[faithj]

Hi, I just adopted a small poodle who I will get to take home this afternoon in just a few hours!

He has been terribly starved and am wondering what is best to feed him to start off. We are seeing a vet on Friday afternoon and so will get some vet recommendations then but was wondering if anyone had any suggestions in the meantime? The shelter were feeding pedigree chum which I have heard is a bad food....should I be feeding wet dog food to get weight on?

The poor little thing is so stinky and matted so would also love any ideas to help him out that don't involve bathing - he has just been neutered this morning and the vet says he cannot be washed for 10 days but the poor thing REALLY stinks! The vet has clipped him which helps a bit with the matting but now much else!!

 

[Emily-By]

if he's emaciated, small meals throughout the day, If you allow him to gourge himself he may bloat or his kidneys or liver may not be able to work with the sudden changes in his body. I know the first thing you want to do it let him eat as much as he wants but its not that great.

I would go for a food that has no corn or corn products in it, and as little grains in there as possible. I'm not sure what country you are in but i've heard favorable things about 'blue' 'orijen' and 'Evo', try something that has a lower protien levels until his body gets use to being normal again.

 

[T o d d]

Wet paper towels and wipe him like that... kind of a doggy sponge bath. We do that for Moose after each period of him running outside to help prevent bringing in the fine dirt we have here.

As far as food goes we use Blue Buffalo (Adult now) but we used Puppy for Moose he had poops for a day or two after switching but LOVES it, and its VERY healthy high-end food from all the research we did and comparisons. It's also pretty darn expensive but again good ingredients. They make some canned food too I`m not sure about the ingredients in it.

For a starved puppy you may look at the Blue Buffalo Wild I think it's high in protein and fat compared to the normal puppy... that should help him out.

I`m hoping someone else here may know more about what to feed a starved poodle.

:welcome::welcome:

-Todd

 

[faithj]

Thanks we are in USA so can get all these foods, we will get some blue!

 

[Poodle Lover]

Welcome to the forum.

There are a lot of great kibble and canned out there. If you would like the ratings, check out: http://dogfoodanalysis.com/ They have ratings for both dry and canned, I am sure you can find some if not most of the foods in your local pet shops. I would go with the smaller, mom and pop establishments as they often have samples. Also if your dog is really thin and needs to put on weight, here's a recipe that was posted by a Havanese breeder on the Hav forum. Apparently many breeders use it to put on weight on their breeding/breast feeding females. Below is the copied recipe with comments.

Satin Balls are used among a lot of show dog people for adding weight to their dogs and assist the coat at the same time. My Hillary has so much energy that she burns calories faster than she can consume them so we use this often for her. A nice bonus to it is that it does not give the dog loose stools either.

This is a VERY large recipe, so you probably want to consider cutting it in half. After you mix it up, you can freeze it in smaller portions - balls or patties.

The following information came along with the recipe when I received it. My notes are in italics.

Satin Balls Recipe
This recipe is one for putting weight on an animal quickly, as some use it for putting a couple extra pounds on a show animal prior to the big day, or an animal that may have been ill and needs a weight gain program. It has also been reported that this recipe will help with some forms of hair loss, such as when your dog(s) blow their coat, to keep the coat healthy and shiny. This recipe is intended to be fed raw.

10# hamburger meat I use the highest fat percentage of ground beef - 24%?
1 jar wheat germ 20 ounces
1 lg box of oatmeal (uncooked) 42 ounces - do not get quick cooking
1 1/4 Cup vegetable oil
10 eggs
10 sm pkgs unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 Cup unflavored molasses
A pinch of salt
1 lg box Total cereal (2lb's)
(You may also add a pinch of garlic powder to add flavor)

Mix all ingredients together well, much like a meatloaf....put into separate freezer bags and freeze, thawing out as needed. It puts weight on in a very short time, not to mention the gloss in their coat. You can use it every day when they have a show to do and it does not produce diarrhea. It can be fed alone or with kibble.

This recipe was originally received from Dianne Carreon
Caution: Not for dogs with wheat allergies.
__________________

 

[BFF]

It sounds like you got some great advice already. It takes a special person to adopt a little one with special needs. It sounds like with a little love and extra attention, she will be the girl of your dreams.

Congratulations on your new little girl. I'm so glad she found a good home. :cheer2:

 

[spoospirit]

I agree! It is wonderful that there are good, caring people like you to help out the lost and lonely pets. I don't have any advice but I wish the best with your new friend and welcome to the forum.