I have a malnourished dog, any ideas on how to get her back to herself?

Question

About 5 months ago I gave my dog, Boo, to a family in town to watch her until my boyfriend and I were able to get a house. Today I go to pick her up, without their knowledge, and I find a malnourished dog with 7 puppies, no food, no water, and she has lost most of her hair! These people told me that they would not breed her and they would take good care of her! I'm just wondering how to get my dog back to her wonderful self and I'm trying to decide if I should press charges against them, any ideas?

Oh, by the way, we took her and her 7 puppies.

Answer 1

Start her slow giving her lots of small meals. Since she is Nursing?....Give her puppy formula food until the puppies are weaned. Then switch her to a Lamb and Rice Formula food. It is very gentle on their digestive system. For Example no diarrhea and very little gas. Trust me.....my dogs used to stink ,me out of the house.

You need to get your dog to a vet to see if she may have worms as well. She needs to be seen soon if she is malnourished as for the pups....let's just say she needs to be seen. After the pups are weaned then you really need to get her fixed. She will be much happier.

I am sure that the people didn't mean to breed her. A sneaky male dog probably jumped the fence.....I hope that they aren't just butt heads.

As for charges, you placed the dog in their care. You can contact the police about animal cruelty but without them picking the dog up themselves...well talk to the police and see what they say. Probably there is nothing that you can do to get them arrested.

However.....!!!!!! You can take pictures of the dog and file a civil suit against them for the vet bills that will follow, undoubtedly. If she was a purebred and you get her fixed due to the chance of non purebred puppies, you can sue them for loss of income based upon a "breeding plan".

Just some ideas. Good luck and give Boo an extra dog biscuit and hug from me the crazy lady you have never met.

Answer 2

The Hair Problem (Sulphur And Corn Oil,Mix Together Apply To Whole Dog Leave On,Give Liquid Vitamins,Feed Liver,And High Protein Chow,It Costs To Take Proper Care Of Dogs Change Water 2-3 Times Daily,Keep Sulpur Shaken All The Time Apply With Dish Washing Gloves,Repeat In 2 Weeks Will Bring Dogs Hair Back,Give Dog Liquid Vitamins+Feed aAll The Time Geez

Answer 3

My first suggestion would be to take Boo and her puppies to the vet. You'll need to bring her back into condition slowly with a good diet. Don't give her too much food to begin with or you could make her sick. And don't give her the doggy junk food found at the supermarket (i.e., Dog Chow or Pedigree). Use a high quality food such as Innova, EVO, California Natural, Lick Your Chops, Millennium or other natural food found at Petco, PetSmart or your local feed store. A vitamin/mineral supplement with Omega 3 fatty acids may also help her and her pups. The hair loss could be caused by a number of things, including stress, poor nutrition, thyroid problems or mange. I'm not sure whether you can press charges, though you might want to take the people who were looking after Boo to Small Claims Court and try and get the vet bills paid. You could also report their actions to the local Humane Society or SPCA. They may be able to give you some advice, especially if you live in or near a large city.

Answer 4

I am very sorry to hear about the misfortune that has fallen upon your dog. The family has obviously proved themselves not only unreliable but cruel and abusive to an innocent creature at their mercy and they deserve all the venom that you, the courts and the gods can hurl at them. However, revenge can wait as a negative attitude can take away from the energy that is now required to nurse your dog and her family back to health. The first thing on the agenda is a trip to the vet to accurately assess the damage. (That will also be necessary should you decide to take the family to court). Then find out what the vet has to offer in terms of medication and advice. Once you have that information than get on the internet and find out as much as you can about holistic alternatives.
I can offer you some advice. Colostrum is very good as it helps the immune system. (Too much can cause diarrhea so start with small quatities. I give my cats about a third of a capsule twice a day.) Aloe vera (without the skin) can be mixed in with her food to help improve her skin condition. It helps the circulation and also cleans the liver. Brown rice mixed in with her food might also help. As for the food, get a prescription diet for the time being. Expensive but worth it. Wish your dogs all the best.

Answer 5

As usual, check with a vet to determine if there are any underlying causes to her poor condition -- aside from being malnourished.

If she gets a clean bill of health, feed her at least twice a day -- but don't over do it.

What also concerns me is that you say this family had your dog for 5 months....DID YOU BOTHER TO EVEN CHECK ON THE DOG IN THE PAST 5 MONTHS???

Answer 6

I am a cat person myself. I have two girls that I rescued out of a ad in the free pet section of my newspaper, and a boy that was left on my doorstep in a box with no airholes. He had fleas and worms. I bought some worming solution at a pet store. I also administered it to my girls, just as a precaution. On with your situation, I would try to find a no kill shelter, but, if you feel really responsible, then look into putting in a free ad in a newspaper for free kittens. You can meet the people that wish to acquire the kittens as well as you can then decide whether or not you feel that the family would be good for the kittens. It might take a little bit of time, but, I know that the kittens in my area go really quickly. Just make sure that you ask about other pets in the house if you keep them and try to give them away that way.

Answer 7

It'd be hard to prosecute. Why not spend your energy caring for your dog. I'd LOSE those friends too...

Obviously go to the VET first. If you can't then get her back on a healthy diet, vary her diet with sardines and eggs. Get some "dog vitamins" and start her on those. Love her as much as you can and walk her LOTS when she's healthier.

Hope she's better soon...

Answer 8

You have a moral responsibiltiy to press charges, pet overpopulation is a serious problem and you don't want animal abusers to go unpunished so they can do it again. Make sure you offer small amounts of food to your dog, beacuse too much will make her sick. Call your vet immediately especially since she is a nursing mom and if she isn't well, the puppies will also not get nutritious milk. Andrea

Answer 9

Give her plenty of water and feed her in moderation, especially now. Don't overfeed her or she'll get sick. Start with small portions then increase them to a healthy dose. Also buy dog food that's designed for older dogs (more nutrients). Good luck! - Oh yeah, and have a vet check it just in case!

Answer 10

I would take the dog to a vet to be checked out (and the puppies too) and then put her on a good meat-based diet (most are corn meal based which is not as good quality of food.) I personally would not press charges, I'd be grateful to still have my dog.