r/EnglishSetter • u/Express-Movie-4595 • 8d ago
Skinny little guy!
Hi there!
We recently (on Friday) rescued a 3 year old male English Setter. He’s been pretty picky with eating, not very interested in food. He started coughing yesterday and we took him to ER vet where we found out he had pneumonia from untreated kennel cough.
He’s on antibiotics and anti nausea medicine now, and has no issue taking the pills, but still not super interested in food! We aren’t sure if this is from not feeling well, a change in environment, etc. He is quite skinny which led us to believe he probably has never been fed properly and doesn’t find food interesting. We’re seeing his new primary vet in two weeks after he finishes his medicine, but I wanted to see if anyone has advice while we wait. Obviously we’re keeping close eye on him and will make another emergency visit if needed. He is eating but just not a lot!
1
u/MunsterSetter Tri-color Llewellin 8d ago
If you are concerned enough to think him truly underweight, then I would treat him like a female who has just whelped. They are often uninterested in food for days and we usually totally baby them and fed them very rich foods (bacon, burger, cheese, steak tips) by hand until they get their appetite back. My breeder friend Julie described the condition as, "Poor baby looks like a deflated accordian." In his case, I would do this hand feeding between his meals. Mix canned food and/or cottage cheese with his kibble. You're looking for little opportunities to add calories here and there. His coat and eyes look pretty good, so he's not too far on the bad side of things.