My husband and I just adopted 2 labs from a shelter... one was abused. They are both 4 months old and very thin. We have been trying to feed them but one of them (the one that was abused) won't eat hardly at all... shes very kind she will walk up to me but always with her head down... im scared if we don't do something quick she's going to die. We are feeding them dry dog food that is high in fats,etc to help them gain weight... please help us

Consult with a Vet - it could be anything.

I've had abused dogs and you never know what the background is.

Your going to have to get more enticeing than that. Make sure that whtever your feeding the dog is approprite for it's problems. You may have so see a vet.

Make the meals more enticing by adding chicken soup.

Get a Kong and place frozen peanut butter inside.

Start an exercise program. SHort walks. Long walks. Play fetch.

Think like a dog. The dog needs to do something to please you.

Yup... always consult a vet with this.

It could be the background of abuse... the new environment... the food... parasites... or even something painful in the mouth/throat. Worst case scenario... there could be some sort of blockage in the GI. Best case scenario... the dog may just need a few days to adjust.

Is the dog drinking water? How many bowel movements has the dog had... are they of a "normal" consistency?

There are also different types of gels that you can get that are very high calorie and irresistible to most dogs. They are sometimes called food chargers... but are usually sold in a tube and you just liberally add it to their food.

You could try this in conjunction to a diet change. Really pay attention to the bowel movements... the vet will ask... if you are going to bring it to the vet, bring a fresh stool sample. Look out for a clear mucos or blood in their stool. The stool needs to be fresh! Take a good look at him too... ears, mouth, coat, skin, paws... note anything that seems odd and bring it up when you see the vet.

Since they are puppies and from situations where it is highly unlikely they received the appropriate vaccinations I do have concerns of more serious problems and I would suggest going to a vet ASAP. It may simply just be a mood and environment problem but if it is something deadly like parvo causing this then you do not have the time to spare.