[babykitten21]

I'm fostering a pekingese,who is 2 years old.He is only 13 lbs. I can feel all his ribs, all bones in his sholders and hips (all the bones in his body). I have made "people food" for him. (ground beef 1 cup, 1 med potato cooked, 1 cup of carrots and green beans) He likes it but doesn't eat that much of it. I'm really worried that if he doesn't start gaining weight here soon that he won't make it.
PLEASE HELP!!

[sunshinechild69]

I have a little dog, she's a Maltese/mini poodle mix. Sometimes she has trouble eating too. Often it is because the food is too big for her. Sometimes for her to eat, I have to sit down on the ground by her and offer her one small piece at a time. I know this takes a lot of time, but it helps.
Also if your dog is not eating well take them to the vet to make sure they don't have worm or a parasite. This can make them lose appetite and not gain weight. Good luck

[Cat1864]

Is he a full-blooded pekingese or is he a mix?

Since, according to the AKC standards, a weight of over 14 pounds is a disqualifying trait, I would take him to the vet's for a check up and to determine what weight he should be at. Once his needs are known, a proper diet can be figured out.

[shazamataz]

I agree with Cat, best to get a vet to check him out although I will tell you you aren't alone. I have a 12 month old who is going through the skinnies at the moment and it looks just awful, I just picked him up a bag of beef and mutton raw meat from the pet meat store to try and add some weight to him.

Also agree with sunshine, when was the last time he was wormed and are there any other symptoms other than being off his food? Has he always been like this or is it a recent development?

[Cat1864]

I just want to clarify my earlier post.

IF he is full-blooded pekingese and within the breed standard for size, then 13 pounds should be a good weight for him if not bordering on too heavy. IF you feel his bones more than you should be, then it sounds like the distribution of his weight is off. If it isn't in muscle (and fur), where is it?

[Just_Another_Lemming]

Yes cat. As I was reading the OP I was thinking 13 pounds is not considered underweight for a peke.

Babykitten, please follow all the advice given by everyone here. If he hasn't been to the vet yet, a check up & discussion of problems you are encountering is always in order with new fosters. If the vet feels he is underweight, ask him for food suggestions.

One other factor that is important to keep in mind -- when you bring in a rescue for fostering they need time to adjust to their new surroundings. Most will be off their food for a little while because they are nervous. Just remember that animals don't understand what is happening when they are placed in a new situation. Spend time training (or retraining as the case may be) and make all the interactions between you two as positive as possible. The dog needs to be reassured that he is in safe hands living with you. Depending on the dog and the situation they came from, it can easily take a couple of months for him/her to begin to relax.

[Garciam]

I have a maltese and is losing weight how can I get him to gain it back?

[Garciam]

I have a maltese and he is losing weight how can I get him to gain it back?
He is one year old and the groomer just told me he is under weight?