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New Dog Painfully (Dangerously?) Thin, What To Do?


Guest Vayda

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I second the puppy food. Millie was a little thin when I first got her. My vet and I agreed that she needed to put on some weight and vet suggested puppy food. She put on about 5pounds and at the heightened should be.

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He is very thin. It makes me angry that people can just do this (assuming the thinness is through lack of food) and get away with it. Maybe a good idea to document things with photos, notes, weights, etc. in case any charges are brought up against this guy in the future.

 

So glad you got this dog out of its situation.

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An inexpensive option for an elevated feeder is one of those 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot. Put the lid on, and cut a hole in the lid that is the size of your water bowl. Set the water bowl in and there you go! it has a nice little rim on it (for messy dogs), its bigger and can be 'grounded' to reduce tipping (fill the bin with sand or rocks or heavier glass pie pans).

 

One of my angel pups was an 11yo hound that was taken out of her adopted home at 31# (her racing weight was 64#). She could barely stand, and had lost so much muscle mass that I wasn't able to get her weight over 50# (she would collapse when she went potty). She lived another 18 glorious months with me -- please be aware that she had some serious food aggression for the first 4 months (several trips to the vet until she realized that food would ALWAYS be available and until my Riley realized that this grumbly little girl didn't have enough strength to act on her growls). If you have something similar, even the smallest amount of treats can really be a problem.

 

If you don't have an underlying issue, you could add some peanut butter to whatever treats you give her ... its high in calorie and fat, spreads easily onto almost any treat, and I only know 1 hound that didn't like the stuff. {the fat content may be too high for a dog with loose stools, but mine occasionally get those "PB to go" cups as a special treat}.

 

Good luck, and we look forward to hearing how this sweetheart heals under your family's care and love.

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King loves peanut butter! When he first got here he was having diarrhea all over the place and my vet suggested Kao-Pectate to stop it (he was coming off an 8 hour car ride and everything else, so it's no wonder he was feeling crappy). We put those pills in peanut butter and man it was like you gave this dog filet mignon 😂 he loves the stuff!

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I agree to watch his water in take. I had a return that had been refused water & would not drink if a person was near the water bowl & it took a long time to get Annie willing to drink as she needed. Finally she would got to the water bowls with another housemate & finally would drink as needed.

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Just wanted to add my hugs and pat on the back to you for being the angel to help this dog. We use plastic flower pots from Home Depot for our raised feeders - metal food bowls sit nicely right in them. I use one for the indoor water station as well. To help put or keep weight on my seniors, canned puppy food is terrific, along with as many small meals spaced throughout the day as you can manage. Ensure, cookies (= calories), pancakes/waffles, all good. Thank you again for doing what you are doing. And good luck with your impending download!

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He was on straight kibble last night for the first time since coming to live with us, and we woke up to accidents in the kitchen again :( I made another batch of bland food, rice boiled with hamburger, and I added a can of pumpkin this time. I think even though he likes the purina, it's not kind to his system. I'm going to pick up a limited ingredient diet this weekend; when we first brought Abner home we had good luck with natural balance duck and green pea. And some more bleach for my floors :( Poor dude!

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For what it's worth--my dog is terrified of men, and he was never abused by anyone.

 

Some dogs are just afraid of men.

 

Although this one sounds like a jerk. Your friend should be more than willing to pay for the vet visit.


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She feels terrible but she can't help out financially. She was a stay at home mom before she took her kids and left to get away from this jerk, and now she's really struggling with 3 under 4 with a part-time waitress income. My paycheck should post on Sunday. I'm not really struggling financially, it's just that this was unexpected, at the end of the month, and I know it's not going to be a cheap visit.

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We did half bland (boiled rice and hamburger with a can of pumpkin mixed in) and half kibble (pro plan sensitive stomach) all day yesterday. Only ONE accident in the kitchen this morning and it was pretty small! I think he's getting better!!! He's been drinking like crazy and genuinely does look better already, though still scary skinny. I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel!

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Glad he's improving, you're so kind to have taken him in.

Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know.

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Update: no more accidents (yay!) but last night he didn't touch his food. Not even a bite. I gave him chicken and bread with peanut butter and different food this morning in a different bowl and he ate the bread but just laid there with chicken surrounding his head :-/ what the heck, King?

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Sounds like he is not feeling well. :(

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have you discussed this w/ your vet yet? his gut might be loaded w/ parasites, giardia comes in cycles, who knows? it's always good to know the status of those lively unwanted microscopic critters. any of the items might affect his eating and will affect his weight.

 

white rice cooked w/ chop meat or chicken broth and water is a staple in our house for both upset tummies and weight gain when necessary. the cheapest brand you can find, just cook it w/ too much water. if you can warm it in the microwave i find dogs enjoy it even more. it can be added to kibble as well- the carbs work wonders.

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Guest GreyOrchard

The general rule of thumb is when a dog does not want to eat, don't force it...sometimes it is worth it to make sure he is getting plenty of water and wait 24 hours. You can give him "fortified" water during those 24 hours...that is, water with a bit of chicken broth in it, or a bit of honey etc.

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