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This terrible thin dog is still with us and eating and wagging his tail. Still down and out until lunchtime - he could only just about lift his head up to eat and then he was out of it again. So it didn't look too optimistic at that stage. But there is a will to live inside there somewhere and by the time we were serving afternoon tea, he decided to try to stand up. Wobbly but he made it and had his meal (small) on his feet.
It's important not to offer starving dogs any large meals right off. What they need is a modest amount of highly digestible food, offered frequently. No dried food at all. Lots of fresh water, changed often. The importance of fresh clean water is often overlooked. It is as important as food in the recovery of a sick animal.
This dog isn't a youngster which is why he had us worried. The young ones soon bounce back from all sorts of mistreatment. Older dogs take longer to recover. Even this chap's face is pinched and thin. He looks really sad but still manages to wag his tail.
How do dogs get into such a state? Beats me. Deliberate neglect? Could be, but some people don't feed their dogs enough. They think that by keeping them really thin they are making sure they are healthy - a sort of transferred anorexia.
When a dog is chronically underfed, any extra stress, such as being lost or running around a lot, can soon tip their condition into emaciation. It's surprising how often we see dogs that are much too thin and how often their owners are totally dismissive of the fact.
We don't want our dogs to be fat, but a balance is essential for their health and resilience.
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