2 and is now under going a new  chemo. She just had her 3rd round and she starts getting sick with no appetite, diarrhea, and then if she does eat she vomits. that all starts day 2 after treatment but she loses desire for food almost right away. This last time she went almost 5 days w/o eating but she would drink. Some dogs have zero side effects and then another can have little to all side effects and sometimes one treatment will be harder than another. Don't know if your dog is now getting a stronger dose than at first which is also something that can happen.

We have given Zip anything that tempts her. Canned salmon, tuna, the samples from Honest Kitchen [there is a link on this site] which we found very good because it is dehydrated and you can make it as liquidy [new word] as you want it to get it down them. We have given frozen chicken broth, Bill-Jac, puree`d asparagus, frozen cubes of blended chicken and rice, rice water, string cheese, dehydrated turkey cubes. We alternate till she wants something and if she doesn't we just make certain she drinks water. Her owner is a vet so please know that even vets can't make a dog eat if that dog is really set against it.

Zip is usually weak for a couple of days after she does start back eating so the entire week after chemo is not fun and then two weeks later she goes through it again bit those two weeks are lots of fun. I don't know if because Zip had to have her spleen remove 21/2 months ago makes it harder to tolerate chemo or if it is just this new chemo they are giving her. The carboplatin just made her tired and low energy but this one is a wipe out but the off weeks are much better. We are almost to our 1 year ampuversary so we are happy regardless of the challenges. Best of luck to you and keep us all informed how it goes because this group really wants to know and truly cares.

With Abby we had to play What Will The Dog Eat? after each chemo session. Usually plain things like plain pasta were good. But sometimes what worked once wouldn't work again. We were lucky in that it usually only lasted a day or two at the most. Salmon would work once, but then not again. It was always a guessing game. But if they are not losing weight and still drinking, that sounds like a good sign.

Jackie, Abby's mom

I had a horrible time getting my Sammy to eat after chemo each time.  When he was really not feeling well (days 2-4), I could always get a frozen treat in him. I would melt peanut butter in a sauce pan, then mix it with vanilla yogurt and spoon the mixture in to individual cups and freeze.  Even during his most yucky moments, he would eat an entire cup!  Baked chicken worked best after his last 3 rounds of chemo but peanut better remained out "go to" food. 

Have you tried vienna sausages?

I don't know whats in them but they are Rileys absolute favorite....and its about the only thing she has NOT refused....