Rescue Dog - What are we doing?

[VisionaryMom]

In December 2008, my cousin moved to Japan. She was preparing to take her dog, but she couldn't because of the temp in Seattle, where her connection was. Long story short, she never got the dog. He stayed at my grandparents' house. I haven't seen my family since I went to see my cousin off. We were there July 4 week, and the dog was starving to death.

So I brought him home. I prepared DC when we decided to take him because I didn't know if he'd even survive the drive back to our house. If he did, I wasn't sure what would happen once we started feeding him.

It's been a week, and he's put on weight. He's spry. He's actually wrestling with our other dog and starting to bark some. But today he's sick. I've noticed he's resting a lot, and he's sneezing. I'm worried that he still won't survive, though he seems in good health other than being starving. He's neutered & has a tracking chip. He was up-to-date on shots. We will be going to the vet next week to get him caught up.

Anyway, I have no idea what to do or how to take "extra" care of this dog. My guess is that he's probably 4-5 years old, very small stature. A friend recommended only puppy food for a while so he can get extra nutrients. Honestly he uses the bathroom *often*, so DH & I kind of think his body hasn't adjusted to having consistent food. We are feeding him small amounts several times a day, but he would eat constantly if we'd let him.

Any advice? Ideas? I'm not sure if I should keep him pampered and probably in my bedroom for a while or not.

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by VisionaryMom

He was up-to-date on shots. We will be going to the vet next week to get him caught up.

Do you mean that you'll be giving him shots so he's up to date? I definitely wouldn't do that. Personally I feel that dogs get far too many vaccines, and even many vet associations now recommend to do most of them spaced out at least 3 years. But besides that, the vaccine manufacturers themselves say that shots should only be given to healthy animals. It sounds like the pup you're taking care of is far from healthy and I definitely wouldn't put the extra load on his system at this point!

Originally Posted by VisionaryMom

A friend recommended only puppy food for a while so he can get extra nutrients. Honestly he uses the bathroom *often*, so DH & I kind of think his body hasn't adjusted to having consistent food. We are feeding him small amounts several times a day, but he would eat constantly if we'd let him.

I think giving a smaller meal several times a day is definitely a good idea. You mentioned that you're going to the vet, I'd bring a stool and urine sample to make sure that there's no underlying issues that may be causing him to feel bad (i.e. if he picked up worms he may have trouble gaining weight or feel unwell, and some types could be transmitted to your other dog also). Urine sample for kidney issues and related things. Are you monitoring his bowel movements? I would to make sure he's not passing blood or anything like that. Plus it will give you a chance to adjust his diet till he has solid poop. I'd recommend getting some 100% pure pumpkin in a can and giving him a couple of teaspoons per day. The extra fibre may help firm his stools till his system gets used to digesting normally.

Originally Posted by VisionaryMom

I'm not sure if I should keep him pampered and probably in my bedroom for a while or not.

It shouldn't be necessary to keep him in the bedroom, unless you're having issues with the interaction between your two dogs? Aside from the extra care around eating and things needed for his health I would probably try to integrate him into your normal daily routine.

[Mamacitac]

I have no advice..but I too had to leave my dog behind when moving last month; because of the heat and the airline rules on pet's in below storage.

[azdesertrn]

I agree with the other poster about not doing any shots until he is in good health.

I would also recommend adding some healthy fats to his food. We recently adopted a young under-weight dog, and with some salmon oil added to his food he is filling out beautifully and his coat is getting very soft and shiny. The bottle we have right now is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Alaskan-Bear-T...9501734&sr=8-2 Both dogs love it, but it is a bit smelly so we usually feed them outside on the patio.

[Oubliette8]

I would reccomend a heartworm test for him when you see the vet as well. They need to draw blood for it, but its important to get it treated if he has it. You mentioned resting a lot and that concerns me in this regard. I would definitely mention the sneezing and resting to the vet. He'll probably want to make sure he isn't sick on top of being malnourished.

Puppy food is a good idea, but its rich, so I'd introduce it slowly. Also, make sure you are feeding him a high quality food. If you can buy it at the grocery store or big box store its likely NOT high quality. Feeding grocery brands can cause frequent stools. They have a lot of indigestable garbage in them, so the dog not only eats more to get the correct nutrients, but he also poops more because much of the food isn't digestable by his body. If you need more advice on quality dog food, there are a lot of knowledgable people on here. And if budget is an issue, there are many brands that are budget friendly.

As far as vaccines, legally he may need a rabies vaccine. I do limited vaxes with my dogs based on the AAHA's recommendations (read them here- http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocumen...s06Revised.pdf ) but I would always recommend keeping your dogs rabies vax current because of the potential legal issues. In most areas a 3 year vax is acceptable and I would push for that if you can. However, I'd NEVER recommend vaxing a sick dog. I'd wait till he's recovered before giving any.

[SquishyKitty]

I would only separate him from the rest of your pets if you feel he might have something communicable. Which, right now you don't know so it might be best.

I'd also take him in for an overall check-up and heartworm test. He could have bortadella, which is highly contagious and hard to get rid of if your other dogs are vaxed for it. (most dogs aren't unless they're boarded)

I also wouldn't vax him until you get him healthier.

For food, puppy food is good but I wouldn't feed him anything from a regular grocery store, Nutro is the closest I'd come at a grocery store and even they aren't great.

If his stomach is wonky, try a little boiled chicken breast and some plain rice. It will be easier on his stomach and help with the frequent pottying. Our vet always has us feed our dogs that when they are sick or they go through something like surgery.

But definitely get the poor guy to a vet soon. I'm glad you were able to take him.

[VisionaryMom]

Thanks for all of the advice! He is doing much, much better. I am going to start tomorrow with feeding him chicken & rice. I'm wondering if that may help him for a bit.

Talk more about dog food. I had a cat with cystitis once, and we had to have special food for him. The real problem was that it was expensive (less of an issue now) and that it was Rx only. The vet we saw then would only give us the Rx for a couple of months so that we had to go in for another office visit. I don't have any interest in going through that again, so what can I do?

We don't have a PetSmart or similar store around. It would be about 45 minutes to get to one, so I need to get enough food for a month or so at a time. Is there something there I should get?

[Ola_]

Are you in a rural area? If so, do you have any feed stores around? They often seem to carry much better food brands than you'd think.

[VisionaryMom]

We aren't in a particularly rural area - 60K or so people. We seem to have only very small pet stores, though. I'm not sure about feed stores. There are farms but not much livestock, but I'm sure there has to be something. I'll check that out.

[SquishyKitty]

There are many feeding options, you ccan go with dry kibble, in which case there are a few brands (although expensive) that are good for dogs.

Some people feed raw meat to their dogs, which I am just not into, and logistically buying and storing enough meet (not to mention the prep) to feed two large dogs and a smaller one is just beyond me right now. Plus, raw meat grosses me out.

I think you need to figure out how you want to feed the dog, and then look up info on that.

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by VisionaryMom

We aren't in a particularly rural area - 60K or so people. We seem to have only very small pet stores, though. I'm not sure about feed stores. There are farms but not much livestock, but I'm sure there has to be something. I'll check that out.

I'd see if you can find any, and check out the small pet stores too (though I avoid any that are selling live pets). Bring a small notebook to write down what foods they have available so you can look them up online later and make an informed decision rather than feeling pressured to decide on the spot. If the store owner recommends a food you can ask if they have a pamphlet or info you could take home (often the manufacturers provide these to them and they may or may not be on the shelves).

Personally I feed a raw diet which has been amazing at resolving one of my dogs digestive issues. But I can certainly understand if you're not ready to go that route.

[Oubliette8]

I actually find feed stores and smaller petshops carry better quality foods for the most part than the big box stores like Petsmart or Petco. And generally at a better price too. with 60K people around, I'd think you probably have some decent options. Another idea, do you have a Tractor Supply Company store near you? They carry some nice brands of food as well.

Ola's idea to bring a notebook and write down the names is an excellent idea. I did this when I was first learning about dog food as well. You could also post them here and get some general ideas. I also like this website- http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
I don't agree with all their reviews, but in general, any food they give 3 stars or more to is a food I would consider feeding. I wouldn't get too caught up in feeding a 6 star food, especially not at first. most of their 3 star brands I could reccomend with confidence, and the distinctions beyond that get hazy depending on what you value in pet food. 3 stars or better also gives you alot of options to choose from. And reading the reviews will give you some idea of what you're looking for to help you evaluate foods on your own.

Another rough rule of thumb- If the dog food advertises, particularly TV advertisements, its probably not very good. They tend to spend a lot on advertising, and not so much on ingredient quality. You can generally find higher quality foods for less. With the exception of Blue, I've yet to see a quality dog food on TV.