[SheSaid]

I have just come into possession of a great dane puppy that is approximately 10 weeks old and has been starved almost to death. I have been giving it baby food and pedialight and it has begun to eat a little wet and dry pet food. It also ate some cooked chicken. I need to know now..what I need to feed this puppy to start getting it healthy. I am going to research it on my own but I have the puppy now and need advice now. It is sleeping a lot too.. is that normal. We are in a very remote area and will be getting it to the vet as soon as we can. It seems to be healthy.. hair and skin look good. Eyes look good and is eliminating ..although runny. I assume that is from being fed now. It is not diarrhea.. as it is controlled on the puppies part. Goes when it needs to not all the time.. I think it was taken away from mom too soon and someone threw it outside in a back yard with dry food and was not watching to see if it was eating..which it must not have been. It was brought to me as I have brought animals back from the brink many times…but never one so young and this breed. Please.. just give me specific info on what to feed it now.. brands of food, or raw… liver… milk.. evap milk, or goats milk.. thank you..

[theBCnut]

Get it to the vet NOW!! That is diarrhea, not all diarrhea is uncontrolled. Animals that have been starved need to be started back on food under the supervision of a vet. there are too many things that can happen that are life threatening. Take it to a vet right now!!

[Cyndi]

I agree with Patty. That poor puppy needs to be on IV’s and fluids and stuff. If it was starved almost to death, there shouldn’t even be a question on what to do. It needs medical attention immediately!

[Hound Dog Mom]

I agree with Patty, organs can be damaged if the dog gets too close to starvation so it’s very important to get the dog to the vet.

If you find out the dog is okay…

A good recipe for formula:
-1 1/4 C. Full Fat Goat’s Milk
-1 Raw Egg Yolk
-1 C. Full Fat Plan Yogurt
-1/2 tsp. Corn Syrup

You could also look into a high calorie nutrition paste sold for debilitated animals.

If you can get the pup onto dog food I’d look into something like Abady granular – VERY high calorie.

Good luck!

[SheSaid]

I guess I was not clear.. puppy has been salvaged..he is eating and drinking and NOT in danger anymore. He was when I got him. He WAS… on deaths door and no way to get him to the vets, but is now within 48 hours up, and in fact just within the last few hours wanting to play. The mention of his bowels was to only let you know that his kidneys are working and his bowels are working, and that I know for certain it is not diarrhea.. it is the adjustment to regular food and hydration. This is not my first time around the park with starving animals, as I have been taking animals in for 15 years or so. This is why this puppy got dropped off at my door. I have to say, I have NEVER lost a dog to death except old age, not once. I needed quick advice on what now.. that he is eating . I needed brands of food for a large breed puppy to give it the nutrition it needs to regain muscle and grow healthy bones… I have had big dogs before, just never one this big. He is the biggest puppy I have ever had in my care. I feed my dogs all home made food. Chicken, rice, veggies.. but I know that the danes grow fast and furious and need the right nutrition and especially this one, having had such a horrible beginning. I know that if he does not get the nutrition he needs he can have problems with his bones and joints, more so than other smaller breed dogs. I needed to know what to feed him, his breed, until I get my research done.. on how to prepare his meals from scratch. I am sorry my first message was not clear. I can see all very well intentioned people here who love animals… but I still need the info I first requested. What brands of food are recommended that are safe and nutritionally sound for his breed..and his age. Thank you all for caring.

[SheSaid]

Oh.. and Hound dogs Mom… I will be looking into the food you suggested and trying him on the milk substitute to get him stronger. .. I didn’t want to forget to let you know I saw that….
(and I am happy as a lark ..he is barking at a mechanical toy and picked up a ball… just now 🙂 every hour he is getting better..and better.

[Cyndi]

Thank you for taking him in & saving his life. Sounds like he’s doing better & you do know what you’re doing. I hope he makes a full recovery!

[theBCnut]

I would go with something that is not quite so nutrient dense as Abady until he is using real foods without stool problems of any sort. HDM has a list of foods that are appropriate for large breed puppies. I would caution you to not try to go with the best of the best immediately. His little body probably won’t be able to handle it. A good starting place might be Fromm’s unless HDM can suggest something a little easier to digest. Once he is used to real food again then you can start improving his diet slowly.

[SheSaid]

Thank you Patty. Not only has he begun to play today but his stools are formed up now as well… Isn’t the body a wonderful machine. Sunday is when we got him.. I wish I could post a pic that I took that day. I highly recommend pedialight when you have a sick pet. I have used it many times. I would start with 1cc and then 2cc’s and every hour I would give a little.. every half hour he would get about 1 to 2 cc’s of water. I gave him a teaspoon of baby food every half hour or so.. and started mixing in some fresh cooked rice. Today was absolutely the turn around though. Sunday and Monday he slept.. and slept. Just since I started posting these messages today he just sort of woke up.. and is acting more and more like a puppy should. It is going to be a pleasure learning about Great Danes.. he might be a bit of a mix.. sure got the legs of a dane. ?? I don’t know if I am going to be able to rehome him. I don’t ever want him to experience unkindness again. I thank all of you.

[SheSaid]

Thank you Cindi.. I swear I was going to say that in the last post..

[Hound Dog Mom]

I agree with Patty on the Fromm’s. You may even want to start with their grain-inclusive formula versus a grain-free formula. I would soak it in some puppy formula to start.

[Edwina M]

My neighbor found a starved 6mth old Great Dane Puppy last Friday on the side of the road where there are many deep woods. He and I both RN’s but he is working and I am not so we are caring for him.

His coat is good, no fleas, no mange, his eyes bright and his ears clean but of course truly a skeleton looks like my mom said she did after 3.5 years in POW camps. It has only been a week and the space between his hindquarters is filling in not touching anymore. He is eating well and all functions are normal regarding to toileting. He is exceptionally smart and he is clean with his toileting.

The problem is his balance is kapoot. He is now hopping off on his hind quarters, his front quarters still have muscle from pulling himself along I suppose. We are wondering if he will ever walk again and when he is stronger we have a Vet to take him to. She said at this point he needs rest and the food, vitamins etc we are giving him is substantial. We are concerned that he won’t ever walk normally and it hurts us deeply. Since it has only been a week we will most certainly give it time and then see what the Vet says.

He is a wonderful dog and he would make a wonderful companion for someone. We can not possibly keep him, we have a small home and a small backyard and we already have two little dogs and several inside cats and several outside cats. We took all cats to Vets and fixed them when we first moved here. No more stray kittens around this area. We are willing to spend the money and time on this beautiful animal but hope to find a loving home eventually.

Please tell me about serious neurological damage that can come from starvation. He was on the brink of death never saw an animal in this shape. He is strong in the AM but by nightfall when we bring him in from his huge run cage he is falling over and not able to control his hind quarters.

Thank you.

[Cyndi]

Hopefully HDM will come and comment. She would be the most knowledgable one on here to respond to this. Also, BCnut is another one. I will send them a link to this thread and hopefully one or both will come and give you some help.

Thank you for rescuing that poor baby! So glad he’s in good hands now!

[theBCnut]

Just in case, give him a good thorough bath with Dawn. He may have gotten it to something poisonous that is affecting his neuro system and while you can’t get it out of him, you may be able to get some off him. It may be that he was born with a neuro condition. I wouldn’t wait to get him checked out, because the vet can give you an idea which it may be, and tell you what supplements may help most. I would want to give milk thistle for a few days just in case he got into something. It helps the liver, just in case, but if he didn’t get into anything it won’t hurt. Also, I would want to make sure he is getting a raw egg every other day with one meal, and adding lightly cooked egg to one meal on the other days wouldn’t hurt either. You want the white cooked but the yolk raw on those. That will supply some of the nutrients he needs to clear his system, if he can. Good luck and thanks for helping this big boy. Unfortunately, this issue may be why you found him where he was. Someone may not have wanted to deal with all of this. He may also have severe hip dysplasia and just can’t use his hind end right. A joint supplement may or may not help that. Osteo Bi-Flex for humans is a really good one. And that also won’t hurt anything if he doesn’t really need it, but I haven’t met the Dane yet who didn’t.

[Edwina M]

I want to thank all of you who responded. We are getting very concerned about his unsteadiness but as I said it has only been a week. We will do the egg and get the milk thistle. My mother spent 3.5 years in POW camps during WWII she came down with breast cancer when I was 5. She became a Herbalist and our home was filled with books also medical books on the microbiological level. I have used herbs all my life and have been giving him a Vet OK’d herb to keep him calm being as we have learned Great Dane puppies are hyper and have a long growing period so they need to rest. We will get the Milk Thistle they have been using it for years in Europe to heal the liver. We will also get the vitamin for his joints and I am also giving him 3 drops of Astragalus a day, it is an immune system booster that is so strong it actually does not allow chemotherapy to enter cells so cancer patients can not take it.

We are in touch with a Vet and she is monitoring what we are doing but she says the tests are very expensive and to be honest we don’t have that kind of money but when he is stronger in a couple of weeks we will take him to her and she will tell us the news.

We were thinking since there is a Great Dane breeder only 6 miles from where he was found that he ran away and got lost in the woods and spent several weeks wandering around because there are no signs of abuse on him. But we have feared that he was thrown out deep into the woods because he is neurologically deficient. I pray not and in my life my family have always been an animal magnet and we were overflowing with their presence and the love and companionship they gave us. This trend followed me into my own family and trickled down even now. Always there was a reason, I have hindsight, so there is a reason he was brought into our lives and we will learn it.

Thank you all again. Yadja

[Edwina M]

Forgot to add my mother beat that breast cancer 30 years through natural remedies.

[theBCnut]

Excellent!! Try mild blood cleansers and/or a mild detox. Personally, I would still want the vet to do a regular physical. A lot can be told about the possible source of his issues by manipulation. How he places his feet, what his pupils are doing, and how he extends his hips, will all give you strong clues as to what is going on with him and which way your treatment should go.

[Edwina M]

Will do and as I said before we will let the Vet do an examination because we want the best for him but we can not afford lots of tests. He is fast winning my heart. He is just the most adorable dog and as a nurse I must tell you cleaner than patients I have cared for.

Great Danes are truly magnificent and elegant dogs. He will have that evaluation.

Thank you again Yadja:)

[Cyndi]

Glad to see BCnut gave you some great advice. Did you contact that Great Dane breeder to see if they had lost any pups. I have a feeling you might be right that maybe they intentionally “lost” him because of problems. 🙁 How anyone could do that is beyond me.

Good luck with him. I hope it’s only something temporary and he gets betters.

Awesome about your mom. Good for her!! 🙂

[DogFoodie]

That’s exactly what I was thinking, Cyndi.

[Cyndi]

Too late to edit, lol! But I meant *….gets better soon!* Ha ha!

Dogfoodie, it’s very sad that that happens so much in todays world. Makes me sick.

[Edwina M]

The Vet said if he was a breeder dog he would have a chip so we will check it. The reason we did not do it is because we don’t trust a breeder to take care of him and I am not going to give him back to anyone who is responsible for his condition.

Eventually the Vet will do that and if he has a chip I don’t know how we will handle it. So one day at a time.

The Almighty never gives you more than you can handle, everything I have ever asked my Daddy in the Universe to give me I received, I have seen miracles in my 30 years of nursing and I am in and of myself a miracle as is my daughter and sons because we were saved from fatal or would be fatal accidents and here we are.

One day at a time.

[Cyndi]

Sounds like that pup is in good hands. Feel free to post a picture of him whenever you want. 🙂 We love pics, especially puppy pics! 🙂

[DogFoodie]

My Golden didn’t have a chip when I picked him up from the breeder.

[Edwina M]

I don’t know how to do that but John has a BS in Technology and works for a huge company so I will ask him about it. 🙂

[Edwina M]

Bruce 1
Bruce 2
Bruce 3
Bruce 4
Bruce 5
Sasha and Nelli

[Edwina M]

We don’t have a Facebook or Google accounts since they giver Eric Holder access to all customer accounts without a reasonable reasons. Gestopo is running a muck (John)

[theBCnut]

I can’t post pictures here either, but if you go over to the review side, you can post pictures in the Off Topic thread.

[Cyndi]

Or, if you know how, you can upload it to a photo site like photobucket. That’s what I use. Then just post the direct link and your pic will appear. If I can learn how to do that nut, anyone can. 😉

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by Cyndi.

[theBCnut]

It’s not that I can’t do that, it’s that the computer paranoid I love really doesn’t want me to. So I can’t, like I can’t get on FB. It’s a small price to pay…

[Cyndi]

Oh ok, gotcha! I thought maybe you meant that you were too computer illiterate to do it, lol! Cuz I know damn well I am the most computer illiterate person that I know.

[theBCnut]

I’m not computer savy, but I get by. And if it’s really difficult, I ask my teenager, they know everything.

BTW, can you email me? My iThingy seems to have eaten your email address. Or else I didn’t save it with your name, but anyways, I wanted to email you about nothing important and found I couldn’t find it.

[Cyndi]

Sure! 🙂 I almost email you all the time. My sister’s name is Patty, and when I send her an email, I just have to type the “P” and both your names come up, but yours is first and I always want to click yours by accident, cuz it’s the first one, lol!

[theBCnut]

LOL!! I can only imagine, based on what I send my own sister, what I might find in my inbox.

[Bethany D]

I have an almost 2 year old pit bull. He ran off and was lost shortly after I moved. I think someone had him and was abusing him but the local pound contacted me and I brought him home this past Monday. He doesn’t want to eat much and when he does he throws it back up. He won’t drink too much of anything. He appears to be starved. What can I do to bring him back to a healthy state? I don’t have much money for vet bills.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Bethany D:
I understand budget issues, but if he were my dog I would take him ASAP to the Vet for a check-up. If he is vomiting often he runs the risk of dehydration. Allot of Vets offer CARE credit if that’s an option:
http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/

Maybe your Vet will accept a payment plan from you or contact your local shelter to see if they offer low cost Vet care. I wish you both the best!

[JOSEPHINE T]

Go to vet if you can’t afford it do whatever you have to do to help your dog

[JOSEPHINE T]

Good advice on care credit
I used it last year for a cut that cost 989.00 for emergency visit plus got 6 months free financing and paid it off within the time limit

[anonymously]

He needs to go to the vet for a checkup, that is just part of basic care for a pet.
Once a year, heartworm check, etc.
This is a special situation, you don’t know where he’s been or what he has been exposed to.
You didn’t mention how long he was out there. Frequent vomiting and poor appetite are obvious signs of illness. He could be nauseas or in pain, some dogs are more stoic than others and are good at hiding it.

Get him a clean bill of health, you will both feel better 🙂

PS: I’m glad he found his way back to you. But, if you are truly between a rock and a hard place, contact your local SPCA, explain your situation and they will tell you your options.
https://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq

[InkedMarie]

all owners need something for routine vet care AND non-routine.

[Author]

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