Hi,
I just adopted (rather saved) a 6 month old female Puggle from a rather rough situation. I am uncertain if she's had any of her shots, but will be scheduling with a local Vet shortly to handle this. My biggest problem is that she's REALLY skinny. You can clearly see each rib and I just was looking for some advice. I know the Vet will be the best for this when I get her to him soon, but in the meantime I wanted to know what I could do at home for her. I was told that she won't eat dog food, just cat food... and I really don't want to get into that habit with her. All signs point to her love of fish flavored or fish products... any suggestions?

The sooner you get her to the vet, the better. See https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post254171

I agree with labman. If you have rescued your dog from a rough situation and she is in the condition you say she is, she needs a complete health check by a vet ASAP. Whatever food you start her on will probably create a bit of gastric upset because you will not be able to gradually wean her off her old food. If you just need a recommendation for a dog chow to feed her today, there are plenty of chows on the market that have fish as the protein base, instead of beef, liver, chicken,. If you are surmising that she loves fish products due to what people have told you regarding the cat food, I wouldn't rely on that information. If you adopted her through a rescue group and they were feeding her cat food, they are just as negligent as any other situation she might have been taken out of. She needs food that is balanced for dogs. Go to your local pet store and pick out a small bag of dog food for you to try tonight. She may be resistant to eating the dry chow because she has become accustomed to wet food. So, try mixing the chow with a little warm water to soften it. Over the next week, I would suggest adding less water at every feeding until she becomes adjusted to the dry chow. Eating wet food as a steady diet will create tartar buildup and promotes early tooth loss.