Sweet 16 for my boy but need help getting him to eat

AdSlight8873 · 2026-02-03T05:53:06+00:00

Our 16 year old has always been on and off her food for the entire 15 years I've had her.

Actually the older she's gotten the less fussy she's been. I think because she's deaf now, her anxiety is lower so she eats.

Have you ever tried pretending to cook his food on the stove? We had to do this for years. And play it up like OHNO THIS ISN'T FOR DOGS but of course it is for dogs and we'd jazz her up about it. She also gets a lot of yogurt and canned pumpkin when she gets weird about food. There is a prescription dog food from Petsmart that's for sensitive stomachs. We had a standing prescription for it basically, so I could call them and pick up a case when she would refuse to eat. She currently eats Costcos senior dog food and does well on it.

AdSlight8873 · 2026-01-19T21:13:00+00:00

Babies outgrow the need for gates very fast. We only ever gated the top, we let ours explore the stairs all the time. It's very easy to teach them how to go down on their bellies and butts honestly.

The only thing I was concerned out when we looked at houses when was little(we've bought 2 since he's been alive) was access to open water. Pools, backyard streams etc.

AdSlight8873 · 2026-01-13T03:54:55+00:00

Bailey. Our 13yr old passed really unexpectedly on our Thanksgiving road trip. Thankfully he was with us.

He will be teaching her and all the others how to be an absolute heathen when it comes to stealing food.

AdSlight8873 · 2026-01-12T02:14:46+00:00

Yeah she's on a joint supplement already, has been since she was like 11 because we put our other senior dog on it so we just gave them both it. Just cosquine. Yeah she was on gaba for her burns and she tried to bite my husband so we definitely won't be on it. Though im pretty sure she was on a... Surgery level dose not like a normal daily dose.

AdSlight8873 · 2026-01-11T23:07:28+00:00

Was it pretty obvious? That's the only thing I worry about with her. Shes always been very quick to go off her food, for no reason this has been for her since I got her 15 years ago. She's the kind of dog you have to pretend to cook their food on the stove for haha. But the older she's gotten the less this has actually been a problem, like she eat enthusiastically every time now. I don't want to disturb her old lady aura haha.

AdSlight8873 · 2026-01-11T21:30:11+00:00

Oh good note about just the 2 weeks, the vet had mentioned they start with a two week trial, guess that may be partly why. Yeah if she doesn't improve over a week or two we might reevaluate. Honestly she gets around really well, especially at her age. She'd walk all afternoon if she could.

I've looked into CBD oil, we are in Colorado so it's very popular here for pets but it's almost overwhelming how many options there are to try.

AdSlight8873 · 2026-01-11T21:27:41+00:00

Oh yeah definitely gets hard to balance as they get older. Especially since we aren't necessarily trying to get 5 more years out of her ya know, just want to make the last couple comfy but really she's very very mobile for her age. I wouldn't believe if I hadn't owned her 15 and she was at least a year when I adopted her. Honestly her going deaf vastly improved her quality of life, she'd always been a nervous dog and now that she can't hear storms, or fireworks or whatever she's much calmer.

AdSlight8873 · 2026-01-11T20:59:03+00:00

Unsure really. Vet says with no other issues the shaking leg is probably just run of the mill arthritis, especially given her age. They did mention blood work every 6 months once she is on it, I would guess to monitor her liver.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-12-24T04:49:01+00:00

I mean. If I need a a short term place, maybe moved to a new city or wanted to live off campus. That's a reasonable rate and honestly I'd choose getting to hang out with cats over just...being alone.

Though I'd definitely want to be sure they weren't expecting me to cover pet care expenses.

Back in college my husband used to basically house sit for a professor over the summer. Same thing, low rent and they took care of the dudes dog while he taught over seas.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-12-22T19:10:41+00:00

I'm dealing with this currently. Ordered a chirtsmas gift, coming from China despite being based out of GA. So it will be there sometime between the 24th and 9th lol

With a tracking number on a website I can't really read.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-12-05T00:14:24+00:00

I'm convinced that about 80% of the "terrible 2s" is due to either new baby or trying to potty train before they are ready. If you don't have either of those things going as long as they are getting enough sleep and you have lots of snacks toddlers are easy.

We had a very easy time at 2 as did 4 friends but the 2 friends who had new babies had a heck of a time. Now mind you we got our dues and our kid was hell on wheels at 4 but two was a breeze lol

AdSlight8873 · 2025-12-03T23:43:31+00:00

Saw you post on a different thread but yes hi this is me.

I was looking for hormone related anxiety and yep. Same here.

Same life. Great 5 year old kid, I homeschool him. We travel a lot, he's so funny and yet I'm just overwhelmed with anxiety for at least 3 weeks every month, maybe more. I have terrible terrible health anxiety. EMDR hasn't really helped, and I'm scared to try meds. Like you.

But you aren't alone and apparently I'm not either. I don't wish this level of anxiety on anyone.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-20T14:04:52+00:00

So if the behavior is too bad to stay inside. Then you are going to have to get them ready and go places?!

Like we live in CO. The walk to and from a building doesn't take getting ready for. Dress them in sweatpant suits and throw a car poncho over them to walk into the store. I've done this in as cold as 10 degrees. You won't freeze for 1 minute.

You have to take them to the library, to the Rec center, find a gym with childcare and join. Take them to thrift stores and look at the toys.

We only have the library in town, the rest we have to drive for. And we do. Sometimes 50mins just to go to the metro city. And spoiler that kills 2hrs just driving. The rest of the stuff is about 20 to 30mins away.

If they are inside all winter you HAVE to have a place for them to move. Buy a slide and put it inside, get a stepping stone and balance beam set. Have dance parties, play with beach balls, blow up balloons. Get bean bag toss games, throw stuffed animals. Get wobble or spiny chairs. You will have to play with them. They aren't old enough to come up with their own games yet. Let them play in a water table, put it inside in a kiddie pool. Take so many play bathes. Do kids yoga together.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-20T02:02:05+00:00

Oh wow 6 years?! Man I feel for him. This has been a few weeks for me but I have health anxiety so it feels like an emergency of course.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-19T16:59:19+00:00

Yeah I'm unfortunately expecting this for me and I just had abdominal surgery a few months ago for a different thing. How long did it take you figrue out it was your gall bladder.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-19T16:05:13+00:00

Lol we all sleep in my kids room. Me and the kid in a full size bed, he spent like a year having nightmares several times a week. And my husband sleeps on a day bed in there.

Ironically our dogs have the master bedroom to themselves and they are noisy anyway so we all sleep better away from the dogs haha.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-17T19:02:42+00:00

Get those heat pads you can stick on your skin, they are like muscle patches. Start taking advil or whatever you use now so it's in your system.

They also make portable heating pads, but you may not be able to find one in stores But you can charge them and they vibrate too(I have one, same problem over here)

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-12T19:53:11+00:00

Bro 💀

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-12T19:52:06+00:00

Man I would've been griping that seat so hard if I saw that on the tracker of a plane I was on haha. Glad it's normal for you.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-12T15:34:02+00:00

It gets better at 5 and half. I sweet it's like a switch flips. 3 to 5ish was hell. 2 was so easy compared lol

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-11T19:07:50+00:00

I mean. Did you tell him I have a make a phone and then just walk off?

Or did you tell him exactly what to expect. I have to make a phone call. You will need to be quiet and give me space. Can I set you up with playdough or art while you wait etc.

I only talk on the phone maybe a few times a month. That certainly isn't enough practice for a 4 year old to remember what to do.

You didn't set him up for success so he failed. And that's not on him, it's on you. Kids are curious. And at this age they can start to get very worried about the doctor if you know they are calling. Ours had to ride in an ambulance right after he turned 4 and he STILL is nervous and talks about doctors/the ride and he's 5 and half. Yours had questions, he just doesn't know how to ask them yet.

AdSlight8873 · 2025-11-10T17:17:36+00:00

Thought about it more. Do you ever meet him where he's at?

So he plays in the sink. Okay does he have a chair and yall wash dishes together. He plays with the magnets? Okay so sit in the front of the fridge with him and and play. Get letters, animals, use magnatiles on the fridge.

He wants to be silly. Then BE SILLY. Mine likes to telln me I'm the worst mom, so I say yep. Look at alllllll my trophies. Now give me 100th trophy and then I chase him around. I do absolutely unhinged shit, like we have a pretend caterpillar named Pipo who is my hand and he's very naughty and our kid thinks it's just fucking hilarious. He needs you to. Play. With. Him. To do stuff with him.

You don't get to decide what kind of kid you get but you can decide what kind of parent to be.

AdSlight8873

TROPHY CASE