Can Any Vets, Researchers or Anyone Help Us? Jack Patterns—August 2026 Vet Visit & Beyond
This is the continuation of Jack’s Patterns log
Jack — Friday, August 21, 2026
- ~11:00 AM: Jack woke after sleeping soundly. During a full hind-leg stretch, both hind legs wobbled slightly. Shortly afterward, while lifting a hind leg to scratch, he tipped over briefly.
- Late morning: Intermittent hind-leg unsteadiness during scratching. Twice he lifted his right hind leg, dropped it quickly as though stabilizing himself, then resumed scratching normally. At other times he scratched normally with both hind legs. Normal movement otherwise.
- Morning hydration: Voluntarily drank from the cats’ water bowl and his own bowl; amounts not counted. Kitchen bowl cleaned and replaced with fresh water after food residue made the bottom gummy.
- Morning food: No substantial food intake, normal for Jack. He has historically been a late-day/evening eater. The concern was his very low overall intake during the preceding two days, not the absence of breakfast.
- Other movement: Trotted normally across the patio to urinate. Stepped up onto and down from a small platform to reach a newly used urination spot; one very slight falter stepping off.
- No persistent gait abnormality, sustained wobbling, vomiting, diarrhea, obvious GI distress, confusion, or prolonged lethargy was observed.
- ~1:15 PM: Resting comfortably in dog bed. Followed owner into kitchen, sniffed slurry, then drank ~20 laps of water.
- The significant change today is the repeated observation of brief hind-leg/balance corrections occurring in the setting of three days of very low food intake. The cause is not established.
- Veterinary appointment planned for today because of the combination of three days of markedly reduced food intake and increasingly noticeable intermittent hind-leg/balance instability.
- 2:00 PM: Carried upstairs because of morning unsteadiness. On bed immediately rolled, kicked his feet, moved around, and appeared playful and behaviorally normal.
- 2:15 PM: Urinated while squatting.
- 2:35 PM — Veterinary visit: Arrived in green carry bag and remained exceptionally calm despite barking/lunging dogs.
- Vet weight: 4.2 lb.
- Exam: No obvious dehydration detected. Gums could not be assessed because of known aggression during phobic episodes.
- Female Tech walked into room after exam and briskly walked right onto Jack who was standing on the middle of the room. She did make contact with her feet but Jack looked more startled than hurt.
- Bloodwork: Drawn before sub-Q fluids.
- Treatments administered: Lactated Ringer’s subcutaneous fluids and Convenia (cefovecin) antibiotic injection. Entyce prescribed but not administered.
- Post-vet: Drank >45 laps of ice water in the car. Appetite and behavioral improvement began before Entyce.
- Post-vet food: Ate approximately 17–20 pieces of kidney kibble, followed by approximately 5–7 additional pieces.
- ~7:30 PM: Woke on his own, wanted to go outside, tail up and looked happy.
- Evening walk: No wobbling observed. Resumed sniffing his favorite light pole and urinated there with left hind leg raised without visible loss of balance. Had a bowel movement that appeared possibly somewhat softer than usual.
- ~8:00 PM: Completed ~⅔ of walk, briefly requested to be carried, then requested to be put down and resumed walking normally. Enjoyed familiar pet-store ritual and kidney treats.
- ~8:45 PM: Drank approximately 27 sips/laps of ice water in two sessions. Rejected kibble, then voluntarily ate approximately ½–⅔ of a moderately thick beef-stew slurry from his preferred tiny bowl, including approximately 1 teaspoon of actual stew meat, plus the thick broth.
- Later evening: Independently returned to the remaining kibble and finished it. Exact number of pieces in that remainder was not counted.
- ~Midnight: During bedtime cookie hunt, actively searched through his blanket-covered dog bed and consumed 14 pieces of k/d kibble, ½ petite Greenie, 1 kidney treat, and 2 large fruit-treat pieces/crumbs.
- Final kitchen check: Declined remaining beef and kibble but voluntarily drank water.
- Documented water: ~20 laps + >45 laps + ~27 sips/laps = >92 observed laps/sips, plus unquantified morning drinking and liquid from the slurry.
- Documented food: Approximately 36–41+ counted k/d kibble pieces, plus the previously uncounted remainder he finished; approximately 1 teaspoon of stew meat plus broth; ½ petite Greenie; 1 kidney treat; 2 large fruit-treat pieces/crumbs. Exact total calories cannot be determined from the available quantities.
- Entyce: Not administered. Jack’s return of food interest and voluntary eating occurred without it.
- Overall status: Jack’s morning lack of substantial food was normal for his established feeding pattern. The significant concern was the very low overall intake during the preceding two days. Today, particularly after the vet visit, he progressed to repeated voluntary eating and drinking, food-seeking, playful/familiar behavior, normal walking, and strong engagement in his bedtime cookie hunt. No wobbling was observed during the walk.
Rough nutritional assessment
For a 4.2–4.5 lb dog, today’s intake is still probably below a normal full day’s caloric intake, even with the cookie hunt. But it is substantially more than his intake over the previous two days.
The most important nutritional pieces are:
- ~36–41+ pieces of k/d kibble — meaningful calories and complete nutrition, though still not a full day’s normal amount.
- ~1 teaspoon of stew meat + broth — additional food and hydration.
- ½ Greenie + kidney treat + 2 fruit-treat pieces — additional calories, but these are treats rather than a balanced meal.
- 92 observed laps/sips of water, plus additional uncounted drinking and slurry fluid.
So I would call today a low-intake day, but no longer a near-zero-intake day. Given that it is now around midnight and he has been voluntarily eating throughout the evening, the trajectory is considerably more encouraging than the raw daily total alone suggests.
Overall: Friday was a significant improvement from the preceding two days of very low intake. Jack voluntarily resumed eating and drinking after the veterinary visit, remained engaged and happy, and showed improved mobility and normal urination. Entyce had not been administered.
Saturday, August 22, 2026 — Major Return to Normal Eating Pattern
~8:00 AM: Jack woke earlier than usual after the owner had approximately four hours of sleep. He was alert, happy, energetic, and had plenty of energy. He ran downstairs without difficulty and went directly to the small bathroom water bowl.
He explored the backyard more extensively than recently and urinated twice a few minutes apart in different locations, lifting his hind leg normally both times.
Morning hydration: Voluntarily drank at several locations within approximately 10–15 minutes. Two drinks were unquantified; approximately 17 laps were observed from fresh water. He later drank approximately 25 laps from the larger bowl at the restored old feeding station. The restored feeding-station bowl increasingly appeared to be his preferred water location.
Morning food: Morning slurry was offered at approximately 8:00 AM and remained untouched after two hours; it was refrigerated for later use. Approximately 40 pieces of k/d kibble were placed at the restored old feeding location. Jack investigated and sniffed the bowl but did not initially eat them.
Jack then settled in his dog bed and slept for approximately 3½ hours, remaining there for much of the day.
Afternoon outing: Jack explored farther into the yard than recently, urinated normally, and climbed the steep back hill to poop. He had some difficulty maintaining his position while pooping on the steep/sloped surface, but successfully completed the bowel movement and returned down the hill. He also had one brief wobble/correction on the uneven, partially overgrown stepping-stone path, recovering immediately while keeping his head and back level.
A separate observation was made of his left front leg, the same leg that had sustained a severe soft-tissue injury approximately nine years earlier and had been re-injured approximately two years ago. The owner noticed possible localized weakness in that leg. This remains an observation rather than an established cause of the balance issues.
Owner began trying to ask follow up questions
~6:00 PM: Jack left his bed, went to the owner’s usual sitting location, flopped down, and performed his familiar leg kicks and rolls.
~6:30 PM: Returned to his dog bed, alert and watching household activity. He had not yet begun his usual strong signaling for his evening walk.
~7:00–7:30 PM: During the evening outing, Jack remained strongly interested in scents and his surroundings. He urinated normally with his hind leg raised. He had a bowel movement that was not directly located/identified afterward. A brief wobble occurred while attempting to poop on level ground. This was noted separately from the earlier difficulty associated with the steep slope.
~7:30 PM — Chick-fil-A stop: Jack remained in his dog bed in the vehicle while the owner was away approximately 1–2 minutes obtaining water. He was fine on return and had climbed onto the console. He eagerly leaned toward the water, then fell onto his padded dog blanket and stabilized without injury.
Water: Approximately 59 laps total from the cup — about 40 before the fall and approximately 19 afterward. He also had additional unquantified drinking earlier in the day.
~9:00 PM — Entyce administration attempt: The owner attempted to administer the prescribed Entyce appetite stimulant but did not realize the syringe still had its cap attached. The liquid sprayed in multiple directions. Some reached Jack’s mouth and some landed on the owner’s hand and elsewhere in the room. The amount Jack actually received was unknown; a full dose was not delivered.
Shortly afterward: Jack became highly active and happy, making his bed vigorously and showing strong behavioral engagement.
~9:00 PM onward — major voluntary food return: At approximately his longstanding normal late-night kibble-eating time, Jack independently began eating.
- 40 pieces of k/d kibble — approximately his old “mini handful.”
- Returned for 15 more.
- Later ate 21 of 25 pieces, leaving four.
- Returned and ate the remaining 4.
- 80 pieces confirmed.
- He then voluntarily went to his slurry bowl and ate the entire slurry, consuming it enthusiastically.
- He drank small amounts of water between portions.
- A later moderately small handful was offered; approximately 15 additional pieces were estimated eaten. The remaining kibble was removed and returned to the container because the owner had intended to offer only approximately 15–20 pieces and did not want him to overeat after several days of poor intake.
Estimated Saturday kibble total: ~95 pieces \(80 confirmed \+ \~15 estimated\), plus the entire slurry and treats.
Jack repeatedly returned to food voluntarily. No sustained coaxing or repeated food-switching was required.
Bedtime: Jack began signaling for bedtime before 10 PM by standing in his familiar old bedtime location and giving his characteristic look. He later moved to the loveseat and happily made his bed there. During the bedtime routine he consumed ½ petite Greenie and additional kibble/treats.
Overall: Saturday represented the clearest return toward Jack’s longstanding normal eating pattern. After very limited intake over the preceding days, he independently consumed approximately 95 pieces of k/d kibble plus an entire slurry, drank naturally while eating, remained happy and highly engaged, and resumed familiar bedtime behavior.
August 23, 2026 — Jack Log
- ~7:30 AM: Woke owner by navigating through the under-bed passage. Came downstairs and immediately sought water.
- Drank approximately 30 laps from the traditional/restored water bowl, went outside and urinated normally, then returned and finished the remaining water in that bowl. Drank additional water from the second kitchen bowl, which still had plenty remaining.
- Fresh cold water added to traditional bowl; Jack returned and drank again. This continues to appear to be his preferred water station.
- ~7:40 AM: Returned upstairs with owner to rest. Jack remained energetic and active despite the owner’s significant sleep loss.
- ~12:45 PM: After a prolonged morning rest, went outside. Drank substantially from the cat’s water bowl (unquantified), then from his own bowl. Also independently drank from the small bathroom bowl; these brief drinks are normally uncounted.
- Checked approximately 50 kibble previously placed in his bowl but did not eat.
- Engaged with squeak toy indoors, then carried it to the door and wanted to continue playing outside.
- After normal urination, climbed the steep back hill to the higher section and pooped without difficulty. Produced approximately three small, firm, well-formed pieces.
- Returned down the steep hill without difficulty.
- At his familiar observation spot near the top of the four brick steps, unexpectedly bounded down all four steps after seeing the squeak toy, then rapidly ran back up carrying it after it was safely thrown away from the water hazard. Strong spontaneous play drive and mobility.
- Owner observed possible localized weakness in Jack’s left front leg, the same leg that sustained a severe soft-tissue injury nine years ago and was re-injured two years ago. This remains an observation/possibility, not a diagnosis.
- After returning indoors, remained somewhat active and monitored owner’s activity before settling in his dog bed.
- ~3:00 PM: While owner was cleaning, Jack remained alert and intermittently followed the activity, eventually hovering near the front door hoping for a ride/walk. Rested with owner on the front porch, settling comfortably in the shade and observing/sniffing his surroundings. Jack spotted Xfinity installer turn in from a substantial distance before owner saw it. This was his first time to observe a vehicle arriving up the driveway because he has always been inside. He barked appropriately throughout its approach, quickly settled and remained relaxed and observant. Strong, appropriate response to a novel situation with good recovery.
5:00 PM: Jack remained relaxed and observant throughout the T-Mobile/Xfinity activity. After owner got up to handle a phone call, Jack followed briefly, then moved to the large sofa to make his bed, later relocated to his dog bed, flipped a toy out of his way with his foot, and happily made his bed. Now resting contentedly with eyes open. No food eaten as of 5 PM. Water intake was normal earlier in the day but less notable this afternoon. Overall, happy, comfortable, and somewhat more energetic than recently.
Key tracking points: normal but mostly unquantified water intake; continued preference for the traditional water station; no kibble eaten as of 5 PM; approximately three small, firm, well-formed stools; later a more normal longer well-formed stool; normal urination; successful steep-hill navigation; spontaneous bounding down and rapid return up four steps; strong toy/play engagement; appropriate response to repairman, possible localized left-front-leg weakness but a repeat of diminished appetite
- ~6:30 PM: Had not eaten yet. Had not shown his usual strong evening walk signal.
- ~6:30 PM: Went outside and produced one normal-looking, well-formed stool, which the user saw him produce and subsequently located. This was distinct from the previously unseen stool on an earlier evening.
- ~7:30–8:00 PM: Evening outing/walk. Jack enjoyed the walk and showed normal interest in scents and surroundings. Drank approximately 20–30 laps before the walk and approximately 10 laps afterward.
- ~8:20 PM: Began enthusiastically making his bed on the loveseat. While standing upright, with most of his weight apparently on his front legs, he had a brief wobble. User speculated that it possibly involved the left front leg.
- ~9:30 PM: Resting quietly after the walk.
- 10:00–11:00 PM: Remained asleep/resting unusually late. He continued to hear the user moving and opened his eyes to watch her.
- ~11:00 PM: Finally got up after unusually long sleep; Jack followed. Peed normally in usual spot. Brief stumble over platform in dark.
- Initially uninterested in slurry or kibble; ate when kibble was placed directly in front of him. ~10 kibble eaten from original 50-piece serving.
- Brief wobble while lowering himself to drink; drank only ~8–10 laps.
- Returned to food after it was put away. Ate all fish oil after several days without it.
- Declined additional hand-fed kibble, but readily ate kibble dropped into slurry. Consumed ~½ second slurry plus several kibble pieces; 10 kibble reserved for treat hunt — eaten as bedtime—50 kibble total.
- Treat hunt: Actively engaged for ≥5 minutes; beat user upstairs and immediately checked his bed for treats.
- Afterward: Vigorous bed-making—jumped repeatedly around bed with blanket caught in paws; exceptionally energetic.
August 24, 2026 — Jack Log
- Overnight: Small, fairly well-formed stool. Not diarrhea, but not a complete/full stool; larger than the very tiny stools seen previously.
- 8:45 AM: User heard Jack moving under the bed and startled him awake while calling for him; quickly reassured and petted him.
- Stopped for a good drink from the bathroom bowl before going outside.
- Went down outdoor steps without difficulty; used former favorite yard area. Possible poop, not observed.
- Ran back up the steps without difficulty.
- Navigated all 13 indoor stairs both directions without difficulty.
- Drank approximately 20 laps from kitchen bowl. Due to nighttime eating habit, no food available or given yet.
- 9:00 AM: Settled comfortably in dog bed.
- Recent stool pattern: Jack may have been pooping somewhat more often lately. This may reflect the recent periods of heavier kibble intake, with the resulting stool continuing to pass during the subsequent days of lower intake.
Jack — August 23, 2026 Daily Log
- Overnight: Small bowel movement on pee pad; fairly well formed, but not a complete/full stool.
- 8:45 AM: User accidentally startled Jack awake while calling for him under the bed; quickly reassured and petted him. Drank well from bathroom bowl before going outside. Navigated outdoor steps down/up without difficulty; used former favorite yard area. Possible bowel movement, not observed. Navigated all 13 indoor stairs both directions without difficulty. Drank approximately 20 laps from kitchen bowl.
- 9:00 AM: Settled comfortably in dog bed.
- Morning: Given approximately 40 kibble pieces; ate all of them.
- 2:45 PM: User returned from work; Jack had not eaten the kibble or small slurry left in the bathroom. Came out with tail up; urinated normally. Fresh water bowls prepared. Food moved to kitchen; Jack checked placement, drank from longstanding feeding-station bowl, then settled in living room.
- 3:15 PM: Came to user’s feet when she got up to unlock front door; then settled comfortably.
- 4:30 PM — Entyce: Prescribed 2 mL dose administered. Supplied syringe discharged rapidly with little ability to control flow; no additional dose given.
- 4:30 PM — Stool: Bowel movement observed outside; slightly softer than usual but well formed, with a slightly more greenish tint than usual. No difficulty observed.
- 5:00 PM: Sitting in hallway waiting for user; showed no interest in entering kitchen or eating approximately 30 minutes after Entyce.
- 7:00 PM — Walk: Again slept until user got up rather than independently signaling for walk; second consecutive day with this change. Once outside, became highly engaged and energetic, sniffing and marking territory.
- 7:00 PM — Stairs: Increasing preference to be carried over front brick/aggregate stairs and two sidewalk steps. Continues to navigate carpeted indoor stairs and wider backyard brick steps independently.
- 7:30 PM — Water: Drank approximately 17 sips from water obtained with user’s sandwich before walk. Post-walk cup drinking has been lower over the past two nights as the weather has become cooler.
- 7:30 PM — Stool: Very small Hershey’s-kiss-sized dollop of fairly soft, medium brown stool.
- 8:00 PM — Staples: Left Jack in truck for approximately 5 minutes while making copies. Cool/dark conditions; windows cracked approximately 3”. User has not left Jack alone in the truck for months. Jack remained in front-seat dog bed, standing on the console watching for the user through the window, returning to old habits.
- Return trip/home — Familiar verbal cues: User resumed talking to Jack about the day’s activities and used familiar words including “dog food.” Jack clearly recognizes several of these familiar words. This may have served as an appetite/food cue, although no causal effect can be established.
- Later evening — Food/water: After returning home, Jack drank water and began voluntarily eating kibble. He also enthusiastically ate the morning slurry, which had remained unrefrigerated all day and contained no fish oil, cleaning the bowl almost completely.
- Later evening — Additional food: A fresh slurry was prepared. Jack did not finish it but mostly drank the liquid, consistent with his longstanding habit of preferentially consuming slurry liquid. He then returned to the kibble and ate almost all of it.
- Later evening — Kibble finish: A treat was given for eating. The remaining kibble consisted of one broken piece and crumbs; crumbs were sprinkled over the remaining pieces, and Jack ate the remaining kibble/crumbs.
- 11:00 PM — Food/hydration: After a long nap, Jack woke and went outside to urinate, then went into the kitchen looking for food. User began preparing additional kibble, forgetting that he had already eaten his earlier portion; by the time it was ready, Jack had wandered away. User called him to the slurry, and he ate and drank part of it. He then ate an uncounted amount of kibble. Three additional kibble pieces were placed in separate areas of the slurry; Jack ate all three pieces along with some of the surrounding slurry. Drank water. Exact quantities could not be determined.
- Later evening: Jack signaled to go upstairs. After user sat on the sofa, he eventually hopped onto the other sofa and enthusiastically made his bed, then moved the bed-making activity to his dog bed. Subsequently slept peacefully.
- 11:30 PM — Food/hydration: Went outside and urinated, then went into the kitchen and drank water. Ate an uncounted small amount of kibble, then ate some slurry and ultimately finished approximately half of the slurry. Returned for a couple more pieces of kibble.
- 11:30 PM — Treat hunt: Twelve kibble pieces set aside for the treat hunt, along with a small piece of kidney treat, a very small piece of Fruitables, and ½ of a petite Greenie.
- Daily kibble estimate: Approximately 40 pieces eaten in the morning, plus 15 additional known pieces (3 at 11:00 PM and 12 in the treat hunt), with additional uncounted kibble eaten during the evening and at 11:00/11:30 PM. Working estimate for the day’s total: approximately 65 kibble pieces, roughly a normal handful for Jack.
- Daily hydration/food context: Bowl drinking appeared lower than during the first week or so after returning to kibble, while Jack has also resumed eating portions of his slurry, providing additional water through food. Post-walk cup drinking has decreased over the past two nights as the weather has become cooler.
Jack — Tuesday, August 25, 2026 — Morning Log
~9:00 AM: Jack woke while the owner spent approximately an hour on PT and then quietly getting ready for the day.
~10:30 AM: Jack was patiently waiting nearby while the owner finished getting ready. Came downstairs together; Jack then had his first pee of the day.
Morning hydration: Began drinking before counting could begin; ~30 laps estimated.
Morning food: ~40 pieces of k/d kibble placed in a small serving, plus a very small slurry. Jack checked both food locations. Possibly 2–3 kibble pieces eaten while the slurry was being prepared, but not observed.
Late morning: Sought ~15 minutes of petting on the sofa. Later appeared undecided about settling near his dog bed, so the squeaky toy was offered earlier than usual. Engaged in play and chased it ~4 times, then returned to the living room to settle.
12:00 PM: Found Jack watching through the glass while the owner was outside; brought him onto the front porch. He enjoyed looking at the surrounding scenery. Hopped down the previously avoided brick stairs without difficulty; slight falter stepping onto the grass. While standing, had ~4 very brief, subtle, almost imperceptible staccato twitches in succession, then stopped. Similar brief movement may have been seen once or more twice, small movements.
Afternoon: while Jack rested, I Compiled a list of financial aid for pets, called: disconnected numbers, out of funds, have to try all other options first, must be life or death situation. No one seems to care about ongoing care for an elderly dog. Looking for other options. Called Blue Pearl and VCS. Extremely high prices out of my budget, but more options than local vet.
- Shortly afterward: While standing, had ~4 very brief, subtle, almost imperceptible staccato movements in succession, then stopped. Similar movement may have been seen once or twice previously. The movement involved the front portion of his body, with the head appearing possibly to lead and the front body following. It may have coincided with blinking/facial movement.
- Later: Played and sniffed in the grass, urinated with his hind leg raised, and ran back up the previously avoided brick steps without apparent difficulty. Earlier backyard urination had required briefly dropping the hind leg for balance.
- 2:15 PM: Quietly resting with Jack. Considering giving him a bath; he had not had one in a couple of months or more because bathing is disruptive for him.
- 4:00 PM — Bath: Jack cried, struggled, and repeatedly tried to get out. After the bath, he remained in the bathroom while the owner finished and the doors were opened. The heater was turned on so he would have a warm place to wait while he was wet.
- Immediately afterward: Once the bathroom and bedroom doors were opened, Jack flew down the stairs with his tail up and headed toward the outside. He then turned around and came back inside when the owner waited at the door.
- Shortly afterward: Went outside to urinate. On returning inside, became snappish when the owner tried to pick him up. Accepted being placed in his dog bed but stood trembling and looking miserable rather than settling.
- Post-bath regulation: Covered with a towel, then a soft blanket over the towel. Had a brief spell of reverse sneezing, then settled and went to sleep. Definite bath-related dysregulation event.
- Regulation tools: The green bag and blankets remain especially effective ways to help Jack feel safe and regulated. He can uncover his head if he wants to but often appears to prefer having his head covered inside the bag or beneath the blanket.
- 6:00 PM: Woke after sleeping deeply under the blanket and appeared back to his normal, sassy self. Promptly came outside to find the owner. After establishing that she was there and would stay, he proceeded to have his evening bowel movement.
- Evening stool: Searched extensively for the preferred spot and eventually faced straight down the hill while pooping. Maintained his balance well and came back down the hill with no stumble.
- ~7:30 PM: Woke from a-nap and went for his evening outing.
- Water: ~20 laps of ice water on arrival at the park and ~20 more after returning to the truck.
- Park walk RCP: Walked the full ~⅕-mile track once, plus an additional short circuit. Sniffed extensively and appeared to enjoy the outing normally. Met another small dog and interacted well, walking together briefly.
- Later outing: At the larger shopping center, had a short walk inside the pet store and a brief outdoor excursion, sniffing and urinating in 2–3 locations. The longer shopping-center walk was skipped because Jack had already had a big day and the owner did not want to push him.
- After returning to the truck: Drank another ~10 laps of ice water.
- 8:30 PM, home: Immediately went to the kitchen, checked his kibble, and drank water. Showed little interest in the kibble.
- Evening food: Morning slurry, refrigerated earlier in the day, was offered; Jack ate most of the small slurry and will likely finish the remainder later. Apparently not yet in his usual late-night kibble-eating window.
- Hydration: Drank from both the kitchen bowl and bathroom bowl; evening thirst appeared normal. Exact amount not counted.
- After eating: Went to the loveseat, rolled around and played, then began signaling for something that appeared likely to be his nighttime treats.
- Treat experiment: At the pet store, accepted a very small piece/sliver of a Fruitable Petal rather than his usual treat. Considering breaking the Petals into smaller pieces to maintain variety while reducing the amount given and therefore the phosphorus load.
- Jack stood staring at the owner signaling that he wanted something. When placed in dog bed, he happily rolled, kicked, made his bed, and settled down for a nap.
- Evening interpretation: The long, slow walk, extensive sniffing, brief interaction with another dog, small treat, and change of scenery appeared to provide substantial enrichment without obvious signs of becoming a stacking event.
- 11 PM. Jack went outside to pee, came in and drank water no interest in the slurry tonight so the part he ate earlier is all the slurry he ingested. But he ate Most of his kibble, about 50 pieces. When he leaned forward to eat his kibble at one point, he fell forward and caught himself before he fell, but I also was reaching for him at the same time and also helped support him. It worked better when I held the kibble in my hand. I held it higher and the kibble didn’t move all over the plate.
- Later when he came back into the living room, I reached down to pick him up because he was signaling that he wanted to get up on the loveseat, but he wasn’t jumping and for the second time today he reached around like he was going to snap me. I think something hurts. Or possibly he thinks I am picking him up to give him another bath.
- i compared his test from this year with his test from last year and today is when I realized that last year he just had very mild anemia and this year he has very serious anemia. Something is wrong and it’s not just the kidneys.
What I Hold Onto
Jack’s Log — Wednesday, August 26, 2026
- 9:00 AM: Jack was already up and had drunk water before the owner came downstairs. Laps could not be counted because he ran into the little bathroom as usual and was already coming out after drinking when the owner reached the stairs. He still ran down the carpeted stairs without difficulty.
- 9:00 AM: Went outside and peed several times while exploring the yard: three pees, a tiny fourth, then a fifth short pee in a new spot before returning. He appeared to be exploring/checking the yard rather than urgently needing to eliminate. Possible residual dysregulation from yesterday’s bath.
- 9:15 AM: Happily made his dog bed after drinking more water. A small slurry was prepared, but Jack left the kitchen before it was put down. He typically does not drink the morning slurry; it was left available in case he ate some later.
- ~9:15 AM: Had another brief episode of reverse sneezing.
- ~11:30 AM: Got up and went outside to pee. Footstool remains beside the sofa as an intermediate, cushioned step between the dog bed/sofa and floor.
- ~Noon: Briefly restless, sitting and staring without pacing or other concerning behavior. Appeared possibly interested in an activity. Ignored the chew toy but followed the owner outside while she watered a plant and appeared to enjoy patio time.
- Afternoon: Remained generally relaxed with no significant activity or concerning behavior noted.
- 6:00 PM: Very normal, calm day. Jack remained relaxed. He had not eaten, which has not been unusual lately, and had not had much to drink on the relatively cool, rainy day. He had already been observed drinking at least twice that morning. Planned walk in hopes of stimulating thirst and appetite.
- 7:00 PM: Began walk. Continued the newer practice of offering ice water before the walk. Jack drank 17 laps from his small bowl.
- 9:00 PM: Jack finishes his small beef stew slurry and starts picking dried food remains off one of his mats.
- 9:05 PM: A fresh can of chicken stew was opened and a regular small slurry was prepared—not a teeny slurry, but a typical small slurry. Jack actively and eagerly engaged and ate about half of it, and drank all the liquid.
- 11:00 PM: More liquid was added to the chicken stew slurry and it was heated. Jack consumed more of the liquid but again left the meat portions behind.
- A few pieces of kibble were put in his regular dinner bowl rather than the teeny bowl because he had ignored the new food-station setup. He ignored the kibble in the dish.
- A little slurry was poured into the dish with the kibble. Jack very eagerly slurped up the slurry and left the kibble on one side.
- A little more slurry was added, with the same result: he left the kibble on one side and licked up the slurry on the other.
- The rest of the slurry was then poured into the dish, and Jack was eating it.
- His chicken stew was brought back out and a large teaspoonful—similar to what he used to receive at night—of regular stew straight from the can was added. Jack seemed to be going to town on it.
- When checked, he had eaten 3 of the 4 kibble pieces and about half of the meat. He appeared to be finished.
- Estimated intake at this point: at least 1 teaspoon of beef stew and at least another teaspoonful of chicken stew, with quite a bit of extra water added, plus at least 3 observed kibble pieces.
- What remained was probably about half of the heaping teaspoonful of chicken stew, although it may have been somewhat more because it had been measured with a fork rather than a spoon.
- Some kibble also appeared to be missing from his feeding station, so he may have eaten a little more earlier.
- Although this was not a large meal, it was not far off from many of the meals Jack has eaten this year, except on occasions when his eating was especially good. Because of this, the syringe was not attempted.
- 11:15 PM: Jack signaled strongly for bed. The owner needed to go to bed but hoped that waiting a little longer might give him an opportunity to eat a little more.
- 11:30 PM: Either the cat or Jack ate approximately 10 pieces of kibble at some point during the day.
- Jack ate a tiny bit more of the slurry with a treat in it before bed.
- He enjoyed his cookie hunt.
- Jack went to bed.
- Normal day with mostly normal behavior
— Thursday, August 27, 2026
- During the day: I was away visiting my brother for approximately 6½ hours.
- Before leaving, I put Jack in his safe zone in the downstairs guest bathroom, lined with pee pads, with his water bowl.
- I left two very small slurries and a small plate of approximately 10 kibble.
- Approximately 6½ hours later, when I returned:
- Jack had completely finished one slurry, including all of its liquid.
- He had eaten some of the meaty portion of the second slurry.
- He had eaten approximately 7–8 kibble, possibly 5–10.
- There were signs that he had been in his water bowl.
- After returning home: While I was preparing a fresh slurry, Jack ate the rest of the second slurry that had been left in the bathroom.
- He then drank all of the liquid from the fresh slurry and ate some of the chopped meat.
- 8:30 PM: Jack and I were leaving Cheekwood, which hosted a Dog Night of Summer.
- Jack was super engaged and super energetic.
- We slowly walked, stopped and sniffed for approximately 45 minutes, much longer than our typical walk in the small parking lot.
- Jack drank small amounts of water twice from a small bowl I carry in the vehicle:
- When we arrived, he drank a few laps.
- After we finished the main walk, he drank a few more laps.
- Not major hydration, but much better than the months when he would not drink from a bowl at all.
- The only stumbling occurred in very dark areas where he could not see changes in pavement height:
- A very dark flight of steps.
- Stepping off pavement where the ground dropped approximately 4 inches.
- Both were clearly associated with darkness and significant pavement-height changes, and I did not consider them notable stumbling because he did this even as a puppy.
- 8:45 PM: Jack walked to the car with full energy. I think he would have walked longer if I had given him the opportunity.
- This was already much longer than his usual walk.
- It has been very hot, and tonight I waited until the sun was setting so that we would have a pleasant 78°F walk, which may have made a difference.
- On the way home, Jack wanted to sit up in my lap where he could see out, so I rolled the window down and let him have some air blowing around him.
- Tonight felt like Jack 6, Jack 10, Jack 12, before all of the dysregulation, tooth extractions, stopping eating and subsequent problems. I had my healthy little six-year-old dog back.
- Approximately 8:55 PM: About 10 minutes into the drive, Jack moved over to the passenger side to his dog bed.
- He did not lie down; he remained sitting with his head up.
- He climbed over the center console with no issue. He did not jump over it as he did as a puppy, but during some of his recent dysregulation he has had difficulty navigating the high console.
- Tonight he navigated it in the dark with no trouble at all—slowly and carefully.
- He remained sitting in his passenger-side dog bed, relaxed and alert.
- 9:00 PM: Jack remained sitting up for the entire drive home.
- Even as a youngster, during a relatively moderate drive, he would curl up and rest much of the time. As an older dog, he has been known to nap for most of a 20–30 minute trip.
- Tonight he was sitting in a very relaxed position, looking like he might be waiting for the next activity.
- I stopped to offer him water even though we were well past his usual post-walk window for drinking ice water.
- Moderate success: Jack drank approximately 25 laps.
- Later in the evening: Jack had a large late-night slurry and consumed well over half of it, including all of the liquid.
- Second serving: I added water, heated it, and Jack consumed much of the additional slurry.
- Approximately 7 kibble: Jack ate approximately 7 kibble individually with the slurry.
- I could not get Jack to eat any more before bedtime, so I stopped trying and got ready for his cookie hunt.
- Before the cookie hunt: I discovered two halves of a Greenies treat under his blanket. I left one and walked away. Jack ate it.
- Cookie hunt: I put 8 kibble and 2 real treats under his blanket. Jack ate the 8 kibble.
- The hunt also included a piece of a kidney treat and a very tiny piece of a Fruitables treat. The kibble was one treat among several rather than the entire reward.
- End of day: Jack went to bed after an unusually good evening. His intake was normal to somewhat better than his established intake over the past year and a half, rather than unusually low for Jack. He had multiple voluntary eating and drinking episodes.
Friday, August 28, 2026
- Morning: Very quiet, sleepy day following yesterday’s unusually busy day and today’s additional outings. Drank from the bathroom bowl and probably also the cats’ bowl, though the latter was not certain. Urinated twice normally. No stool observed.
- ~2:00 PM: Signaled boredom. Chased the squeaky toy four or five times with moderate enthusiasm but did not pick it up and run with it as he sometimes does.
- Mid-afternoon: When the owner tried to pick him up onto the couch, Jack gave his very mild head-jerk/snapping response on the left side. No actual snap or bite. That side has remained sensitive since his 2018 injury; this response is unusual and has previously appeared when the area seems to be bothering him.
- ~4:30 PM: Left in shaded vehicle with windows halfway down for approximately five minutes while owner visited attorney. Jack was sound asleep and comfortable on return.
- ~5:00 PM — Staples: Rode in green bag and was exceptionally comfortable and engaged, flirting with customers. Green bag continues to be an effective regulatory tool. Settled happily in the front passenger seat afterward.
- ~5:15 PM — Water: Stopped at Taco Bell for ice water. Jack drank approximately 20 laps.
- ~5:30 PM: Returned home and went directly to his dog bed for a nap. Briefly lifted a hind leg beside the sidewalk as though urinating, but no urine or droplets were seen. No straining, urgency, or discomfort. Given his otherwise normal urination, this could have been air marking.
- ~6:00 PM: Sound asleep. Owner allowed him to rest rather than waking him for a walk.
- 7:15 PM — Stool: Produced a normal-looking bowel movement in the backyard. No straining or difficulty. Only one portion of what appeared to be a normal two-part stool was seen. Reassuring after approximately two days without an observed bowel movement.
- 7:15 PM: Immediately signaled that he wanted his evening walk.
- Evening walk: Taken to the larger shopping center for additional grass, shrubs, and sensory input. Jack was fully engaged, sniffing extensively, listening to noises, noticing people, and stopping at bushes. Marked repeatedly and enthusiastically, with normal leg-lifting. No pokey behavior. Spent approximately five minutes thoroughly investigating one particularly interesting smell.
- Later walk: Turned around at approximately two-thirds of the shopping center while Jack was still energetic. He remained energetic for about half the return trip, then slowed somewhat near the vehicle while continuing to sniff.
- ~8:15 PM — Water: Drank approximately 20 sips total — about 15, then another 5.
- ~8:15 PM — Staples: Brief five-minute return to Staples in his green bag. Remained comfortable and relaxed.
- ~8:30 PM — Food: Refused heated slurry and ignored approximately 13 kibble pieces in the bathroom and additional kibble on a kitchen mat.
- ~11:00 PM: After owner slept on the sofa for approximately an hour, Jack was sound asleep. Owner believes he got up and down while she slept, but no food had been eaten.
- Late evening — Food: Using small amounts of treat with slurry, Jack voluntarily consumed more than one tiny slurry. A few pieces of solid food were found on the kitchen floor, apparently dropped while eating, so the exact amount consumed cannot be determined.
- Late evening — Syringe: Remaining slurry was given by syringe; Jack received most of a 10 mL syringe. This was the first time he has ever received food by syringe. Owner has previously given him water by syringe but never food. He also voluntarily drank from his bowl.
- Bedtime: Jack strongly signaled for his usual treat hunt. Owner planned to hide approximately seven or eight kibble pieces among his treats. If eaten, this should bring him to approximately his recurring two-small-slurry-plus-kibble low-intake level.
Brief wrap-up: Very low food intake, but within a recurring low range Jack has experienced throughout this period. No apparent GI upset; otherwise normal drinking, elimination, walking, marking, and engagement.
Jack’s Aug. Food & Treat Strategy
1. Jack’s Established Eating Pattern
Jack has historically eaten very little during the daytime. Occasional daytime eating happens, but it is not his normal pattern.
Slurry and kibble have different historical schedules:
- Slurry: most likely to be eaten during the day, particularly after a walk, although he may occasionally eat it at other times.
- Kibble: historically more likely to be eaten later in the day/evening, with his newer pattern extending into approximately 9 PM–1 AM.
- Jack’s midnight-to-1 AM kibble eating is not necessarily abnormal for him. Before his illness, he often ate kibble while you were shutting down the house for the night.
- Jack can eat a meaningful amount of kibble when the context is right. His treat hunt has produced enthusiastic consumption of approximately 8–14 pieces.
- The current problem is therefore not simply an inability or unwillingness to eat kibble. The larger problem is getting enough voluntary eating to occur without turning every feeding into a prolonged event.
New post-vet information
The week following the August 21 veterinary visit makes the distinction between “can eat” and “will eat this particular food in this particular context” even clearer.
After receiving sub-Q fluids and Convenia on August 21, Jack had a marked return of voluntary food interest that evening and ate approximately 36–41+ counted pieces of k/d kibble plus additional uncounted kibble, slurry, and treats.
On August 22, he independently returned to food repeatedly and consumed approximately 80 confirmed pieces of k/d kibble plus approximately 15 additional estimated pieces and an entire slurry.
This was followed by substantial fluctuation rather than a sustained return to that level of eating. Some days were around his established low-intake range, while other days were substantially better.
The strongest recent pattern is that Jack continues to demonstrate the physical ability and behavioral desire to eat when the food/context is sufficiently attractive, but ordinary meals remain unreliable.
On August 29, this was demonstrated especially clearly when Jack enthusiastically ate two substantial pieces of plain cooked chicken and immediately wanted more, despite having eaten very little earlier that day.
2. Slurry — An Important Food Pathway
Jack used to eat his fish-oil slurry reliably first thing in the morning, although his schedule has varied at different points in his recovery.
After some of his best eating periods in May and June, having the slurry prepared, warmed, and ready when he returned from urinating could make the difference between eating and not eating.
Post-walk has historically been another particularly favorable time for slurry.
A small slurry is sometimes eaten when Jack is left in the bathroom, although this is inconsistent; historically, there has been roughly a 50/50 chance of him eating a tiny slurry during a church absence.
When he refuses the slurry from its own tiny bowl, pouring some of the slurry liquid into a slightly larger bowl containing a spoonful of canned food has sometimes made the liquid attractive enough for him to drink/eat.
The liquid does not necessarily work when poured directly over kibble. However, placing the slurry liquid beside the kibble in the slightly larger bowl sometimes encourages him to eat either the slurry or the kibble, and on rare occasions both.
The remainder of a small slurry can also be used to make a 10 mL syringe feeding when voluntary intake is inadequate.
A slurry can be mashed/blended finely enough for syringe feeding if necessary.
Sodium-free broth has historically sometimes served as a flavor enhancer for slurry. It should be available again as another tool once replenished.
Fish oil remains part of the slurry because it was historically well accepted and adds calories.
Slurry therefore remains an important part of Jack’s food rotation even though he is currently refusing it more often.
New post-vet observations
The post-vet week demonstrated that Jack’s relationship with slurry is highly texture-, timing-, and presentation-dependent.
- August 21: voluntarily ate approximately ½–⅔ of a moderately thick beef-stew slurry after the vet visit, including approximately 1 teaspoon of actual stew meat plus broth.
- August 22: enthusiastically ate an entire slurry after beginning his late-night kibble eating.
- August 24–25: sometimes accepted slurry after other food had been eaten, but rejected it at other times.
- August 26: finished a small beef-stew slurry, then later eagerly consumed liquid from chicken-stew slurry while repeatedly leaving the meat behind. When slurry was transferred into a regular dinner bowl with kibble, he eagerly consumed the slurry while initially leaving the kibble.
- August 27: while left alone for approximately 6½ hours, Jack completely finished one small slurry and ate some of the meaty portion of a second. After returning home, he finished the remainder of the second slurry and then consumed much of a fresh slurry.
- August 28: refused heated slurry initially. Later consumed more than one tiny slurry when small amounts of treat were used with it; remaining slurry was ultimately given by syringe.
- August 29: ate an entire tiny/liquid slurry after the evening walk, while a larger/drier slurry was rejected. A later fresh, very small dollop of chicken stew was immediately accepted.
A particularly consistent recent observation is that Jack often prefers the liquid component of slurry to the meat component, but this is not absolute: on some occasions he eats substantial amounts of the meat when the presentation and timing are right.
3. Kibble and the Treat Hunt
Kibble is already an established part of Jack’s treat-hunt ritual.
Whether the hunt occurs in the bathroom before you leave or upstairs at bedtime, it normally includes approximately 8–10 pieces of kibble.
Originally, approximately 14 pieces were used, and Jack would scarf them down.
The reduction to 8–10 was deliberate and arbitrary: the goal was to preserve kibble’s novelty and reduce the possibility of burnout.
Kibble is therefore already associated with:
- hunting,
- discovery,
- treats,
- bedtime,
- going into the bathroom,
- and a fun, familiar ritual.
Jack reliably eats the kibble associated with the hunt.
This means the new feeding-station experiment is not teaching him that kibble is rewarding. He already knows that. It is testing whether some of that existing positive association can transfer to the ordinary feeding station.
New post-vet observations
The post-vet week strongly reinforced the difference between kibble as food and kibble as part of a successful ritual.
- August 21: after the vet visit, Jack ate a substantial amount of ordinary k/d kibble voluntarily.
- August 22: approximately 80 pieces were confirmed eaten during repeated voluntary returns to the food, with approximately 15 additional pieces estimated later.
- August 23–25: intake fluctuated considerably, including days when he ignored ordinary servings but later ate kibble when it was presented differently or incorporated into a treat hunt.
- August 26: Jack repeatedly separated slurry from kibble, sometimes eating the slurry while leaving the kibble.
- August 28: ordinary kibble was largely ignored earlier in the evening, but Jack later ate kibble voluntarily when small amounts of treat were incorporated into the feeding process and then ate his bedtime hunt.
- August 29: despite repeatedly investigating the kibble station and showing apparent food interest, he ate only 3 kibble from the 15-piece hunt initially offered and ignored the station kibble. Later, at 12:30 AM, he enthusiastically consumed 12 kibble during the nighttime hunt.
This reinforces that Jack’s reliable willingness to eat hunt-kibble does not automatically transfer to ordinary bowl/station eating.
4. New Feeding-Station Experiment
A tiny piece of Hill’s kidney-compatible Soft Baked treat is being placed among the kibble in Jack’s feeding station.
The purpose is to create a small association between the station, investigation, kibble, and something rewarding without turning the station into another formal hunt.
The first trial produced a useful result: Jack watched the preparation, later entered the station independently, found the treat, and carried it away.
Future opportunities can occur:
- in the morning,
- after the walk,
- and at bedtime.
The post-walk placement is particularly interesting because post-walk has historically been one of Jack’s better slurry-eating periods.
A possible failure mode is that Jack could learn only “check the station for a treat” rather than “investigate the food.”
The useful behavior to watch for is therefore whether he lingers, noses through the kibble, returns to the station, or eats kibble in the process.
The treat should remain tiny and nestled among the kibble rather than becoming a second elaborate hunt.
New post-vet observations
The feeding-station experiment has now produced evidence of interest without reliable conversion to eating.
On August 29, Jack repeatedly followed the owner into the kitchen and utility room, investigated the feeding stations, sniffed around and behind the kibble station, looked directly at the kibble, and displayed scavenging behavior. He also ate the tiny treat placed at the station but did not eat the station kibble.
On August 30, he again ate the treat placed in the kibble station but did not eat the food there.
This suggests that the tiny treat successfully attracts Jack to the station, but there is not yet evidence that the cue is causing him to eat the kibble itself.
That remains useful information rather than a failed experiment.
5. Hill’s Soft Baked Kidney Treat
Jack uses the Hill’s Prescription Diet Soft Baked Chicken Flavor renal-compatible treat because it is soft enough for his chewing difficulties.
It is formulated to complement a kidney diet and therefore provides a much more appropriate treat option for Jack than ordinary high-protein treats.
The calories do count toward his daily intake, but Jack’s pieces are extremely small.
His normal intake has been approximately two tiny pieces per day, occasionally three or four.
The pieces are roughly half the size of a woman’s pinky fingernail squared, so even four pieces represent only a small fraction of a whole treat.
There is room to use somewhat more strategically when needed, but there is no reason to increase the amount merely for calories.
The more important consideration is preserving the treat’s motivational value, since Jack has a demonstrated tendency to become tired of foods and flavors.
New observation
The kidney treat continues to have meaningful motivational value. During the August 29 low-intake night, Jack enthusiastically ate a kidney-treat piece when he would not eat the surrounding chicken or kibble.
The treat therefore remains useful as a motivational bridge, but the recent feeding pattern reinforces that its value is greatest when it helps lead Jack toward actual food intake rather than becoming the primary food itself.
6. Fruitables — Variety Rather Than a Major Food Source
Fruitables have been valuable primarily because they provide flavor variety and help prevent Jack from becoming dependent on one kidney treat.
The earlier concern that the Fruitables were necessarily too high in phosphorus should not be treated as established. Based on the more recent comparison, phosphorus is not the concern we originally thought it was.
Because Jack’s small Fruitables are broken into individual petals, they are particularly useful as tiny motivators.
The different flavors—such as apple/pumpkin and blueberry/pumpkin varieties—provide additional variety without requiring large quantities.
Jack has historically averaged approximately ½ of a small Fruitable per day, with the actual amount varying according to outings and treat hunts.
Given the corrected nutritional picture and the importance of variety for Jack, returning toward his familiar approximately ½ Fruitable per day is reasonable to consider rather than restricting him to the tiny amount he has recently received.
The bacon variety remains something you have chosen to avoid.
Fruitables therefore function as a variety/safety-net treat, not as a meaningful replacement for his food calories.
New post-vet observation
Fruitables have continued to function successfully as part of the treat rotation.
On August 29, two small Fruitables were used after the walk in place of the usual pet-store treats, and two additional petals were enthusiastically consumed during the late-night hunt.
The important observation is that Fruitables remain useful as variety within a successful eating ritual, rather than being relied upon to supply meaningful calories.
7. The Three-Part Treat Rotation
Jack now has several ways to maintain treat variety:
- Hill’s Soft Baked kidney treat — soft, renal-compatible, reliable and highly useful as a motivator.
- Fruitables — multiple flavors, useful for variety and preventing burnout.
- Kibble — actual food that is already part of his established treat-hunt ritual.
The purpose is not to feed him primarily through treats. It is to use tiny amounts of high-value foods to help him voluntarily consume more of his actual diet while preserving enough novelty that he does not burn out.
New post-vet observation
The August 29–30 pattern demonstrates that this rotation can remain effective even on a very low-intake day: Jack ate kidney treats, Fruitables, Greenie, and hunt-kibble even when he refused or barely touched ordinary meals.
This is further evidence that food motivation is still present, but is strongly affected by presentation, context, novelty, and the particular food being offered.
8. Short Home-Alone Errands
Taking Jack along for errands remains valuable enrichment and companionship, and many of your small errands are worth continuing to do with him.
Leaving him home occasionally provides a different opportunity: regulation, rest, and access to food without you being present.
A 45-minute absence normally does not make Jack eat.
A ~1½-hour church absence occasionally produces a tiny slurry intake, but not even half the time.
Longer absences have historically been more likely to result in eating.
Therefore, short absences should not be treated as an appetite stimulant.
Their potential value is that Jack will already receive his normal treat hunt—including his guaranteed 8–10 hunt kibble—and will then have additional food available while you are gone.
New post-vet observation
The August 27 absence provided the strongest recent evidence that a longer period alone can sometimes produce voluntary eating.
Jack was left in the downstairs bathroom for approximately 6½ hours with:
- two very small slurries,
- approximately 10 pieces of kibble,
- and water.
When the owner returned, one slurry was completely finished, including its liquid; some of the second slurry had been eaten; and approximately 5–10 kibble appeared to have been consumed.
After returning home, Jack finished the second slurry and then consumed much of a fresh slurry.
This was a substantially stronger food response during an absence than the usual short church absence.
9. Possible Wednesday/Friday Food Opportunity
After this week’s Sunday–Monday–Tuesday sequence, short Wednesday and Friday errands could provide a useful low-pressure experiment:
- Familiar bathroom routine.
- Familiar treat hunt, including the normal 8–10 kibble.
- Additional kibble available in the bathroom station.
- Slurry available.
- Possibly one tiny kidney-treat piece associated with the station.
- Leave without trying to make him eat.
- Check afterward to see what he chose.
The short absence does not need to produce eating to be useful.
Jack is already going to consume his hunt kibble. If he then independently eats another ~10 pieces from the station, those become additional daytime calories that otherwise might have been pushed into the late-night feeding struggle.
If he ignores the station, nothing has been lost except the opportunity.
New conclusion from the post-vet week
The August 27 six-and-a-half-hour absence gives this experiment a stronger basis, but it also shows that the length of the absence matters.
The longer absence produced meaningful voluntary intake, including an entire slurry.
The approximately 1½-hour church absence on August 30 produced at most an uncertain amount of slurry, while the treat hunt was consumed almost completely.
Therefore, the absence itself should not be treated as a reliable appetite stimulant. It is better understood as an opportunity for Jack to eat without the owner’s presence or feeding pressure.
10. Overall Objective
The goal is to stop making one late-night feeding battle carry the entire burden of Jack’s nutrition.
The most promising approach is not one new schedule but several small, independent pathways:
slurry when he is receptive + post-walk opportunities + feeding-station cue + established treat-hunt kibble + occasional independent eating during absences + his existing late-night kibble pattern.
The more of those pathways that produce even modest voluntary intake, the less pressure there is on any single meal or on the owner to persuade him to eat.
New post-vet conclusion
The August 21 veterinary visit produced an important new variable: Jack’s appetite and food engagement improved substantially after he received sub-Q fluids and Convenia. Entyce was not administered that day, and his initial return to eating occurred before it was ever given.
However, the improvement was not sustained as a simple upward trend. Jack subsequently alternated between substantially better intake and very-low-intake days.
The post-vet week therefore supports continuing to distinguish:
- ability to eat — clearly demonstrated;
- desire for food — still clearly present;
- acceptance of particular foods — highly variable;
- ability of different presentations to trigger eating — strongly demonstrated;
- adequacy of total daily intake — still inconsistent and sometimes very poor.
11. New Evidence: Plain Chicken as a Highly Motivating Food
On August 30, after Jack had eaten very little, he showed sustained interest in the owner’s baked chicken.
He had not previously been offered people food as a regular strategy, although he had occasionally received a small piece of chicken.
The chicken was plain, unseasoned interior meat rather than the seasoned outer portion.
Jack was initially standing at the edge of his dog bed watching the owner eat. After being given two substantial thin pieces—approximately thumb-sized pieces, with the total estimated at roughly two heaping teaspoons—he immediately ate both pieces enthusiastically and wanted more.
The owner stopped because even the interior chicken had a somewhat salty taste.
Jack then settled into his bed in an unusually content posture, leaning against the bed’s edge with his belly fully exposed rather than curling into his usual circular resting position.
This was particularly notable because Jack had eaten very little earlier in the day and had been refusing ordinary food despite repeatedly showing interest in the kitchen and feeding stations.
Historical relevance
Jack also has a previously unrecorded history of eating chicken as part of a homemade diet prepared by the owner for approximately a year before his kidney disease and tooth deterioration became apparent.
That diet included cooked, unseasoned chicken with white rice, pumpkin, unsalted green beans, and other ingredients selected for safety at the time.
Therefore, chicken is not a completely unfamiliar food to Jack.
Current question
The chicken should not automatically become Jack’s replacement diet.
The current question is whether a measured amount of plain cooked chicken could serve as an occasional nutritional fallback on exceptionally low-intake days if Jack refuses adequate renal food.
The concern is the balance between:
- getting enough calories into Jack,
- preserving adequate nutrition and protein,
- and avoiding unnecessary phosphorus/protein loading in a dog with kidney disease.
This is a question to take to Dr. Rolling rather than deciding independently on a daily chicken regimen.
12. New Evidence: Purina NF Trial
A new renal diet—Purina NF—is being sought for trial.
This is an important experiment because Jack’s historical responses to renal foods have been inconsistent:
- He was initially extremely engaged with his first can of Hill’s.
- He subsequently stopped eating the Hill’s canned food for much of that summer.
- Later, changing the texture by mashing it into slurry made the Hill’s acceptable again.
- Royal Canin produced a much more negative response: Jack rejected it immediately and subsequently refused canned food more broadly for several days.
Therefore, the first response to Purina NF will be informative, but the first can alone will not establish whether the food is sustainable.
The useful observations will include:
- immediate reaction to the food,
- whether he eats it voluntarily,
- whether texture changes acceptance,
- whether he returns to it later,
- whether he continues accepting it after repeated exposures,
- and whether introducing it affects his willingness to eat his other foods.
The Purina trial should therefore be observed without assuming in advance that either immediate acceptance or immediate rejection will be the final result.
13. New Working Question About Nutritional Adequacy
The central feeding question has now become more specific.
Jack is not simply refusing all food. He has demonstrated repeatedly that he can and will eat substantial amounts when the food and context are right, including:
- approximately 80+ pieces of k/d kibble in one evening,
- an entire slurry,
- substantial late-night kibble during treat hunts,
- food while left alone for a prolonged period,
- and, most recently, substantial pieces of plain chicken that he enthusiastically consumed and wanted more of.
At the same time, he has had multiple days when the renal food available to him resulted in very little intake.
The practical question is therefore no longer simply:
“How do we make Jack eat his renal diet?”
It is:
“How do we prevent inadequate overall nutrition when Jack refuses enough renal food?”
This is the question being held for Dr. Rolling after the Purina NF trial and the remainder of the current day’s observations.
14. Current Strategy
For now, the strategy remains to preserve multiple voluntary pathways rather than forcing one feeding method to carry the entire burden:
Renal food options
- Hill’s k/d in its established forms.
- Purina NF trial.
- Different textures/presentations when useful.
Slurry pathway
- Small, liquid-forward slurry when receptive.
- Post-walk opportunities.
- Warmed or freshly prepared when appropriate.
- Larger/meat-containing slurry when he accepts it.
- Syringe feeding only when voluntary intake is inadequate enough to warrant it.
Kibble pathway
- Ordinary feeding-station opportunities without pressure.
- Established nighttime treat hunt.
- Kibble incorporated into slurry only when that presentation actually helps.
Motivational pathway
- Hill’s renal-compatible soft treat.
- Fruitables for variety.
- Kibble as an established food-based reward.
Environmental pathway
- Food available during selected periods when Jack is left alone.
- Low-pressure access rather than repeated coaxing.
- Enrichment outings that may naturally precede better appetite periods.
Fallback question
- If Jack continues to consume inadequate calories despite reasonable renal-food trials, determine with Dr. Rolling whether a measured amount of a more palatable food such as plain cooked chicken is preferable to allowing continued inadequate intake, and what quantity would be nutritionally acceptable given Jack’s kidney disease, anemia, weight, protein requirements, and phosphorus limits.
Current objective
The objective is not to make Jack eat a particular food at all costs. The objective is to get enough appropriate nutrition into him while preserving the renal-diet advantages as much as realistically possible.
JACK — AUGUST 29, 2026
- Morning: Jack had no food intake during the daytime.
- ~2:00 PM: Jack and I went to meet a friend who had picked up food-bank groceries for us. It was hot outside. Jack remained in his front-seat bed in partial shade while the groceries were loaded. I stayed beside his door and he could hear me talking, but he remained comfortable and did not sit up or look out.
- 4:20 PM: Jack and I had both been asleep after returning from the grocery pickup. Outside temperature was about 90°F, with a feels-like temperature around 96°F.
- ~6:00 PM: Jack began signaling that he wanted activity. I was still working in the house, so we did not leave until a little later.
- Evening walk: Jack was completely steady on his feet. He was engaged, sniffing, marking, and pulling toward places he wanted to investigate. He had a solid, well-formed stool; the outside surface was somewhat damp and possibly mildly mucus-like. No straining or difficulty.
- After the walk: Jack received 2 small Fruitables treats in the car, substituting for the two Fruitables he would ordinarily receive at the pet store.
- 7:45 PM: We stopped for water. Jack drank well over 50 laps from his little bowl. This was unusually enthusiastic drinking compared with the previous couple of weeks.
- ~7:45 PM: After returning home, Jack went directly to the kitchen and stood by his slurry, facing it and looking at me without eating. I put 1 piece of kibble beside the tiny slurry. Jack investigated the kibble and then ate the entire tiny, more-liquid slurry.
- Later: Jack worked on a second slurry that was somewhat larger and less liquid. He stopped eating after I accidentally bumped him with the refrigerator door and walked away.
- Nighttime treat hunt: Jack ate 3 pieces of kibble from the hunt. Of the 15 pieces originally placed in the hunt, 12 remained afterward. No additional treat was put into the kibble dish.
- Afterward: Jack continued voluntarily following me into the kitchen and utility room and repeatedly investigating the kitchen and feeding stations. He showed scavenging behavior but did not eat the kibble in the station.
- 9:30 PM: Jack investigated the kibble station, sniffing it, sniffing around and behind it, looking at the kibble, and then walking around the kitchen scavenging before leaving. The larger/drier slurry remained uneaten. I added liquid to that slurry, but Jack still ignored it.
- 10:00 PM: I discarded the uneaten larger slurry and opened fresh chicken stew. I put a very small fresh dollop in a clean bowl, approximately a flat teaspoon or slightly less. Jack immediately ate it.
- After 10:00 PM: Jack continued showing interest in the kitchen and voluntarily followed me when I went into the kitchen or utility room, but he did not eat additional food.
- ~11:30 PM: Jack came into the bathroom while I was there and appeared to look for the nighttime treat hunt, but no hunt was offered because we were not yet going to bed. He was asleep by the time I finished getting ready.
- ~11:30 PM: I went downstairs and left Jack sleeping. He soon woke and came looking for me. I had 6 pieces of kibble on the sofa beside me but did not show them to him or offer them. Jack climbed into his dog bed and went back to sleep. He showed no reaction to the kibble.
- 11:40 PM: Jack remained asleep on the sofa/in his dog bed area while I was ready for bed. Total confirmed food intake for the day remained very small: 3 kibble from the treat hunt, 1 tiny liquid slurry, approximately 1 flat teaspoon or slightly less of fresh chicken stew, and 2 small Fruitables. Water intake after the walk was unusually strong
• 12:30 AM: Because Jack’s intake remained very low, I hit panic mode and brought out fresh Hill’s k/d chicken stew, approximately a heaping teaspoon. Jack enthusiastically engaged with it but ultimately only licked most of the original stew off it rather than eating the food itself.
• 12:30 AM: I added a few pieces of k/d kibble around the edges of the chicken stew. Jack ate 1 kibble and ignored the others.
• 12:30 AM: I added a piece of kidney treat. Jack ate it enthusiastically.
• 12:30 AM: I offered k/d kibble from my hand. Jack ate 1 kibble.
• 12:30 AM: I repeatedly called Jack back to the canned food. He ignored it and became stressed, so I stopped pursuing the canned food and let him return to bed.
• 12:30 AM — nighttime treat hunt: As Jack approached the hunt, his tail flew up. He consumed 12 k/d kibble, 2 pieces of kidney treat, 2 Fruitables petals, and ½ Teenie Greenie. He consumed the entire hunt.
• After the hunt: Jack returned to bed.
• End-of-day confirmed intake: 17 pieces of k/d kibble total, 1 entire tiny/liquid slurry, approximately 1 flat teaspoon or slightly less of fresh chicken stew at 10:00 PM, 1 additional kidney-treat piece at 12:30 AM, 2 kidney-treat pieces in the nighttime hunt, 4 Fruitables petals total, and ½ Teenie Greenie. The 12:30 AM chicken stew was mostly licked rather than meaningfully eaten and the larger slurry was ultimately discarded.
August 30, 2026
- 11:30 AM: Returned home from church.
- It is possible Jack drank some of his tiny slurry, although it is difficult to determine because the slurry absorbs the liquid.
- Jack ate all of his treat hunt except 1 kibble. The remaining kibble was probably the most difficult piece to locate under the blanket, so it is possible he simply did not find it.
- Jack woke and wanted to go outside normally. He appeared to urinate normally.
- Jack is not avoiding the kitchen at this point and ate the treat placed in his kibble station but no food
- ~5:00 PM: At the pet store, Jack had a nice walk. The new Hill’s kidney formula was purchased. It turned out to be a pâté-style food despite the package showing a spoonful of rice/broth. Jack typically dislikes pâté following his experience with Royal Canin.
- ~5:00 PM: Scale initially read 2.4 lb, clearly inaccurate. After the scale was reset, Jack weighed 4.2 lb, indicating that his weight was holding steady at 4.2 lb.
- ~5:00 PM: Jack was slightly slower walking through the pet store but remained very engaged. He did not loiter or drag; the slower pace occurred on a hot day, after inadequate food intake, with substantial sniffing.
- After pet-store outing: Jack received approximately 54 laps of ice water in two separate drinking sessions. This was unusually strong drinking and occurred after a hot walk in temperatures in the 90s.
- Before church: A tiny slurry of the new food was prepared and Jack drank/consumed the liquid portion.
- Before leaving for church: A second small, watery slurry was prepared to leave for Jack in the bathroom.
- Before leaving: Five pieces of kibble were taken from the untouched feeding station, along with two kidney treats and one Fruitables petal. These were placed in the bathroom with the usual “go find your cookies” routine. Jack went directly toward the freshly refreshed slurry rather than immediately toward the treat hunt and was investigating the slurry as the door was being closed.
- ~7:15 PM: Returned from church. Jack had consumed all of the liquid from the slurry and left the solid portion. By then, some of the solid appeared to have dissolved into the liquid, and it was possible that he had eaten some of the solid, but the amount could not be determined.
- ~7:15 PM: The remaining slurry was refreshed with a little additional water. A separate small dish of chopped pâté-style food was also prepared in an attempt to make the new food less recognizable as pâté. Jack did not immediately investigate either food.
- ~7:15 PM: From the treat hunt left in the bathroom, Jack ate two small kidney-treat pieces and one kibble. The Fruitables petal remained.
- Evening: Jack appeared to be signaling for his walk. Because he had already had a short walk earlier and had experienced a hot, active day, the walk was not repeated.
- ~9:00 PM: Jack had not touched either the remaining tiny slurry or the spoonful of the new canned food.
- ~9:00 PM: Very tiny pieces of the plain chicken from earlier were rinsed and embedded in the canned food. Jack immediately ate the portion containing chicken.
- ~9:00 PM: A larger portion was prepared with additional tiny pieces of chicken embedded in the canned food. Jack quickly learned to pick out and eat the chicken while leaving much of the canned food behind.
- ~9:00 PM: The remaining slurry liquid was poured over the canned food. Jack drank/licked up the liquid but left the larger amount of canned food after removing the chicken pieces.
- Food observation: Jack did not completely reject the new food. He ate some of it in fresh slurry form, consumed the liquid portions, and ate some of the canned food when chicken was embedded in it, but he selectively removed the chicken from the larger portion and left most of the canned food.
- Kibble station: Jack apparently investigated the station looking for the kidney treat normally placed among the kibble. The treat had inadvertently not been placed there tonight. It is believed he voluntarily ate approximately one kibble, although this could not be confirmed.
- Late evening — Treat hunt: Found the Teenie Greenie left from the previous night’s hunt in Jack’s bed and gave it to him while preparing tonight’s hunt.
- Treat hunt: Four kibble pieces from the previous night’s hunt were still present. Added two kidney treats and one Fruitables petal.
- Later: The Teenie Greenie was found on Jack’s pee pad. Jack was in his bed, so the exact amount remaining in the treat hunt could not be counted.
- Treat-hunt observation: Tonight’s treat-hunt intake could not be reliably quantified. The previous night’s Greenie had remained uneaten, and tonight’s hunt did not provide a clean measure of appetite.
- 2 small kidney-treat pieces from the bathroom hunt
- 1 probable kibble from the feeding station
- Liquid from the new-food slurry, twice
- Some of the new canned food, but quantity uncertain
- Chicken pieces from earlier, including additional tiny pieces used with the canned food
- Treat-hunt intake uncertain
- Previous night’s Teenie Greenie was eventually found uneaten rather than consumed
Food intake known/probable tonight
Overall: Jack had unusually strong voluntary water intake today and remained engaged, mobile, and interested in activity. Food intake remained low, but he showed repeated interest in food and demonstrated that he will selectively eat the chicken and at least some of the new canned food rather than refusing all food.
Monday, August 31, 2026
- 9:00 AM: Jack got up with his tail held high and came to find me in the bathroom to signal that it was time to go downstairs. His tail remained high all the way to the steps. I checked his dog bed and did not think he had eaten anything from the previous night.
- Morning: Jack wanted to play the stair game. I went down ahead of him and called him down. He came running down with his tail up. He had a slight falter near the bottom when his head was angled downward from the rest of his body. He normally does not fall on the steps. I had called him down one extra step farther than usual; we normally end the game about three stairs from the bottom so that I can be closer to him and hug him.
- Morning: Jack immediately ran into the bathroom to drink water, which has become a fairly typical start to his morning. He went outside and urinated normally.
- Morning: While I was preparing his morning fish-oil slurry, Jack came in to investigate and sniffed it. I instead prepared the chicken slurry we had discussed. He showed interest but did not eat any of it.
- Morning: Jack made his dog bed and appeared happy and energetic.
- Morning: I prepared a second small slurry of the new rice-and-egg canned food. I planned to leave both slurries in the bathroom while I was at work, along with kibble and a kidney treat.
- ~2:15 PM: Xfinity arrived approximately an hour earlier than expected. I had to deal with the repairmen for about half an hour before I could get in and log what was happening.
- During Xfinity work: The two repairmen came inside and began drilling. The noise caused Jack’s head to whip up and around. I pulled his blanket more around him and petted him. He settled down very quickly.
- During Xfinity work: I noticed two pieces of kibble on the sofa from a small pile I had put there previously. I placed the two pieces on Jack’s dog bed without making an event of it. A short time later, while the repairmen were walking out to get additional tools, Jack happily ate both pieces.
- Later: I noticed there was no more kibble on the blanket. I did not see Jack eat the other three pieces, but I believe he probably ate them sometime during the previous day or two because the two pieces I found appeared to be the last two remaining.
- After returning home: I discovered that Jack had pooped while I was gone. It was a small, skinny, firm, dark-colored piece.
- ~6:00–7:00 PM: Jack had earlier been signaling that he wanted his walk. I was watching a movie and delayed the walk because I had not had television in several years and wanted to finish it. This ultimately worked in our favor because it was still very hot earlier and was cooler by the time we went out.
- ~6:45–7:00 PM: I hid very tiny slivers of plain chicken in Jack’s new rice-and-egg slurry. He ate almost the entire small portion very quickly and then promptly vomited it. The vomiting lasted approximately a minute. I cleaned it up.
- After vomiting: Jack recovered quickly and did not otherwise behave as though he was sick. I was reminded of his previous Royal Canin reaction, during which he rejected the food and subsequently acted as though he did not want to eat for several days. Tonight’s recovery was much quicker.
- ~8:00 PM — walk: We went for Jack’s evening walk. He had been signaling for it, and despite my intention to make it short because he had vomited earlier, he clearly wanted to walk. I tried twice to turn him back toward the car, but Jack was having none of it and continued down one of the sidewalks I had planned to skip.
- During walk: Jack had a great time. He sniffed, urinated and marked. His tail was approximately halfway up in his normal “thinking about things” position, and he remained engaged.
- ~8:00 PM — stool: Jack pooped during the walk. It appeared to be approximately two pieces, although the dark mulch made it difficult to see. I may have seen another small cylindrical piece that was somewhat larger than the earlier stool and much closer to normal brown, but I was not certain enough to identify it confidently.
- After walk — hydration: Jack drank 45 laps of ice water from Chick-fil-A. He also drank additional water that I could not count because it was dark, and he drank from his water bowl after returning home. He therefore had good voluntary hydration after the warm walk.
- Return to car: Jack walked slowly on the way back but was not overly pokey and did not want to be picked up.
- 8:30 PM — food: When we got home, Jack made an absolute beeline to the feeding stations. He ignored the remaining rice-and-egg food, which I had forgotten to clean up.
- 8:30 PM — chicken stew: Jack stood looking at me expectantly, so I gave him a portion of his familiar Hill’s chicken stew straight from the can rather than as a slurry. There were approximately two heaping teaspoons in the small bowl. Jack ate and ate. Based on what remained, I estimated that he ate approximately one-third of the portion. Because it was straight canned food rather than a slurry, what he ate contained the full nutritional content of that amount.
- 8:30 PM — kibble: Shortly afterward, Jack was observed eating some kibble from his feeding station without a treat being placed there first. I did not count how many, and there probably were not many available.
- ~8:45 PM: Approximately 15 minutes after eating the chicken stew and kibble, Jack had not vomited.
- Evening: The remaining chicken-and-rice slurry from earlier was discarded.
- ~10:15 PM: Jack ran independently into the kitchen. I did not follow him immediately. When I went in a little later, it did not appear that he had eaten anything. He followed me into the kitchen and looked at me expectantly, clearly appearing to want food. I suspected he may specifically have been asking for chicken. I did not have any cooked chicken prepared to give him.
- Overall: Despite the vomiting episode after the new rice-and-egg food, Jack subsequently enjoyed his walk, hydrated well, returned home actively seeking food, voluntarily ate familiar chicken stew and some kibble, and later returned to the kitchen appearing interested in eating. His overall behavior remained engaged, happy and energetic. His weight has remained approximately 4.2 lb, unchanged from his veterinary weight despite his low intake over the past week.
Jack’s Log — September 1, 2026
- 1:00 AM: Went into the kitchen 2–3 times, foraging for food.
- 1:00 AM: Licked up a little of the fairly thick stew liquid but did not get much meat.
- 1:00 AM: Continued checking his slurries.
September 1, 2026
- 10:45 AM: Jack woke in excellent spirits, tail up while user dressed.
- Morning: Flopped at the corner of the carpet and rolled around, as he often does in the mornings.
- Morning: Ran down the stairs, peed normally outside, then immediately drank water in the bathroom.
- Morning: Did not go into the kitchen, so user had not prepared his first slurry because he was not showing interest in food.
- Morning: User received Dr. Rohling’s response to her questions.
- Before ultrasound: User kept the morning calm. No fasting instructions had been given by the vet.
- 4:00 PM: Left the vet after Jack’s ultrasound appointment.
- 4:00 PM: Jack received sub-Q fluids and Cerenia was prescribed in tablet form to give later; he did not receive a Cerenia injection.
- 4:00 PM: Convenia was not given. Vet staff said he does not need another dose for a couple of weeks.
- 4:00 PM: Vet recommended an iron product available through Amazon and warned that it could upset Jack’s stomach.
- 4:00 PM: Jack drank approximately 50 laps of water.
- After vet: User stopped at Publix and bought plain chicken strips for herself.
- ~4:40 PM: Jack was extremely excited about the chicken-and-rice meal being prepared. He waited about 30 minutes, repeatedly checking the kitchen and then waiting in the hall nearby.
- ~4:40 PM: Jack ate the entire chicken-and-rice meal, including all of the chicken and all of the rice. It was a small portion but larger than his typical slurry and comparable to his substantial nighttime meal.
- ~5:00–8:30 PM: Jack slept for approximately 3½ hours after the ultrasound/vet visit and his substantial meal.
- During that period: At some unknown point, Jack finished the slurry that had been left out from the previous day. Exact timing is unknown.
- 8:30 PM: Jack woke up and immediately checked the kitchen for food.
- 8:30 PM: Signaled that he wanted his walk.
- Evening walk: Tail was up and Jack was full of energy, initially trotting at a nice pace. The weather was considerably cooler after a brutally hot day.
- Evening walk: Had three bowel movements:
- First in the dark mulch; unable to assess clearly.
- Second immediately afterward on the sidewalk; firm and normal in length, perhaps very slightly softer than his old normal but consistent with his more recent pattern.
- Third was more than likely a small piece in the grass; unable to see it.
- Evening walk: Slowed down somewhat later in the walk but continued enjoying it and remained happy and engaged.
- After walk: Drank 15 laps of ice water.
- At the stoplight: Drank another 10 laps of ice water, for 25 laps total after the walk.
- ~9:48 PM: Became very excited about dinner while it was being prepared.
- ~9:48 PM: Dinner was another large serving of plain chicken and rice, with some broth from boiling the chicken added to make it more like a slurry.
- ~9:48 PM: Waited near the kitchen, repeatedly checking on the preparation and then waiting in the hall.
- ~9:48 PM: When called into the kitchen, made a beeline for his dish and immediately began eating.
- Later evening: Ate all of the chicken, most of the rice, and drank the chicken broth mixed into the meal.
- Late evening: This gave Jack two substantial chicken-and-rice meals today.
- 11:41 PM: Sound asleep on the sofa beside user.
- Late evening: Jack’s dog bed remains available on the other sofa. He occasionally chooses it, but has spent most of the evening sleeping beside user and h
September 2, 2026
- 10:00 AM: Up after an hour of stretches. Jack was awake and patiently waiting, happy and tail up as usual. Ran downstairs, went out, and urinated normally. Jack has been drinking from the water kept beside his bed; bowl was washed and refilled tonight.
- Morning: Checked on the chicken-and-rice preparation several times. Initially rejected it with one drop of fish oil; after the fish oil was rinsed off, ate all the chicken from both portions and some of the rice, with the chicken broth/liquid.
- 12:45 PM: Jack had already vomited a substantial pile of chicken without the user seeing it. He then signaled to go outside and vomited a separate frothy ball of partially digested rice with some chicken, yellowish-greenish but predominantly white. This followed the substantial morning meal eaten quickly in two portions; nausea may also have contributed.
- After returning inside: Jack went to the previously unnoticed pile of vomited chicken and sniffed it.
- Shortly afterward: Gave ¼ of a 16-mg Cerenia tablet (4 mg) tightly wrapped inside a small ball of extra-sharp cheddar; Jack ate it enthusiastically.
- 7:30 PM: One of Jack’s worst walks ever. Temperature was about 90°F, with the heat index higher; it may have been about 91°F when the walk began. Jack was unusually pokey, sniffed some, and marked several times, but was much less engaged than usual. User was also very tense and frustrated because ChatGPT had repeatedly failed to follow the discussion, retain details, and follow explicit directions.
- 7:40 PM: Stopped to get Jack some ice water. He drank 48 laps, followed quickly by 16 more laps.
- 7:45 PM: Ate the remaining chicken from the morning and all the broth, plus some rice.
- 8:00 PM: Ate another, smaller chicken-and-rice portion: all the chicken, some rice, and all the broth.
- Evening: No vomiting whatsoever after the 8:00 PM slurry. He slept through the evening and completely retained that second slurry.
- 11:30 PM: Came into the kitchen and showed interest in the freshly made chicken-and-rice slurry. Initially drank some liquid and left. When he returned while it was being put away, it was reheated and more broth was added. He then gobbled down the third slurry, which was a meaningful serving rather than a tiny one, leaving some rice but continuing to eat some of it.
- 11:45 PM: Third slurry had only recently been eaten, so retention was not yet established. No vomiting from the second slurry at any point during the evening.
- Late evening: Jack did his reduced treat hunt. He has continued leaving the kibble, so no additional kibble was added to the hunt, although a few pieces remain in his bed. Fresh offerings were two small kidney treats, one small piece of Fruitables, and one fresh teeny Greenie, since he had not eaten his teeny Greenie the previous night. When the user left, Jack was eating one of the treats and putting some chewing into it; the user could not tell which one, though suspects it was probably one of the kidney treats rather than the Greenie.
Jack’s Log — September 3, 2026
- Morning: User left Jack for about 5 1/28 hours while going to her brother’s. Jack was locked in the bathroom with two slurries and water. The slurries contained chicken/rice, a little Hill’s Rice & Egg kidney food, and were mashed fairly fine. As user left, Jack went toward the tiny slurry bowl and appeared interested, but user could not tell whether he ate or drank. Later the bowl looked essentially full, so user believes he probably did not eat.
- BelleForrest vet left msg., informed me that Jack is not a good candidate for Darbopoetin. Made decision to add chicken liver to his diet.
- Before leaving to buy chicken livers: User gave Jack ¼ of a Cerenia tablet in a small amount of cheese because she planned to experiment with chicken liver and wanted the anti-nausea medication already in his system before trying it.
- ~6:00 PM: Took Jack to Publix in his green bag to buy chicken livers. He enjoyed the ride and was perfectly fine in the bag.
- ~6:15 PM: Early walk in 97°F heat, with a higher heat index. Short walk. Jack was pokey, sniffed and marked, but was much slower than usual. Went into two stores for AC and walked past three stores to reach grassy/tree/shrub areas he likes.
- After walk: Jack drank 75 laps of ice water that user had gotten at Chick-fil-A.
- ~7:30 PM: User cooked the entire chicken/liver/rice mixture at one time: about ½ tenderloin, rice, a little pumpkin purée, saved homemade chicken broth, and cooked chicken liver. The liver portion had cooked down to about ½ teaspoon total. Approximately ¼ teaspoon cooked liver—two tiny liver slices—was included in the first tiny slurry. The remaining prepared mixture was put away for later.
- ~7:30 PM: Jack ate the entire first tiny liver-containing slurry and licked the bowl clean. He immediately followed user back into the kitchen wanting more. User held off on another serving at that point.
- 8:20 PM: Jack was sleeping. User prepared another tiny slurry and put it down so it would be ready when he woke.
- 8:30 PM: Jack was still resting comfortably. No vomiting.
- 9:15 PM: Jack woke up and appeared to have been resting very comfortably. User prompted him to get up, took him outside, and he peed a little. He trotted back inside, checked his kibble station and water, then went to his usual slurry area when called and immediately started eating the second tiny slurry.
- Second slurry: User made sure it contained one tiny piece of liver, along with several pieces of chicken, some rice, pumpkin purée dissolved into the broth, and broth. Jack ate the slurry.
- After second slurry: Jack came to sit beside user on the loveseat and signaled for his familiar type of petting by lifting his left front leg. This is his longstanding signal for user to massage the left neck/shoulder/upper-leg area where he was badly injured approximately eight years ago. User notes that he typically uses this signal when feeling well and seeking closeness, comfort, or reinforcement.
- Midnight: Jack ate almost every bite of the third and final tiny slurry of the night. User had mashed the liver somewhat and included a little more of it this time. Jack ate the chicken and most of the liver, leaving three tiny pieces of liver. He also left some rice, as he had with the previous slurries, but user estimates he ate more than half of the rice—probably around two-thirds to three-quarters. He drank all of the broth/slurry, thereby consuming most of the pumpkin as well. He therefore got some liver, some pumpkin, most of the chicken, and a substantial portion of the rice. No vomiting occurred after either of the first two liver-containing meals.
Pertinent summary
- Three small chicken/liver slurries eaten tonight, after apparently eating little or nothing during the day.
- Jack consumed chicken enthusiastically, drank all the broth each time, ate a substantial majority of the rice, and accepted the liver in very small amounts. By the third slurry he left only three tiny liver pieces.
- No vomiting after the first two slurries, and no current indication of GI upset. He has not exhibited his longstanding grass-eating behavior associated with stomach discomfort.
- The liver was introduced in tiny amounts spread across three meals, with slightly more liver in the final slurry.
- Jack remained comfortable, sought food, and later sought physical closeness with user.
Jack’s Log — September 4, 2026
- Morning: Mild diarrhea on pee pad after a normal, well-formed bowel movement during the night.
- 1:14 PM: Curled comfortably beside me on sofa. Small intermittent “tick” that felt like hiccups. No interest in homemade chicken-and-rice.
- Afternoon: Checked chicken and rice and kibble station several times but did not eat.
- 3:00 PM: Initially refused anti-nausea pill in cheese. After cheese was placed on his bed, he ate it, including the pill.
- Late afternoon: Went to pet store. Very pokey and mostly wanted to be carried; still interested in sniffing posts/corners. Outside was about 103°F.
- After pet-store outing: Drank 34 sips of ice water.
- After outing: Weight 4.0 lb, same as at vet.
- Later: Hungry and repeatedly ran to the kitchen but initially rejected chicken and rice, beef-stew slurry, and kibble.
- Later: Tried a small amount of new fish oil in the chicken; he rejected it.
- Dinner: Fresh chicken and rice prepared. Ate 2 pieces of chicken while rice was still cooking, then ate all the chicken and some rice from the finished portion.
- Evening: Fresh bowl of water placed in living room; Jack drank from it.
- 9:30 PM: Eating fresh chicken with some rice and cooking broth.
- Later evening: Wanted to be carried outside and up the stairs. Had difficulty getting over the single step between the living room and hall and needed to be picked up. Gave a small “oof” each time he was picked up.
- Midnight: Prepared another plate of fresh chicken and rice. Jack dug into it and spent considerable time in the kitchen.
- Later: Found that he had pushed much of the food off the shallow plate onto the floor. Estimated he ate a little more than half, getting most of the chicken. Remaining food was gathered and stored in a Ziploc for tomorrow: approximately 1 heaping tablespoon chicken and slightly under 1 tablespoon rice, plus roughly another tablespoon or slightly less of chicken and rice remaining from the meal.
- Treat hunt: After months of enthusiastically searching under his blanket for his nighttime treats, Jack showed little interest again tonight. He stood by the dog bed and looked briefly; after I moved the blanket, he moved in to look, but it was unclear whether he found or ate any treats.
- Overall GI: Mild diarrhea and other signs of GI disturbance continued through the day. The small amount of liver introduced yesterday is a possible contributor.
- Food plan for September 5: Chicken, rice and a little pumpkin, with broth and topper available for variety.
September 5, 2026
- ~10:00 AM: Jack awake and alert. Initially reluctant to get up; walked about 6 feet, stopped mid-bedroom, and waited to be picked up. User carried him outside. He peed in his usual spot, walked partway across the patio, then stopped and waited to be carried in. No “oof” with the pickups this morning.
- Morning: User brought Jack to the living-room water bowl; he drank quite a bit. Back in bed, he stood looking around. User broke off chicken; he ate one whole piece.
- Morning: Jack wasn’t in bed when user returned from dressing. He came trotting out of the kitchen, where he had been looking for more chicken.
- Morning: From a baggie of chicken/rice, Jack ate ~⅓ tbsp chicken, then rested.
- 12:20 PM: User attempted to mash chicken into slurry. Jack ate some rice but left a little chicken. He did not follow when user refrigerated the food, but watched the chicken attentively.
- ~2:00 PM: Jack got up, went to the door, peed, and returned. Because of the heat, user carried him inside. He gave a tiny “oof” when picked up. He drank ~24 sips of water. Later he sat upright, crossed user, hopped down, and jumped into bed independently.
- 2:00 PM feeding: Ate ~2 full tbsp chicken chunks, possibly slightly heaping, happily.
- 2:15 PM: Jack independently got up again, went to the door, peed, and trotted outside/back with more drive than the previous day. He stopped on the patio and was carried in because of the heat. Tiny “oof” with pickup. Drank ~24 sips and later jumped into bed independently.
- ~4:30 PM: Got up and stood toward the kitchen. Ate ~1 tbsp chicken chunks. Went to the door, peed, returned normally, and was picked up to return to bed.
- ~4:45 PM: Sat in living room, possibly looking for water. Water bowl had been moved; user returned it. Jack initially ignored the bowl and appeared to be looking toward the kitchen. User did not offer more chicken to avoid overdoing his stomach. He then drank water. He subsequently walked independently to the water and bed and jumped into bed.
- Throughout afternoon/evening: Outside temperature remained very hot, around 95°F. User did not use walking performance in the heat as a test of his overall condition.
- Cerenia: Given approximately 2 hours later than usual.
- ~7:00 PM walk: Jack drank ~25 laps before the walk. Temperature around 90°F with sun down/shade. Initially somewhat poky but substantially better than during the previous day’s pet-store outing. Sniffed bushes, marked several spots, engaged with surroundings, and later increased his pace. He showed strong interest in scents in mulch/shrubs and stopped at familiar spots. Toward the end he was ready to turn back. Still somewhat pokier on the return but remained interested and engaged.
- ~7:30 PM: Back in car. Drank ~20 laps. No poop observed. Lots of sniffing.
- During drive home: Ate two small Fruitables pieces.
- ~7:45 PM: At home, initially did not want to step through the doorway and wanted to be carried over steps. Made it down the hall and stopped where he could watch the kitchen. User offered earlier chicken/rice slurry and two small chicken chunks. He sniffed the slurry and began to walk away. User removed the chicken chunks from the slurry, broke them into four small pieces, and rinsed them because they had been in the slurry. Put the pieces in his dog bed; Jack promptly ate them.
- Later evening: User recognized that feeding chicken directly on the dog bed had become a temporary routine established when Jack appeared too weak to get up and down for food. Because he was now getting up independently, user began transitioning back to bowl feeding for sanitation and ease.
- Later evening: Chicken chunks were placed in a small bowl beside Jack’s water in the living room. He initially ignored them. Bowl was temporarily moved to the dog bed; he continued to ignore them. He later sniffed the chicken, moved beside the bed, looked at it, and still did not eat. Bowl was returned beside the water. A few minutes later Jack hopped down, walked to the bowl, and ate the chicken.
- Additional evening intake: ~1 tsp chicken.
- Later evening: Jack curled up peacefully beside user on the sofa and made a couple of very lightly playful pawing motions.
- Later night: User eventually went to bed after Jack had been sleeping peacefully on the sofa. Jack got up, went outside, did his business, drank from the living-room water bowl, then went to the kitchen and drank more water from the kitchen bowl. He checked for food. User offered one piece of chopped chicken from earlier; he turned it down. She offered a fresh larger piece; he also turned it down. User was too tired to experiment with presentation and carried him upstairs.
- Later night: Jack did his treat hunt. User knows he ate some of the kidney treats/Fruitables but did not know the exact amount.
- End-of-day food: Approximately 4⅔ tbsp chicken total, plus two small Fruitables pieces earlier and additional kidney treats/Fruitables of unknown amount during the later treat hunt.
- End of day: Jack appeared substantially improved compared with the previous day but was still below his normal energy baseline.
11:45 AM: Jack got himself up, met user halfway across the room, and trotted out independently. Reached stairs and waited to be carried down.
- Outside: Independently crossed living room and peed. Wanted to remain outside, so user carried him farther to preferred area. Peed again and sniffed. Carried back upstairs because stairs remain somewhat unsteady.
- Upstairs: Went to normal pee area and peed again. User watched for signs of defecation but looked away because Jack dislikes being watched while pooping. Passed stool: one small, well-formed piece clearly seen; user believes another piece had already passed. No significant straining; final piece took somewhat longer.
- After outing: Stopped in living room and appeared somewhat tired. Had not drunk, so user directed him toward water. He drank eagerly, then drank a little more; amount appeared normal for morning.
- Morning food attempt: User offered ~1½ small chunks of solid chicken. Jack sniffed but did not eat. Chicken was refrigerated afterward.
- Before leaving: User decided to maintain normal household activity rather than spending the entire day focused on Jack. User was also feeling ill and planned to obtain a COVID test.
- ~2 PM: Jack was placed in his normal downstairs bathroom setup with fresh water, slurries and a treat hunt. He did not participate in the cookie hunt, even after user lifted the blanket to make treats easier to see/smell.
- Absence: User was gone ~1 hour 40 minutes. Jack ate none of the slurry.
- After return: Jack settled beside user. Cerenia was given in cheese.
- ~1½ hours after Cerenia: Jack followed user into the kitchen and appeared interested in food. Sniffed four tiny chicken pieces but walked away, then drank water.
- User left slurry in the living room and chicken pieces in the kitchen to see whether Jack would initiate eating.
- ~5:45 PM: Jack got up, went outside and peed normally. Appeared to be looking for something, so user brought chicken slurry outside; he refused it. Regular chicken was offered and refused. One piece was broken in half; Jack ate both halves. This was one original piece of chicken total.
- User then offered a chicken piece that had been on top of the slurry but had not actually been submerged. Jack refused it. Breaking it, rinsing it and breaking it again did not change his response.
- Four small chicken pieces were placed on his bed. He possibly ate one and pushed the others into a crease in the bed. He also pushed two Fruitables pieces along with them.
- User noted that Jack’s increasing selectivity is not limited to chicken or slurry: during the past week he has also lost interest in the treat-hunt game and become increasingly selective about treats.
- ~7:30 PM: Jack went outside, peed and pooped. User placed the earlier chicken plate in front of him; he ate one additional piece of chicken.
- Fresh chicken from the refrigerator was then offered; Jack refused it.
- ~7:45 PM: Evening walk began. Jack initially did not come over to be leashed. Once placed on grass, he perked up, began walking and sniffing, and shook himself.
- Walked approximately halfway up one side of the shopping center at a slow, methodical sniffing pace. Marked several times.
- He headed toward the pet store, but it was closed for Sunday evening.
- Explored the first median, then the second median containing one of his favorite light poles in that shopping area. Sniffed extensively and marked multiple times. Tail was up, later lowered, then went back up when he barked. Remained engaged for roughly 10 minutes before becoming pokier and signaling that he wanted to be carried.
- Green bag: Jack was placed in the bag and the walk continued. He kept his head out of the bag for essentially the entire remainder of the outing, looking around and sniffing.
- User continued walking the old route that Jack and user frequently walked last fall and this spring: from the connecting sidewalk around the corner, through the shopping centers, past the pet store, back through the connecting area, down one shopping center and around to the other shopping center toward Dollar Tree.
- Although portions of the route were repeated, Jack continued keeping his head out and remained visually and olfactorily engaged for almost the entire trip.
- Based on user’s estimate of ~5 feet per concrete walkway section and ~45 sections in one direction, the route included approximately 90 concrete sections total, or roughly 450 feet of actual walking by Jack.
- The remainder of the route was traveled with Jack in the bag. He remained engaged rather than curling down to sleep until near the end.
- Near 8:20 PM: Jack began getting sleepy and his head started to hang down in the bag after having been out for a considerable period.
- 8:30 PM: Returned home. Jack remained in the bag on the sofa for a while, then stood up in the bag.
- User prepared fresh chicken-and-rice slurry with some of the new broth topper and placed it beside his water.
- Jack then settled down on top of the bag to rest.
- The earlier chicken-and-rice food was discarded because it had been sitting out for much of the day and was no longer considered fresh/safe to keep offering.
- 9:00 PM: Jack followed user into the kitchen while she went to get water. He was at her feet apparently looking for food. User went toward the refrigerator to get a fresh bite of chicken, but Jack had already left the kitchen.
- User brought two small fresh chicken pieces into the living room and placed them beside his slurry, then called him over. Jack eagerly approached and sniffed the food but left both the chicken and slurry and returned to the sofa.
- Food actually eaten today, documented:
- Chicken: approximately 1 tablespoon total eaten
- ~½ piece from the earlier hand-fed chicken, plus the remaining chicken piece he ate later.
- The additional ¼-piece-sized amount from the dog bed is reasonably inferred from the four pieces placed there and three recovered.
- Fruitables: 1 tiny piece during the walk.
- Slurry: none voluntarily eaten.
- Other food: no meaningful additional intake
- Overall activity: Despite very poor food intake, Jack had substantial environmental engagement today, including the long carried walk, sniffing, marking, watching his surroundings and revisiting a familiar route. He also completed ~450 feet of walking himself.
- End of evening: Resting/sleeping on the sofa after the outing. Fresh chicken-and-rice slurry with broth topper remains available beside his water
10 pm What you’ve established tonight
- 8 mL earlier of chicken-pâté slurry.
- Another 8 mL at 10 PM, and he accepted it surprisingly well.
- After the first 4 mL of that second round, he was actually licking the syringe tip.
- After each syringe feeding, he followed you into the kitchen looking for food.
- At 10 PM, you opened the Hill’s chicken stew and, for the first time tonight, he showed some voluntary interest:
- extensive smelling
- delicate licking around the edges
- paused and considered it
- licked some more
- You think if the stew had been turned into a slurry, he probably would have licked up much of the liquid.
- He also showed interest in kibble, although he didn’t eat it.
September 7, 2026 — Jack’s Daily Log
- Morning: Up and more energetic than user; followed user into bathroom; went down steps independently; drank water; urinated outside and again later; investigated kitchen.
- Morning: Fresh Hill’s chicken-stew slurry prepared; two slurry bowls offered, one with a few drops WholeHearted broth. Treats also available.
- 2:40 PM: No identifiable food eaten from either slurry. Had apparently drunk water; urinated ~30 seconds and drank again after coming inside.
- 4:30 PM: Resting with user; slept through user’s coughing.
- Before 5 PM: Cerenia given; readily took cheese tablet.
- 5:00 PM: 4 mL slurry by syringe; subsequently followed user into kitchen and investigated chicken stew but did not eat.
- Evening: User noted Jack was “definitely a little weaker this evening than he was this morning.”
- 6:45 PM: Went outside to urinate; afterward went looking for food. Three food options available; ate nothing identifiable.
- 5:17 PM: Additional syringe feeding; some came back out; user estimates ~3 mL swallowed.
- 7:15 PM: Signaled for walk; had independently climbed stairs earlier to find user.
- 7:15 PM onward: Initially extremely slow walking and needed to be carried to first grassy area; subsequently engaged in sniffing/marking and picked up to a more normal pace.
- During walk: Reached building corner/storefronts and crossed street but did not want to continue toward mulch.
- During walk: Rode in green bag, head out and highly interested in surroundings.
- ~7:45 PM: After ~30 minutes out, remained engaged and interested in everything around him. Walk ended because of heat and user feeling unwell.
- 8:00 PM: After returning home and preparing slurry, Jack came into kitchen. When user crouched beside slurry and called him over, he came over and voluntarily lapped the mixture for approximately 50–60 laps, primarily taking the liquid portion. Mixture contained chicken stew, water, and a larger amount of liquid topper. User noted the chicken stew had been thoroughly mashed and that some nutrients from the food would be present in the liquid despite some separation of solids.
- 8:00 PM: Because Jack voluntarily took in the liquid, user decided he did not need an 8 PM syringe and planned to continue syringe feedings later.
- After 8 PM: Jack continued showing interest in the kitchen slurry, returning to it voluntarily for additional small licks.
- ~10:00 PM: Got up independently and stood in the floor; went outside and urinated a little; came inside and drank a little water. Walked toward the kitchen, followed by user, and went to the slurry, sniffing and nosing around. User added a little more topper; Jack drank some of it.
- 10:30 PM: Received 4 mL slurry by syringe. Afterward followed user into the kitchen again.
- After 10:30 PM: Jack voluntarily returned to the kitchen slurry and took approximately 14–20 small laps, including some of the slurry.
- Before midnight: Jack appeared to be signaling that he wanted to go to bed, consistent with his former 10:00–10:30 PM bedtime-signaling habit from the earlier slurry routine.
- Midnight: After user woke from a nap, Jack was awakened and given his final 4 mL slurry by syringe. As usual, he followed user into the kitchen afterward. He attempted to nibble a piece of chicken, chewing it a couple of times before dropping it. He inspected the slurry again but did not seem to drink any. Interest in food remained present, but voluntary eating remained limited.
Jack’s Tuesday Sept. 8 running log so far:
- 10:00 AM: Jack got up on his own and was ready to go downstairs. User picked him up rather than letting him take the steps because he has eaten very little and user did not want him expending the energy.
- 10:00 AM: Went downstairs; Jack went straight to the cats’ water and drank some. He then peed.
- After coming inside: Jack drank a little more water from his own bowl.
- 10:30 AM: While user was getting ready to leave for BluePearl, Jack followed her room to room as he normally does. He went into the kitchen and checked the place where his slurry is normally kept. No slurry was there. He showed his usual interest in food and in what the user was doing. He was a little weak.
- 11:30 AM: Arrived at BluePearl Pet Emergency.
- 12:30 PM: Preliminary exam completed; waited to see veterinarian.
- Today at BluePearl: CBC/reticulocytes performed. User declined the chemistry panel and urinalysis there.
- 4:30 PM: User offered Jack a tiny corner piece of a Kroger Original saltine cracker, estimated at less than 1/9 of a cracker. He initially declined it, then ate it almost immediately after it was left on his dog bed and gobbled it down.
- Before 5:00 PM: While user was in the kitchen preparing the slurry, she turned around and found Jack independently checking his food stations.
- 5:00 PM: Gave Jack one syringe of slurry. This batch was made somewhat thicker than the previous very watery slurry, so it was harder to dispense and the plunger did not move as smoothly. Estimated intake was about 3 mL.
- 5:00 PM: Offered Jack a small piece of cracker afterward. He took it readily but dropped it. When offered the same piece again, he ate the entire corner.
- Afterward: User plans to continue making the syringe slurry somewhat more substantial rather than as watery, so that the small amount Jack receives by syringe contains more actual food rather than primarily liquid.
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
- Morning: Walked downstairs and outside to urinate; returned with reduced energy and was carried inside.
- 11:00 AM: 4 mL slurry; eagerly accepted. Small piece of Saltine; eagerly eaten.
- 12:00 PM: 3 mL slurry; eagerly accepted.
- 1:00 PM: Additional slurry attempted; amount uncertain because syringe stuck. At least 8 mL total received by this point, probably more.
- After 1:00 PM: One Little-Jac chicken-liver treat; eagerly eaten.
- 3:00 PM: WholeHearted beef-and-vegetable food in gravy offered; rejected.
- ~6:00 PM: Returned from veterinary visit exhausted/restless. Initially refused food and water. Later urinated outside, returned indoors, and followed to the kitchen.
- 6:45 PM: Little-Jac offered. Ate approximately 1 tsp or less, mostly by licking/pushing. Licked some chicken topper.
- Cerenia: Refused cheese pellets. Eagerly ate Cerenia in a small Saltine piece with peanut butter.
- ~8:30 PM: Ate approximately 1 tbsp of cooked chicken with topper. Small amount of peanut butter; eagerly eaten.
- 9:45 PM:
- Investigated chicken plate; amount eaten uncertain.
- Investigated slurry; possible small amount consumed, not counted.
- Voluntarily ate approximately 6–7 k/d pieces left in the kibble station.
- Ate 10 additional k/d pieces offered.
- Ate another 10 k/d pieces offered.
- Ate 20 more k/d pieces from the station.
- Total k/d kibble: 46 pieces.
- Drank a substantial amount of water afterward.
- Bedtime: Returned to kibble station and voluntarily ate 5 additional k/d pieces.
- Final k/d total: 51 pieces.
- Estimated calories from final 5 pieces: approximately 3–8 kcal.
Intake Summary
- Multiple voluntary or accepted food events throughout the day.
- Solid food included one Little-Jac treat, approximately 1 tsp Little-Jac food, approximately 1 tbsp cooked chicken, small amounts of Saltine/peanut butter, and 51 k/d kibble pieces.
- No additional slurry given after later attempts were drooled or dribbled back out.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
- 10:00 AM: Got up normally, ran downstairs to the far gate and pooped there; walked back. Energy noticeably better after two moderate-food days, though not fully normal; slight hesitancy, no stumble.
- Breakfast: Small chicken piece declined. Ate almost all of ~1 standard measuring tablespoon Little Caesars Filet Mignon voluntarily. No fish oil.
- 1:00 PM: Woke himself, peed, returned. Looked toward kitchen but didn’t walk there; gently carried downstairs. Offered ~1 standard measuring tablespoon Little Caesars with a little leftover plain rice and water; ate none. Food was later discarded after sitting out.
- Treat hunt: Ate 1 whole BLUE Bits (9 cal), 1 whole Little-Jac (2.8 cal), a larger-than-usual Hill’s kidney treat that had been sitting on the counter about a week, and a small Fruitables petal that had been in his bed for a while. Possible 1–2 k/d pieces uncertain.
- Earlier beef meal: ¼ miniature 85/15 patty cooked, grease squeezed/blotted; yielded ~1⅓–1½ standard measuring tablespoons. Ate the entire portion enthusiastically. Drank normally and settled in bed.
- 4:45 PM: Woke after several hours, signaled to go out, peed. Drank ~50 laps of fresh cat-bowl water in two sessions, then peed again. Headed to kitchen. Ate another ~1 standard measuring tablespoon cooked beef very enthusiastically. Settled peacefully in bed.
- 6:30–7:30 PM outing: Voluntarily walked about 280 feet before asking to be picked up. Had a normal-looking solid poop plus a tiny additional solid drop. Rode happily in the green bag with his head out. Went to Walgreens in the cart, initially relaxed on his blanket, then sat up and enjoyed the ride. Later drank ~60 laps of ice water after being out about an hour in ~90°F conditions.
- Evening dinner: Beef-and-macaroni experiment. About five small pasta pieces, Hill’s beef stew, water, and ~1 standard measuring tablespoon cooked beef. Picked out the beef bites; all the liquid/slurry was gone, with some stew/gravy and likely tiny vegetables consumed. Most visible beef stew and apparently all pasta remained. No reliable calorie estimate.
- Later evening: Beef made him thirsty; independently went to his water bowl and drank a substantial amount. Chose his dog bed and began digging, shaking, circling, and making his bed, a familiar behavior when he feels safe, content, and a little happy.
- Later treat: Fruitables suddenly became appealing again. Ate one whole and immediately came back looking for more.
- 11:30 PM: Woke himself, went outside to pee, then headed to the kitchen. Ate for quite some time from a small slurry made from the pasta dish with another ~1 standard measuring tablespoon cooked beef mixed in. Left substantial beef and some stew meat behind, but the slurry and some beef were gone. Amount eaten too uncertain to estimate. He appeared more substantial afterward.
Calories: ~71 established/estimated calories before the later unquantified foods, with additional calories from the treats, Hill’s stew/liquid, and later feedings not reliably quantifiable.
Friday, September 11, 2026
- I got the blood test results back at 8:10 AM and Jack is stated to be in end stage renal failure.
* BUN: >200 now
* Creatinine: 5.4 now
* Hematocrit: ~27% now
* Serum iron: normal
* Iron-binding capacity: low
* Urine: poorly concentrated + protein present- ~9:45 AM: Jack Woke, urinated, then walked somewhat wobbly to the far backyard gate to poop—the first time in weeks. Drank a little cat-bowl water and went to his dog bed.
- ~10:45 AM: Neighbor’s power saw woke him. Signaled for food.
- Went outside to urinate and walked all the way back without asking to be carried.
- Little Caesars Filet Mignon: Prepared with water and a tiny amount of remaining grease plus beef crumbles; not eaten.
- Fresh 95% lean ground turkey: Ate eagerly.
- ~3:15 PM: Returned from brother’s lunch/grocery trip.
- Beef: Had eaten all of it.
- Little Caesars and its slurry were left untouched.
- Went outside to urinate; initially a little wobbly, then moved with confidence.
- Drank ~60 laps of cat-bowl water.
- Wanted to be carried halfway back.
- Fresh ground turkey: ~1 Tbsp, eagerly eaten.
- Walked into living room and got onto sofa by himself using the small footstool.
- ~5:30 PM: Went outside to poop; stool itself was not visible from user’s position. Walked downhill carefully, urinated normally, and had some pep.
- Cerenia: Given in a reduced-salt Saltine corner with peanut butter, with the tablet embedded in the cracker.
- Shortly afterward rubbed his mouth on the carpet, dog bed, and user’s arm for a couple of minutes, then stopped.
- ~5:45 PM: Appeared to signal for something; uncertain whether food, usual walk signal, or both.
- Followed user into kitchen.
- Fresh turkey offered; rejected.
- Old chicken topper added; rejected.
- Small bowl of beef-stew slurry offered; rejected.
- Attempted to get onto sofa from the side and fell a few inches onto carpet; no apparent injury.
- 6:45 PM: Sound asleep.
- ~7:20 PM: Sat up very alertly. Taken outside and then to familiar park/track.
- Walked approximately ¼ lap (~264 ft), sniffing and marking.
- Later walked ~12 additional feet to the car after signaling to be picked up.
- Total independent walking: ~276 ft.
- After park walk: Ate one small Fruitables piece in the truck. Ate another Fruitables piece given by the pet-store employee.
- Evening: Bought fresh chicken and beef topper. No ice water after the walk; regular water remained available.
- Evening, time initially unrecorded: Fresh ground turkey prepared; ate ~1 Tbsp.
- 8:45 PM: Signaled to go outside. Walked with confidence and energy to his usual place, urinated, and walked all the way back to the door under his own power without asking to be picked up.
- 10:45 PM: Ate ~1 Tbsp fresh ground turkey + ~2 tsp Gerber Turkey & Gravy baby food, voluntarily and eagerly. Would have continued eating, but portion was stopped to keep the meal small.
- 12:00 AM: Gerber turkey baby food offered again; refused it cold and refused it warmed.
Intake summary
- Multiple voluntary eating events, with fresh ground turkey the main food accepted.
- At least 4 Tbsp fresh cooked ground turkey eaten across the separately described servings.
- ~2 tsp Gerber turkey baby food eaten at 10:45 PM.
- Two small Fruitables pieces eaten.
- Beef: eaten completely while user was away; exact amount not recorded here.
- Little Caesars Filet Mignon: 0 eaten.
- Gerber baby food was subsequently refused at midnight, both cold and warmed.
Saturday, September 12, 2026
- Morning: Two pee trips; walked back to door independently both times. Climbed onto sofa and waited for food.
- ~10:00 AM — Vet: SubQ fluids + vitamin B/B12 injection. Afterward shook intensely and yelped with handling.
- After vet: At favorite shopping center, walked ~200 ft around grassy area twice, returning to bed each time. Carried in green bag around two familiar stores. Trembling completely stopped.
- ~11:00 AM: Home; rested.
- ~2:15 PM: Walked confidently to usual pee spot; tail fully raised while urinating. Cerenia in reduced-salt Saltine + peanut butter; ate it and two smaller pieces.
- ~2:45 PM: Walked outside, urinated, then went farther into yard and pooped a little. Explored uneven ground ~3–4 minutes.
- ~3:30 PM: Fresh ground turkey offered with k/d chicken stew contamination removed. Ate ~⅓ Tbsp, apparently selecting fresh pieces; remainder rejected.
- ~5:30 PM: At shaded shopping center, independently walked ~160 steps, sniffing/marking; carried back when he became pokey.
- ~5:45 PM: Drank ~five 4–5-lap drinks.
- ~6:15 PM: Fresh boiled turkey loin offered; rejected.
- ~6:30 PM: Fresh ground turkey cooked with 3 small boiled-turkey pieces in grease. Ate ~1 Tbsp meat; 2 of 3 boiled pieces eaten; two other meat pieces left.
- ~8:30 PM: More ground turkey with boiled turkey cooked in grease; ate probably 1–2 pieces.
- ~9:45 PM: Went outside, urinated twice, roamed briefly; picked up when he seemed tired/uncertain in dark. Later showed interest in turkey with a tiny amount of natural turkey broth, appeared to take a few bites, then stopped. A couple pieces found beside bowl; intake uncertain. No hand-feeding.
- Daily food estimate: ~2 Tbsp meat, possibly slightly more.
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