I recently rescued a severely malnourished shepherd type 6 month old puppy. He lived his whole life in a very small crate, he has the hair rubbed off his shoulders from trying to stand in it and his ears dont stand all the way up (but they are better after two weeks). He has been vet checked, wormed, neutered, and is on heartworm preventative.
Thank goodness he doesnt have any neurotic behavior, he is a real sweet heart. My question is three fold:
- I feed him a good quality food - IAMs Smart Puppy three times a day. It seems if I give him too much he gets diarrhea. If I feed more will the diarrhea subside?
- At almost 25 inches at the shoulder he barely weighs 30 pounds. He has zero muscle mass, his hindend is just bones. Should I wait for him to gain weight or should I start an exercise program now? I dont mean run his legs off, just some walking or something to try to develop his atrophied muscles. Right now he has free roam of the yard and he usually just sits on the top of the hill and watches the world go by, only chasing the occasional squirrel or bird that lands in his yard. In the house he sits quietly by my feet.
- He smells. I have bathed him five times and he still smells like roadkill. Apparently the abuse situation had plenty of deceased dogs around him and it has permeated him. His coat feels dead. I give him a shot of canola oil on his dog food. I have tried products that say will help his coat but nothing really helps. Its still brittle and dull. The only heartening thing is the little hairs growing back on his shoulders is velvety and a different color! Is there anything else I can do to help his coat?
Thank you. He is such a sweet heart. My life is better with him in it!
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