What To Expect From The Veterinarian
Your veterinarian is most likely going to seek out three big pieces of information in order to best formulate a care plan for the emaciated dog. They will want to:
Other tests that are probably important to understanding the overall health of the dog:
The fecal test – now that we know about all the changes that occur in the gut during the process of starvation, it really makes sense to get a fecal test done as part of this first exam. We should know if there are internal parasites present in the emaciated dog. Internal parasites do their own damage to the gut and make processing nutrients that much harder. Yet, we don’t want to ask the system to do anything extra by adding deworming medication if it’s not needed.
Although not mentioned in the articles I read, a heartworm test couldn’t hurt – the heart is stress by prolonged starvation. Discovering the presence of heartworm might help your veterinarian further fine-tune the refeeding and treatment plan. Plus, sometimes you can bundle the heartworm test in with the CBC/Chemistry test which may be more cost-efficient. Just a thought.
After completing the full exam and testings, the first decision your veterinarian will make is, Can this dog begin a refeeding plan at home or does this dog need hospitalization? Dogs with a very low BCS, dogs that are extremely anemic, weak, dehydrated or have electrolyte abnormalities may require hospitalization in order to stabilize.
When your veterinarian decides it is safe for your emaciated dog to recover at home, they will provide you with a very strict feeding plan.
A lack of energy is another telltale indicator of malnutrition, particularly in the carbohydrate sector. Carbohydrates are a dog’s primary food source, and they offer the energy required for canines to bounce off the walls in that eager let’s-play-fetch-today type of style.
Make sure to use a comfortable car seat for your dog while going out from home. During these frequent visits, the vet may also help you assess your pet’s development, current weight, and overall health, advising on any food or activity changes that may be required.
It’s another of those natural adaptation mechanisms in which the body responds to a physical effort by increasing food absorption by the cells. As a result, it promotes sugar transfer for the energy required by functioning cells, and it aids in the restoration of insulin health and the correction of the diabetic state.
Lack of Nutrition’s Pet food labels offer the appropriate serving proportions to help you feed your pet. Make it initial your friend gets enough nutrition to maintain a healthy life. Take note, however, that dogs with slower metabolisms may require less food, whilst dogs with extremely active lives may require more.
If you come across a starving dog, he will almost certainly require medical attention from a trained veterinarian. Caring for your malnourished dog can be stimulating at first. To begin, you must regularly observe your pet to ensure that he is not suffering from any underlying health conditions.
Feast/Famine and a dog’s tolerance for starvation
I asked Dr. Ellis rather bluntly, “Aren’t dogs built to handle starvation? I mean their ancestors would go days without eating and then feast on a kill. Feast/famine, right”?
“We hear that a lot, don’t we? Look, my poodle is as removed from wolves as I am from a Neanderthal. We cannot draw that conclusion”.
She went on to say, “First, wolves or wild dogs didn’t go days and days in between kills. They ate every couple of days. Second, when they did eat, they were eating a high protein, high fat diet. Finally, today’s domesticated dog is a different being with different mechanisms for survival. In many ways, they may not be as robust as their wild ancestors”.
In contrast, what we face when rescuing the emaciated dog is an animal that possibly hasn’t eaten anything in many days or has been slowly losing weight from illness or malnourishment.
There is much more to starvation than what we see on the outside. When we see an emaciated dog, we must assume the worst-case scenario and quickly seek veterinary care.
I met with Crystal Beatty, the Director for Saraland Animal Control and shelter, where Florence is receiving care. Crystal often encounters dogs in poor condition and she wants these emaciated dogs evaluated by a veterinarian prior to starting any refeeding plan.
“I don’t know how long they ‘ve been without resources, I don’t know if their organs are beginning to shut down”. Crystal emphasizes. So I asked her, half kidding, totally serious, “So you don’t order up a bag of cheeseburgers from the drive-thru”?
Florence’s plan? “Go slow. We are feeding Florence small meals, 3 small meals a day”.
Crystal also points out, “Just because a dog acts like it is starving doesn’t mean I should let it eat as much as possible. I won’t do it”.
While difficult, ignoring a dog’s ravenous behavior and pleading eyes is good medicine. Stick to a plan of strict calorie control and small, more frequent feedings. Free-feeding should never be done when beginning a refeeding plan.
Incredible recovery of the starving puppy so thin bones were protruding through her skin
MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio (WKBN) – The Mahoning County Dog Warden is sharing advice when it comes to finding emaciated animals.
If you see an animal that looks like it needs fed, the first think you think of is probably to feed it as much as you can. But, local experts are warning people not to do that.
Refeeding syndrome is when a person or animal hasn’t taken in enough calories to maintain their resting metabolic rate.
A local veterinarian explains it could cause severe problems if you give an animal too much when they’re body isn’t ready for it.
“When those cells have shriveled up to try to conserve their energy and conserve the electrolytes and minerals and everything else, if you give too much too soon they just don’t know how to take it all in,” says Dr. Courtney O’Neill of Austintown Veterinary Clinic.
“You had to feed them every two hours because they can’t maintain that blood sugar, that level of energy. It’s kind of the same thing. Smaller more frequent meals is better than three very large meals,” continues Dr. O’Neill.
Dr. O’Neill says to give the animals about one-fifth of their normal meal and then continue to add to it as time goes on. It can take weeks to get them built up to where they are on a normal basis.
But if you do find an emaciated animal it’s always best to call the dog warden.
A veterinarian must be contacted as well and bloodwork needs done. If their body is in starvation mode, veterinary monitoring and supervision needs to be done. The supervision of electrolytes and as EKG needs to be done too.