There is a stray dog that has made my front porch his home. He is so malnourished. Any recipes for him?

Question

The only animal shelter is an hour away and they normally put strays to sleep within a few days and I don't have the heart to do that. I am not sure yet if I can keep him because of my other dog therefore I do not want to pay out to take him to the vet (which the nearest one is also an hour's drive away). He is starving but seems to have trouble eating. I am feeding him some dog food but he seems to have trouble with the hard foods. Are there any home cooking recipes that would be good to get this dog back to eating again? I bought him some of the canned Alpo beef w/rice and he loved it but that is too expensive to buy all the time - he is a medium sized dog. I gave him a bath and cut the matted fur on him but it feels like if you touch him too hard his ribs will break. I am not even sure about giving him away right now because of how underfed he is - any suggestions?

As I typed this question, this dog is wrapped around my feet - it is rainy & cold where I am and I didn't want him to stay out in the cold because he is so skinny. He seems like such a good dog. My dog seems to like him okay but with winter coming there is NO WAY I can let this dog stay out in the cold so I am hoping my dog accepts another dog inside so we can keep him. I really appreciate the answers - you all are great!

Answer 1

Dog food is about as cheap as it goes but you can stretch the canned stuff with with some boiled white rice which is very digestible along with a tablespoon of vegetable oil which will add calories. I would feed him numerous small meals during the day instead of fewer large ones.

He may have problems with his teeth so he cannot eat kibble. Simply adding warm water to the kibble and making it mushy may be enough to get him to eat it.

Answer 2

First of all, thanks. You are a terrific person for caring enough to try.

Is he having a hard time with crunchy food because of his teeth?

It's very hard to put weight back on a dog who has been starved. It is a slow process. Be careful not to overfeed because of the risk of bloat. Overfeeding could kill him. Rice is cheap and good for him. Cook a bit of rice and put some broth in it for flavor. There are some good canned foods that should be easier for him if his teeth are an issue.

I work with a rescue group and we've had several dogs that have been skin and bones at first. As long as he's eating, that's a good sign. Again, avoid feeding too much at one time. Puppy food might also be a way to go because it is usually a bit higher in calories.

Answer 3

First, thanks for caring about him and taking him inside.

I'd chop up raw beef, chicken, pork, fish etc. into bite size portions (the size of kibble. Some scrambled eggs (no milk in them) would be good once in a while or added to the raw meat. A can of jack mackerel in brine, well rinsed to get the salt off is another possibility. It sounds like this boy needs a lot of medical care and probably dental work.

There should be a rescue organization (his breed or all-breed) in your area that would take him into foster care and look after him medically before adopting him out to a forever home. They would pay the vet bills.

BTW, did you check for a microchip to see if you can locate the owner? It's possible he comes from a good home but has been lost for a while.

Answer 4

What a GREAT person you are to be concerned with this poor animal!! I would give him some boiled chicken and rice, and feed him small portions, about 6 times a day!! Keep fresh water for him, he is probably dehydrated too! Bless his little heart, It makes tears come to my eyes!! Thank you so much for taking care of him!! The world would be such a better place, if it had more of you in it!!! Good luck, I so hope your dog will accept this sweet heart, he deserves a great home like you have!! Thanks again, Take care and please if you can, will you update me on how they get along and how the stray recovers??

Answer 5

Having nursed many pets.. For dogs I usually try making rice with chicken broth. 1 cup rice to 1can broth=1/4cup water. (Don't add any butter, makes it to greasy) Next cook up some lean hamburger. Drain it well. Mix the rice and the hamburger. Next take the dry food and crush it up. (I beat it with a hammer inside 2 ziploc bags) Start out out small. Mix in some of the crushed (almost powdered) dry dog food. If it looks to dry, add in some water. If the dog rejects it, heat the mixture up until it's slightly warmer than room temperature.
Over time you will use less and less hamburger and more of the powdered dry dog food.
Sometimes a dog will have trouble with the hard dry food due to a tooth problem......
If none of this works, you could just try 'Gravy Train" dry dog food, Make it wet and let it soak up the water until the nuggets are mainly soft before you try feeding it to him. If he doesn't like it right away try making it warm. (NOT HOT)
This is a good site for dog food info:
http://www.i-love-dogs.com/dog-food.html
Good Luck!

Answer 6

Try soaking his kibble in salt free chicken broth, he may have bad teeth and isn't used to eating regularly so smaller more frequent meals might help. Scrambled eggs mixed with a little white rice and cheese, if you're eating chicken chop up a little and add it to the rice or a little cooked hamburger and mashed potatoes. I'm sure this poor dog is pathetically grateful for your kindness. Blessings.

Answer 7

Small, frequent meals (6-8 times a day) are better for him than a lot of food twice a day.

You'll need to find out why he's having issues eating... which means taking him to a vet.

In the meantime, soften his kibble with water.

Answer 8

I love a heart that rescues. Try any of the meat, rice, broth combinations. You can also scramble an egg and sprinkle a little cheese in. Just remember to feed small quantities often until he adjusts to eating again and you will gradually see the weight come back. Bless you for taking this poor creature in!

Answer 9

Boiled chicken and rice. or boiled ground beef and rice. Add an egg to it too (raw or scrambled). You can also grind up the egg shell into a very fine powder and add that to the food.

Might want to try some Esbilac milk replacer. It's for puppies, but if he's in really bad shape can help him.

You can also make up Satin balls to help put some weight on him:

http://www.njboxers.com/satin-balls-recipe.htm

Answer 10

When my pup was not eating the vet told me to cook some regular white rice and mix a little cheese in it. My pup loved it and was well on her way eating again. The vet said the cheese will not upset the dog's tummy, so that is good.....I would start off with small portions though so the dog doesn't get sick- who knows when the last time it was he has eaten.