Roman'sGirl75 wrote:I read all this about people having trouble getting weight off a dog but I am having the other end of the scale problem. In May we started a foster journey with Aurora who is an Anatolian Shepherd Great Pyr mix. She came to us barely weighing 50 pounds and looks starved to death. She eats 2 cups of food per day and won't eat any more even if you add yummy stuff like gravy, stinky fish, tripe or anything else the bowl. I've been free feeding her for about the last 2 months hoping to see some weight gain and finally there is a little bit of weight there but still she looks so bad I am afraid to walk her in my neighborhood because of how thin she is and how judgemental some of the neighbors are. One neighbor has a pit bull that is so old he can barely walk but they won't put him to sleep, hes blind and half deaf and can't walk without falling over. I think the owners are keeping him alive for them not for him.
As long as your vet is okay with your weight gain plan I wouldn't worry what the neighbors think. You're not the one who starved her and you're trying to bring her back to health in a safe way.
If she's not getting enough exercise because you're not walking her it's possible she just isn't burning enough calories to be hungrier. Smaller meals more frequently may help as her stomach may have shrunk and she just might not be able to eat enough it a setting. You can also try feeding her with puzzle toys to make mealtimes more interesting or dole the food out during training. She could also just not like the food.
Does your vet think she's gaining weight alright? If you haven't you might want to check in with them as the dog could have other things going on preventing it from gaining weight.
As far as your neighbor's dog go, deciding when to euthanize is a difficult thing. As long the dog isn't in unmanageable pain it's a judgment call based on the dog's quality of life. But since you don't want people judging you I would try not to judge them as well. Perhaps instead, if you're close with those neighbors you could even offer some support.
the man's grand daughter has been taking care of the dogs. i've checked a rescue - ended up getting a dog with tons of behavioral issues and is being rehomed. and don't have the money for a breeder.
